Raleigh, North Carolina, is having a moment right now – one that puts families at the forefront and continues to earn the city national clout, including a spot on our list of the best U.S. destinations to vacation with kids.
The city’s central location on the east coast, about halfway between Florida and New York, makes for enjoyable road trips and quick flights. Ease of accessibility continues once you arrive, too, with the most sought-after suburbs and attractions all seemingly within a 15-minute drive. That’s the number we kept hearing on a recent trip to Cary, whenever we asked a local how much time it’d take to reach a place we wanted to visit. And it was true.
SAND SEEKERS: 10 best family beaches in North Carolina
Less than a 15-minute drive from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Cary is a thriving district for families, abuzz with one of the coolest parks I’ve ever seen and an easily walkable downtown sprinkled with charming buildings and trendy eateries. Cary is the hot spot when it comes to Raleigh attractions for family fun, and its diverse range of offerings has something for every age.
Seven acres of lush gardens, playgrounds, nature walkways, and more are nestled right in downtown.
What to do
▶ Downtown Cary Park: Seven acres of lush, green space are dedicated to Downtown Cary Park. You’ll find sprawling woodland-themed playgrounds that are modern and thoughtfully designed, with sections for different age groups. There are also slides, rock walls, and other kid-friendly obstacles built into a hillside. A skywalk trail meanders over a lake and alongside a fragrant botanical garden. Other spaces built into the natural surroundings include a pavilion that hosts occasional events, a great lawn, and water fountains.
Slides, rock-climbing walls, and other kid-friendly obstacles are built into a hillside at Downtown Cary Park.
▶ Marbles Kids Museum: My kiddos, aged four and two, would have spent all day at Marbles Kids Museum if we let them. Themed exhibits make way for learning, playing, and discovering. They include Imagifab for little inventors, with a section for building blocks of all shapes and sizes, as well as an interactive drawing room that brings kids’ creations to life on a big screen; Moneypalooza, where a playground and series of activity stations spiritedly showcase the importance of healthy spending; and an indoor-outdoor section centered around the process of growing plants, fruits, and veggies.
▶ Botanical Gardens: One of my favorite places to take my kids, wherever we travel, is a botanical garden. They are nature’s playgrounds, inspiring imaginative play and exploration. There are several botanical gardens around “The Triangle,” a nickname for Raleigh and its neighboring university cities, and they’re free to enjoy. Raleigh’s JC Raulston Arboretum and the North Carolina Botanical Garden a little further out are our favorites. Both offer ample grounds for families to wander as well as dedicated kids’ spaces.
Kids at the North Carolina Botanical Garden can write notes to fairies.
▶ Museum of Life and Science: Nature continues to set the stage for learning at this unique science museum spread out across 84 acres. Kids can dig for fossils on the Dinosaur Trail, get up close and personal with North Carolina wildlife, soak up the scenery on an old-time train ride, ignite their sense of wonder at the mist field, and more. Two acres are dedicated to Hideaway Woods, where you’ll find treehouses (including some designed for the littlest visitors), a wading stream, and nature-inspired play spaces.
▶ Pullen Park: At this quintessential amusement park, families will find enough activities to keep kids entertained for hours. Pullen Park’s storied past is also part of its allure. Established in 1887, this 66.4-acre swath comprising Raleigh attractions for family fun is not only North Carolina’s first public park, but also the U.S.’s fifth-oldest amusement park and 16th oldest in the world. Historic features include its carousel, built in 1911, and the Pullen Park Caboose, an authentic train car from the Norfolk Southern Railway. Families can also enjoy rides on a mini vintage-style train, pedal boating, and various playgrounds.
Where to stay
The Mayton
The Mayton offers generous space, family-friendly amenities, and proximity to Cary’s top attractions.
Nestled next to Downtown Cary Park, The Mayton spoils guests with easy accessibility to the city’s thriving recreational, dining, and entertainment scenes. Forty-four distinctly designed rooms and suites cater to families with above-average square footage, and pack-and-plays are available upon request. Meanwhile, the on-site restaurant with a spacious outdoor terrace treats kids to dedicated menus. Service all around feels very “small town” and personal, and the property is fully tapped into the local culture.
The Mayton’s Downtown Cary Park Movie Night package creates the perfect outing for families to enjoy the park’s nighttime movie series. Complete with a cozy picnic blanket, and cookies and popcorn curated from local businesses, the package offers the perfect way to enjoy films like “Moana 2” and “Shrek” under the stars. Other perks of the package include a $15 breakfast credit per person, per night, as well as discounted pricing.
This big city suburb is one of the hottest destinations for families right now originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
More from FamilyVacationist:
The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. FamilyVacationist.com and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From skywalks to splash pads: This N.C. city is built for families