With the amazing things to do with kids in Durham, NC, it can be a lot of fun to spend time in the city with your family.
From learning about science at a museum to seeing a show, there’s a large variety of family-friendly things to do in the city. The activities are great for children, but many of them are also fun for the whole family.
If you’re looking for the best things to do in Durham with kids, I got you covered. In this guide, you can find the most fun family-friendly activities, great museums for kids, events, and more.
Things To Do With Kids in Durham, NC
Visit the Museum of Life and Science
The Museum of Life and Science is a great museum where children can learn about science and nature.
You can find many exhibits at the museum that all relate to various aspects of science and nature where children can learn new things in a hands-on way.
For example, there is an indoor exhibit that is focused on aerospace. Children can learn about space here by seeing artifacts from the Apollo program. There is also a command module that children can get into here.
Another indoor exhibit is one where children can learn about math in a fun way.
One of the outdoor exhibits is one where kids can learn about dinosaurs.
There are also animals at this museum, including red wolves, black bears, lemurs, and other species.
Address: 433 W Murray Ave, Durham, NC 27704
Bowl at Bowlero Durham
Bowlero Durham is a bowling alley that you can find at 4508 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard. It is a great place for bowling with the whole family in Durham.
This bowling alley has 32 bowling lanes. These are modern lanes that feature black lights and there are HD video walls.
In addition to bowling, you can also go to Bowlero Durham for its arcade. The arcade has many fun games, including classic games, that children can play.
To make your time here even better, you can head to the bar of the bowling alley for great comfort food and drinks.
Address: 4508 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC 27707
Attend a Family-Friendly Show at the Durham Performing Arts Center
The Durham Performing Arts Center is one of the largest performing arts theaters in the state. It is a modern venue that dates back to the year 2008.
Each year, there are more than 200 performances at the Durham Performing Arts Center, including great shows that are family-friendly
For example, there are Broadway musicals that are fun for children to enjoy, including shows during the holiday season.
Address: 123 Vivian Street, Durham, NC 27701
Go to Sky Zone Durham
Sky Zone Durham is a trampoline park that makes for one of the best things to do in Durham with kids. You can find several fun attractions here.
For example, there is a large jumping area with wall-to-wall trampolines that kids can jump on.
There is also a “sky tower” from which you can jump into a pit with foam blocks.
Another fun attraction at Sky Zone is the “iWall”. This is a motion sensor-controlled wall where you can play video games by using your body as the game controller. For example, you can play soccer here or you can dance.
You can also get a membership at Sky Zone, which makes it possible to go to the trampoline park as many times as you like.
Address: 1720 Guess Rd Suite 90, Durham, NC 27701
See a Baseball Game of the Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a team that plays in the Minor League Baseball. The team is a Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, a Tampa Bay area baseball team that competes in Major League Baseball.
You can go to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to see a home game of the team, which is a great activity for all ages, especially with kids who love baseball.
This ballpark has a capacity of 10,000 seats.
There are many vendors at the ballpark from whom you can get a large variety of food options.
It can also be fun to see the iconic snorting bull sign when you go to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Address: 409 Blackwell St, Durham, NC 27701
Go to Chuck E. Cheese Durham
Chuck E. Cheese Durham is a family fun center that can be great to visit with kids.
At this place, you can find fun skill-level arcade games that are a lot of fun for children to play. There is a large selection of games to choose from here.
Children can also enjoy fun performances here.
In addition to that, you can get great pizza and cake here. All factors that will ensure you’ll have a fun time!
Address: 3724 Mayfair St, Durham, NC 27707
Do a Tour at the Duke Lemur Center
The Duke Lemur Center is a center that was founded in 1966 and is part of Duke University. You can find the center on the university’s campus.
The center is dedicated to the study, care, and protection of lemurs, which is an endangered group of mammals.
At the center, you can find more than 200 animals and there are 14 species in total.
To see the animals, you can do a guided tour of the facility which is a fun family-friendly activity in Durham. There are several types of tours to choose from, including a general tour during which you can see various species of lemurs and learn about the center.
Keep in mind that the tours are very popular, so you sometimes need to make a reservation several months in advance.
Address: 3705 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27705
Learn New Things at the Duke Basketball Museum
The Duke Basketball Museum is a museum that is great to visit with kids in Durham and it is especially great for kids who love basketball a lot.
At the Duke Basketball Museum, which is located on the campus of Duke University, you can find various exhibits related to the Duke men’s basketball program.
You can see five title trophies here, all sorts of memorabilia, and other interesting exhibits.
Besides that, you can find the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame at the museum. This hall of fame is dedicated to the success of all intercollegiate sports of the university and you can see portraits of Hall of Fame members here.
The museum is open from Monday to Saturday, but keep in mind that hours are subject to change.
Get Ice Cream at The Parlour
The Parlour is an incredible ice cream store that you can find at 117 Market Street. You can get delicious flavors of ice cream here, including flavors that are inspired by the seasons. For this ice cream, The Parlour uses only the best ingredients.
You can get scoops, pints, shakes, floats, and other delicious ice cream treats at this ice cream store.
There are lots of different unique flavors of ice cream to choose from, including honey lavender-flavored ice cream.
