Going to spend a weekend in Fayetteville, NC? A weekend is perfect if you want to see the highlights of the city.
From exploring the sights in the city to enjoying entertainment to seeing nature, there’s a lot you can do if you’re in Fayetteville for 2 or 3 days. With several large cities such as Raleigh and Charlotte nearby, Fayetteville makes for a great weekend trip.
To help you make the most out of your time in the city, I made this Fayetteville weekend itinerary. The itinerary is for 2 days, but I also included activities you can do if you have 3 days in the city. You can also find other information in this guide such as how to get to Fayetteville, where to eat, where to stay, and more.
How To Get To Fayetteville
The city of Fayetteville, located in Eastern North Carolina, is easy to reach from many places in North Carolina.
For example, you can get to the city from Charlotte by car in about 2.5 hours, and in about 1 hour from Raleigh.
Furthermore, you can find the Fayetteville Regional Airport in the city, and there are several places in the US from where you fly into Fayetteville.
Also, there is a bus station of Greyhound in Fayetteville. So the city is easy to reach by bus from other states as well!
Fayetteville Weekend Itinerary
Day 1
- Explore Downtown Fayetteville and see the Market House
- Go to The Fayetteville Area Transporation and Local History Museum
- Go to the JFK Special Warfare Museum
- See a Movie at the Cameo Art House Theatre
Day 2
- Explore the Cape Fear Botanical Garden
- Check out Festival Park
- Get Coffee at the Rude Awakening Coffee House
- Check out the 1897 Poe House and the Museum of the Cape Fear
- Go to an Event at the Crown Complex or the Segra Stadium
If You Have 3 Days
- Visit the Fascinate-U Children’s Museum
- See a Show at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre
- Play an Escape Game at Escape Room Fayetteville
Weekend in Fayetteville: Day 1
Go to Downtown Fayetteville and Check Out the Market House
The best way to start your weekend in Fayetteville is by exploring downtown Fayetteville.
This is the busiest part of the city and there is a lot to do and see here.
For example, there are more than 100 different stores, restaurants, and places with entertainment in downtown Fayetteville.
Furthermore, there are beautiful historic houses and small city parks in this area of the city. These elements make going for a stroll in downtown Fayetteville a lovely experience.
You can also see the Market House when you are exploring downtown Fayetteville.
This is a historic building that was created in the year 1838 and it is a National Historic Landmark.
The building was a market house and a town hall. Nowadays, you can find a small museum with changing exhibits inside of the building.
Visit The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum
Want to learn about the city? Then, I now recommend going to the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum.
This is a museum in downtown Fayetteville where you can learn about a lot of different aspects of the city. For example, you can learn about the prehistory at this place. Also, there is an interesting exhibit with an old steamboat.
Furthermore, you can see vintage cars, an old gas station, and many other things here.
You can do a self-guided tour of the museum and learn a lot by yourself.
What’s nice is that the exhibits at the museum often change.
Address: 325 Franklin St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Check Out the JFK Special Warfare Museum
The U.S. Army plays an important role in the city of Fayetteville and there are many museums in the city that relate to the army.
You can go to the JFK Special Warfare Museum.
This is an interesting museum that is focused on the U.S. Army Special Forces.
The museum covers a large period of military history of the special forces.
There are many items here, such as weapons, costumes, and photographs.
Furthermore, there are interesting panels with information and there are wax figures that depict scenes of war.
Address: 2815 Ardennes St, Fort Liberty, NC 28307
Go to the Cameo Art House Theatre and See a Movie
You can end the first day by seeing a movie.
A great place for that is the Cameo Art House Theatre.
This is a wonderful local movie theater where you can see independent films.
What’s great is that the movie theater is located inside a historic building. And the movie theater has an intimate atmosphere, which is nice too!
Also, what’s nice is that sometimes there are concerts and festivals at this place. So you can check out the theatre’s calendar to see if there’s a concert or festival when you are visiting.
Furthermore, you can find the movie theater in downtown Fayetteville, and there are many restaurants that are near this place. So if you want to combine having dinner and seeing a movie, this place is great for that!
Address: 225 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Weekend in Fayetteville: Day 2
Visit the Cape Fear Botanical Garden
It’s the second day of your Fayetteville weekend trip and it’s time for some further exploration of the city.
As the first activity of this day, I recommend going to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
This is a garden that was founded in the year 1989.
At the garden, there are many beautiful specialty gardens. For example, there is a butterfly garden, there’s a heritage garden with very old buildings, and there’s a Children’s garden.
Furthermore, the botanical garden is next to the Cape Fear River, and you can enjoy great views of the river while going for a stroll here.
Also, it is possible to do a guided tour of the botanical garden and learn about nature!
Address: 536 N Eastern Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Go for a Walk or Attend an Event at Festival Park
After going to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, you can head back to downtown Fayetteville.
I recommend checking out Festival Park.
This is a small park that is perfect for a stroll and many events take place here.
If there’s no event taking place at the park, I recommend going here for a relaxing stroll. But if there is an event, you can stay a bit longer!
Address: 335 Ray Ave, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Get a Cup of Coffee at the Rude Awakening Coffee House
Close to Festival Park, and also in downtown Fayetteville, is the Rude Awakening coffee house.
This is a local coffee house where you can get incredible coffee.
But you can also get baked goods and other delicious treats and drinks here. For example, you can get very good cheesecake at Rude Awakening coffee house.
