Things to do in Raleigh

City of Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina is also known as the ‘City of Oaks’. This is because of the many oak trees that line up streets in the heart of the city. It is among the fastest emerging metropolis in the US. The things to do in Raleigh range from various museums, performing arts, to sports and leisure.

Visiting the North Carolina State Capitol Building is one of the things that is a must amongst things to do in Raleigh. It is one of the finest and most well-preserved models of a chief civic structure. This was made in the Greek revival fashion of planning. It is a public historic milestone. Guided tours of the building are available through the year or you could also take a tour by yourself.

Looking for artsy things to do in Raleigh? Visit the North Carolina Museum of Arts. It has a large collection of original art. It also plays host to major national travelling exhibits. The museum has various things that you can take a look at, including band plays and open-air movies. These activities take place in the summer. It also contains a sculpture garden, which has one of the biggest assortments of Rodin sculptures in the whole of America.

If you have kids in the family and are wondering what the appropriate things to do in Raleigh are, then the answer is the Marbles Kid's Museum. It offers unique children's programs during First Friday's along with several other important events. It also has a newly renovated IMAX theatre. The theatre shows both educational and feature films.

To add to the fun things to do in Raleigh, is the Frankie's Fun Park in Raleigh. It may seem like a kiddy place, but don’t be surprised if you have your own share of fun there. Activities include bumper boats, go-cart racing, putt-putt, a huge arcade, and laser tag. Frankie’s Fun Park will make sure you leave feeling fun filled.

Who would think a museum would tell you more about NASCAR racing? Well, the North Carolina Museum of History offers just that. Its displays on Tarheel culture range from the conventional to the odd ones. You can look at Civil War snapshots, take a stroll through a replica of a 1920s mart, and even get to know more about the history of piracy. Displays are loaded with artifacts and children-friendly. It is also one of the free things to do in Raleigh.

In your list of things to do in Raleigh, you can also add the Oak View Country Park. It is a historic farmstead built in 1855. The family that owned the Greek-revival style farm house grew cotton, by means of the effort of their 10 laborers. There are 5 of these farm buildings left today. It has many transitory exhibits, from a compilation of Depression-era snapshots to relics from North Carolina fabric mills.

Another park of a different type you may want to keep in your list of things to do in Raleigh is the William B. Umstead State Park. Here you can do various activities- right from camping, hiking, fishing, boating to even horse riding. There’s a 13 mile long trail that you can walk across if you feel like. You can fish for crappie, bass and bluegill here; in addition to in the park's other two lakes. If you are adventurous enough, you can even rent canoes and rowboats here.

Raleigh, North Carolina has a special place for artists of all kinds. In Downtown Raleigh, there is a place called Artspace. Here, you can see neighboring painters, sculptors, metal workers, weavers, photographers, cartoonists, and the rest at work. It used to be a warehouse but now it is a den of artists' studios. You can wander inside the two-story building, looking into the various rooms and even meet the artists. Museum-style demonstrations are held from time to time in Artspace's arcade regions. An assortment of art lessons and workshops are available as well in order that you can attend classes as you wish at your free time. Artspace hosts the city's First Friday art tour on the first Friday evening of every month. For a wine and cheese tasting session, you could come here and meet the fellow visitors and artists.

Apart from its world class museums, best of Broadway and live shows and its historic areas, there is a multitude of other things to do in Raleigh. There are professional as well as amateur sporting events all year round here. It is also a shopping Mecca for all the shopaholics. It has 11 major retail areas covering the entire city.

Raleigh city accurately presents diversity in the field of amusement, all accumulated in one park-like, picturesque location. So come there, whether you are a couple visiting for a long time, or a family that is here for some time but looking for an exciting time. The oak city awaits you.

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