In addition, the ice cream store also serves many vegan flavors. For example, you can get delicious vegan chocolate ice cream at The Parlour.
Address: 117 Market St, Durham, NC 27701
Go to a Children’s Event at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens are some of the most popular gardens in the city of Durham. You can find the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University and the gardens are open every day of the year.
In the gardens, you can find a large variety of flora.
The garden organizes great events for children that you can go to.
For example, there are often storytime events at the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden.
There are also events during which children and adults can learn basic botany through a variety of immersive activities.
Another type of event that takes place at the gardens is birding events for children.
Address: 420 Anderson St, Durham, NC 27708
Have Brunch at Elmo’s Diner
Elmo’s Diner is a local diner that has been operating in the city of Durham for more than 20 years.
The restaurant focuses on friendly service and delicious food that is made from scratch. Moreover, the restaurant offers comfortable seating.
Elmo’s Diner is a great kid-friendly restaurant and has great food for children.
The kids menu includes great pancakes for children, all kinds of sandwiches, spaghetti for children, burgers, and much more. There are also great sides for children.
What’s convenient as well is that you can find the restaurant near several other places that are fun to visit with kids, such as the Museum of Life and Sciences and the Durham Performing Arts Center.
Address: 776 9th St, Durham, NC 27705
Check Out the Annual CenterFest
The annual CenterFest is a fun annual arts festival that takes place in the fall.
During the festival, you can see fine arts and enjoy performances by local artists. From paintings to photography to works made with glass, there’s a lot of great art to see and to buy here.
In addition to that, there is a special zone for children, making the festival great to attend with kids.
At the Creative Kids Zone, children can do a variety of creative workshops, enjoy fun rides, and learn about music and instruments.
Go to a Performance at the Carolina Theatre
You can go to the Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham. This is a historic venue that dates back to the year 1926.
The theater is a wonderful venue where, in the past, many famous celebrities performed.
The theater closed down in the 70s but was reopened and renovated. Today the theater is a great place for film and live performances.
A large variety of events takes place at the theater, including great shows for the whole family.
There are also special “Family Saturday” events at the theater that are perfect if you’re looking for family-friendly activities in Durham. These include dance, film, music, and many other types of events.
Address: 309 W Morgan St, Durham, NC 27701
Go to a Family Event at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
The Nasher Museum of Art is an art museum that you can find on the campus of Duke University and that is part of the university.
The museum has a collection of more than 12,000 works and includes works by many famous artists, such as Lorna Simpson, Fred Wilson, and Rashid Johnson. The collection includes objects from many periods in time.
The Nasher Museum of Art also organizes events that can be great for children to attend.
For example, there are “family day” events with a variety of activities. These activities may include storytime events, workshops, tours, and other activities that are fun for the whole family.
Address: 2001 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27705
Attend an Event at Durham Central Park
Durham Central Park is a small urban park that you can find in Downtown Durham. Lots of events take place at the park, including great events for children.
For example, there are annual festivals at the park with activities for children, such as the Click! Photography Festival.
There are also fun storytime events that take place at the park, and there are many other types of events that take place at Durham Central Park.
Go to a Kids Event at the Durham County Library
The Durham County Library is the public library of the city which is great if you want to borrow books.
It is also a great place to visit with children because of the many kid-friendly events that take place there.
For example, there are workshops during which children can get creative, such as a painting workshop.
Another type of event that you can sometimes go to at the library is a movie event during which children can watch a kid’s movie.
Besides that, a variety of storytime events take place at the library. These are events during which children can learn about various topics from storytellers.
There are also great seasonal events at the library, such as Halloween events.
Visit the Museum of Durham History
The Museum of Durham History is a museum that is dedicated to telling the story of the city through the story of its people. You can find the museum at 500 West Main Street in Downtown Durham and the museum has free admission.
You can find various exhibits at the museum that focus on a particular part of Durham’s history.
One of these exhibits has the primary focus of educating children, so this is nice if you’re looking for great things to do with kids in Durham. The exhibit allows children to learn about the city through “Durham’s alphabet”. This exhibit is updated every 6 months and focuses on school-aged children.
There are also interactive exhibits through which children can learn about the past of Durham.
Address: 500 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701
Check Out Pincho Loco Ice Cream for Delicious Ice Cream
Pincho Loco Ice Cream is a local ice cream shop where you can get ice cream and popsicles in Native Latino flavors, such as “Mexican Vanilla”, and many other flavors.
There are also many flavors to choose from that are dairy-free, such as their watermelon-flavored ice cream.
In addition to that, Pincho Loco Ice Cream also sells ice cakes, milkshakes, churros, and a variety of other treats that children will like.
More Durham Articles
Best things to do in Durham, NC
Things to do at night in Durham, NC
Rainy day activities in Durham, NC
Durham Things To Do With Kids Tips
When you are in the city with children and want to do any of the things to do in Durham with kids on this list, I recommend combining it with going to Elmo’s Diner (which I also mentioned in this article). You can find this family-friendly restaurant near many of the other places that I mentioned in the article and by going there with your kids, you can have an even better time.
Things To Do in Durham With Kids Map
Thanks for reading my guide! I hope I helped you find some great things to do with kids in Durham, NC.