Also, what’s nice is that this place has a relaxing atmosphere and beautiful decor.
There’s also a beautiful courtyard at the coffee house where you can relax while having a cup of coffee.
Address: 227 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Visit the 1897 Poe House and the Museum of the Cape Fear
Ready to learn more about the history of the city of Fayetteville? Then, you can go to the 1897 Poe House.
This is a historic house that was built in 1897 by E.A. Poe, a local businessman, and his family.
You can do a tour of the house and see it from the inside, which can be very interesting! Through such a tour, you can learn about what life was like at the beginning of the 20th century.
Also, you can learn about a variety of other topics during this tour. For example, you can learn about African American history and the role of women during these tours.
What’s great is that the tours are free! But there is a suggested donation.
The 1897 Poe House is part of the complex of the Cape Fear Museum.
You can explore other places of this museum after you are done checking out the 1897 Poe House.
For example, you can see the Culbreth House.
Also, what’s great is that the museum organizes exhibitions, demonstrations, and many other types of events.
Address: 801 Arsenal Ave, Fayetteville, NC 28305
Attend an Event at the Crown Complex or the Segra Stadium
At the end of this second day of your weekend in Fayetteville, you could go to the Crown Complex.
This is a place that consists of five different venues. For example, there is a ballroom and a coliseum.
Each venue of the complex is different and provides a great place for events.
For example, you can go here to see concerts, sports events, Broadway shows, and much more.
Because of this variety, there’s definitely a show or event that you would like to attend. I, therefore, recommend checking out the website of the Crown Complex to see if there’s an event that you want to attend.
You could also go to the Segra Stadium.
This is a large outdoor venue where many different types of events take place throughout the year.
For example, there are concerts, festivals, and a variety of other events.
Furthermore, you can often attend sporting events at the arena.
Address: 1960 Coliseum Dr, Fayetteville, NC 28306 and 460 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
If You’re in Fayetteville For 3 Days
If you are spending more than 2 days in Fayetteville, there are many other places that you can explore.
Go to the Fascinate-U Children’s Museum
One of the best places that you can check out is the Fascinate-U Children’s Museum.
This is a great place to visit with kids in Fayetteville.
It is a children’s museum with many fun and interactive exhibits.
At this museum, you can find a miniature city that children can play around in.
For example, there is a small version of a post office, there is a miniature version of a courthouse, you can find a miniature version of a grocery store here, and there is a mini version of a farm.
Each exhibit can be a lot of fun to explore for children and each exhibit is very educational.
Also, what’s great is that this place doesn’t charge a high admission fee!
Address: 116 Green St, Fayetteville, NC 28301
Go to the Cape Fear Regional Theatre and See a Show
The Cape Fear Regional Theatre in Fayetteville is a small performing arts theater with 300 seats.
You can often see great local shows here that are of very high quality.
Each show consists of dance, singing, and a great story, and I’m sure you’ll love the shows.
Furthermore, the theater organizes classes and you could also plan a class at this place on your third day!
Address: 1209 Hay St, Fayetteville, NC 28305
Go to Escape Room Fayetteville and Play an Escape Game
An escape game is a very immersive activity that can be a lot of fun to do. An escape game is a game during which you have to escape from a room by finding clues and solving puzzles. You have to solve all puzzles in order to escape from the room, and you have to do this within a certain time limit to win the game.
You can go to Escape Room Fayetteville to play an escape game.
At this place, there are several different types of escape games to choose from.
Each escape room has a different theme. For example, there is an escape game with a “zombie escape” theme.
The different games differ in difficulty level.
Address: 3639 B Sycamore Dairy Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28303
Where To Eat in Fayetteville
You can have great food during your weekend in Fayetteville. There are restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines in the city.
You can find many great ones in downtown Fayetteville, but there are also very good ones in other areas of the city.
Pierros Italian Bistro is a great restaurant if you want to have Italian food. This is a family-owned restaurant with delicious dishes and a good wine selection.
Circa 1800 is another very nice restaurant. At this restaurant, you can get delicious New Southern cuisine and the restaurant focuses on working with local ingredients.
Fowler’s Barbecue is a great restaurant as well and this one focuses on delicious BBQ food made with fresh and local ingredients.
How To Get Around Fayetteville
Getting around Fayetteville is very easy to do.
You can get everywhere in a quick way when you get around by car or by taxi. This is often the fastest way.
Also, there is a nice public transportation system in the city, FAST, the Fayetteville Area System of Transit.
There are reliable buses that can take you to most areas of the city.
Where To Stay in Fayetteville
To get the most out of your 2 days in Fayetteville (or 3 in case you have an extra day), I recommend staying in downtown Fayetteville. That’s because most of the stops on this itinerary are located in or near downtown Fayetteville.
You can find many good hotels here.
For example, you can stay at The MacPherson House.
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Fayetteville Weekend Tips
Before doing a Fayetteville weekend trip, I recommend finding out if there are festivals or other events taking place in the city that you definitely want to attend. If that’s the case, you can make some adjustments to this itinerary such that you attend these.
Also, to have the best experience in the city, I recommend choosing in advance where to have dinner each day. That way, you don’t have to waste time searching for a restaurant.
Weekend in Fayetteville Map
This was my guide to a weekend in Fayetteville, NC. I hope I helped you plan your trip!