3 Family Activities You Want To Visit in the Raleigh, NC, Area

If you want to spend some quality fun time with the family, there are many options available to you in Raleigh. Ranging from sports to culture to museums, you are bound to find a fun activity that will suit every family member. Here are some suggestions of fun things to do with the family in Raleigh.

1. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

For a fun outing that is also educational, take the kids to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This museum is the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast, and offers exhibitions, movies, talks, programs, and field experience through which visitors can get better acquainted with science and nature.

The Museum consists of the Nature Exploration Center, which encourages visitors to explore the natural world and their connection to it; the Nature Research Center, which strives through regular live presentations, interactive exhibitions, and state-of-the-art laboratories to present science as a tangible and enjoyable experience; and the Prairie Ridge Ecostation, which is a field station where the public can learn about sustainable living.

Take your child to the Mazes & Brain Games exhibition, the Bugfest on Sept. 15, or one of the 3D movies on show, such as “Dinosaurs Alive,” or “Backyard Wilderness.” The Nature Exploration Center is located at 11 West Jones St., and is open Mondays to Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays noon to 5 p.m.

2. Pullen Park

Pullen Park, which is the oldest public park in North Carolina, offers many delightful activities for the whole family. It features several swing sets, sand areas, playground equipment, a tennis court, a picnic area, and two ball fields. The park also offers four rides. For the kiddies, there are child-sized boats, a miniature train, and a carousel. The whole family can enjoy paddle boats on the park lake.

But this is not where the fun ends! The park also has its own Theater in the Park, an indoor theater facility that offers shows all year round, as well as classes and workshops. There is also an Aquatic Center, featuring an Olympic-size swimming pool and warm water therapy, as well as an Art Center, where the whole family can take classes in pottery, jewelry making, painting, printmaking, and weaving. The park is located at 520 Ashe Ave.

3. Polar Iceplex

Another fun activity that the whole family can enjoy, is ice skating. Polar Iceplex is North Carolina’s only Olympic-size ice rink that offers a variety of programs and activities for all ages and abilities. Apart from public skating, Iceplex offers youth hockey, adult hockey, figure skating, and a skate school. Iceplex also provides a week-long activity camp for children that focuses on sports-based activities in a non-competitive environment, such as ice skating, hockey, soccer, and basketball. Polar Iceplex is located at 2601 N Raleigh Blvd.

Whether you have a family that likes the outdoors, theater, sports, or science, you will find a fun activity in Raleigh that will offer you the opportunity to spend some quality time with each other.