KidsOutAndAbout.com's Family Travel Video Guide to Raleigh, NC

The state’s museum devoted to science and nature, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in central Raleigh is the largest institution of its kind in the Southeastern United States and, with over a million visitors a year, the state’s most visited museum. Its 300,000 square-foot downtown campus is augmented by Prairie Ridge Ecostation and satellite facilities in Whiteville, Greenville and Contentnea Creek. Together, they provide a variety of curriculum-focused classes onsite, offsite, outdoors and online for pre-kindergarten through graduate students across the state.

As a museum of nature, we integrate the dual concepts of illumination and inspiration with the work we do and the many stories we tell. In a time of unprecedented environmental challenges, nothing could be more critical. This nexus of ideas makes us unique. Across three vibrant floors of laboratories and exhibitions, our Nature Research Center provides an unparalleled opportunity to see science in action by watching Museum researchers studying the natural world in real time. In the Nature Exploration Center, exhibits and live animal displays reveal North Carolina’s rich natural habitats, wildlife and geology from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.

Established in 1887 and designated as the first public park in N.C., Pullen Park in Raleigh is the fifth oldest amusement park in the U.S. and the 16th oldest in the world. Nestled between downtown Raleigh and the main campus of North Carolina State University, Pullen Park is known for terrific recreational opportunities—especially for kids and families—the park includes an operating carousel built in 1911, a miniature train you can ride through the park, pedal boats to cruise around Lake Howell, plus tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, an arts center and an innovative performing arts venue, Theatre In The Park (Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre).

More than fresh vegetables, it’s a family adventure. Considered one of the nation’s best and most modern markets, visitors enjoy 75 acres of indoor/outdoor specialty shops, restaurants and garden center, with fruits, vegetables, meats, and gift products from across the state.