Day Trip Idea: Durham, NC

The Ultimate Day Trip to Durham, NC with Kids

Hours

Planning a day trip to Durham NC? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re looking for educational fun, tasty eats, or time outdoors, Durham has you covered. If you are searching for day trips that are quick, affordable, and filled with activities to keep the kids engaged Durham delivers. The challenge is knowing where to start when the city offers so much. From a world-class science museum to locally sourced eats and Instagram-worthy gardens, Durham blends charm with adventure. With a family-first vibe and endless hidden gems, Durham is a prime spot for a one-day getaway. It’s perfect for families in the Triad looking to explore somewhere new without a long drive. If your kids are curious, energetic, and always hungry (whose aren’t?), they’ll love this itinerary. You’ll enjoy every minute too.

Start Your Day at the Museum of Life and Science


The Museum of Life and Science is a must-visit for families. It’s one of those rare places where kids of all ages and even adults can truly explore and learn. Hideaway Woods is a highlight, offering an imaginative treehouse village that lets little ones climb, slide, and pretend their way through nature. If you’ve got a dinosaur lover in your house, don’t miss the Dinosaur Trail. It’s a unique outdoor exhibit that adds a prehistoric twist to your day.

Kids can also dig for fossils, play in sensory-friendly zones, and explore weather experiments. If you’re a Greensboro Science Center or Kaleideum member, you may get discounted entry another win for budget-friendly fun. Plan to spend at least two hours here. There’s so much to see. Check out our blog on Museum of Life and Science for more tips and info about visiting.

Credit: VisitNC.com

If it is a nice day, you have to stop by Duke Gardens. This is the perfect place for a walk, or if your kids need to burn more energy, a beautiful place to run around. One section has these fun houses made out of bendable branches. The flowers are all labeled which can be helpful if you are in the market for landscaping ideas or just want to enjoy the creativity put behind these set-ups.  

After a morning of running around it was time to eat lunch. Bull City Burger is the perfect spot. Now they technically don’t open until 11:11 so keep that in mind! Their burgers are great and if you catch it at the right time they have exotic meat options like tarantula burgers. They also try to locally source everything which is great!

A short walk from Bull City Burger is the Parlour. Now we can say this is for the kids, but really the ice cream is so good the adults have to indulge. We strolled around and ate outside and hung out with the huge Bull statue as we ate. You will notice Durham uses the Bull similar to how Greensboro has jeans everywhere!

Downtown is full of so many fun things, but to end off our day we decided to relax at Ponysaurus Brewery. It is kid-friendly and a fun place to relax and enjoy a beverage. The menu changes but we can always find something we like!

Other places you definitely should consider visiting:

  • Eno River State Park – lots of walking trails but they have a lot of fun festivals to keep an eye out for!
  • Duke Lemur Center – Get to experience Lemurs in a new way. Duke is known for their Lemur studies.
  • Notasium– This is traditionally a place that music lessons take place but during the day they have turned it into a fun area that kids get to bounce, slide and play large kid friendly musical instruments.
  • Bullocks BBQ – A great BBQ place in the area.
  • Guglhupf Bakery and Cafe– A German Cafe you do not want to miss. Get there early or you will miss the tasty croissants that are the best EVER!
  • Full Steam Brewery – great beer and awesome atmosphere.  They often have food trucks as well!
  • Sam’s Bottle Shop – Can’t beat a rooftop bottle shop when the weather is nice. They have a wide assort of bottled beer and a decent amount on tap too!
  • Streets of Southpoint – There is a terrific play area for the kids with the soft structures to climb. The outdoor area has tons of fountains and benches, and they often have street performers, so it is great even if you have tiny ones who will just ride in the stroller and look at all the action around them.

By TMoM Team Member, Felicity Lewis

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