No matter what the weather, Raleigh offers plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for children.
Pullen Park
For outdoor entertainment, Pullen Park is a must for all families. In addition to the playground, picnic pavilions, baseball field, tennis courts, and aquatic center, North Carolina's first public park offers a hand-carved wooden carousel, circa 1900, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. More fun things to ride at Pullen Park include the pedal boats, kiddie boats, and the miniature C.P. Huntington Train, a one-third sized replica of a locomotive built in 1863.
Raleigh Trolley Tour
Another outdoor adventure is the Historic Raleigh Trolley Tour, which operates March-December. The trolleys, replicas of the streetcars that ran in Raleigh until 1932, provide a narrated tour of the city and allow passengers to board and exit at designated stops.
Raleigh Rose Garden and Raleigh Little Theatre
For families who want to take time to smell the flowers, there is the delightful Raleigh Rose Garden. Adjacent to the garden is another family venue, Raleigh Little Theatre. Begun in 1936 and one of the nation's oldest continuously operating community theatres, Raleigh Little Theatre shows several children's productions throughout the year. Previous children's shows include Cinderella, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Little Prince.
North Carolina Museum of Art
Another facility that offers both indoor and outdoor entertainment is the North Carolina Museum of Art. Indoor activities comprise children's films; cultural programs, such as music, dance, and storytelling; and Collection Connections, which are activities related to the museum's collection. Outdoor activities include summertime evening Movies on the Lawn and the Museum Park Trail, a paved trail that winds along outdoor sculptures. Families can bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics to these outdoor events.
PLAYSPACE Children's Museum
When the weather calls for indoor activities only, PLAYSPACE Children's Museum is an ideal location for infants through children aged seven. They can engage in creative, hands-on playtime in interactive areas, such as the hospital, castle, fire truck, computer lab, grocery store, waterfront, and train and depot. The center has additional areas for art, music and movement, puppets, and dress-up.
Exploris and IMAX Theatre
Older children can also engage in hands-on learning at Exploris. Exhibits and activities with a global perspective, including a piece of the Berlin Wall, allow children to explore the world's peoples, cultures, environments, communication, and economies. Another popular event at Exploris is the IMAX Theatre.
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Children love dinosaurs. What better place to see them than the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which houses Willo, the world's only dinosaur with a fossilized heart, and the Terror of the South, the world's only Acrocanthosaurus skeleton on display. The museum also comprises recreations of five North Carolina habitats. Younger children can dress up as animals, play with animal puppets, observe live animals, touch fossils, and participate in other sensory activities in the Discovery Room. Older children can view and touch bird, reptile, fossil, mineral, and other specimens in the Naturalist Center.
Parents should only plan on visiting one location at a time, as each of these sites holds enough children's entertainment for an entire day or more.
