15 Fun Things to Do in Raleigh with Kids — Family-Friendly Activities!
North Carolina’s capital is Raleigh, sometimes known as The City of Oaks.
Raleigh, the second-largest city in North Carolina, is renowned for its numerous beautiful oak trees and family-friendly attractions.
Raleigh features activities for kids of every age, including amusement parks, museums, trolley excursions, and various other possibilities.
Here is a list of enjoyable activities to do in Raleigh with kids if you wish to take your loved ones there for the trip of a lifetime.
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences — Downtown
The oldest and most significant museum in North Carolina is the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. It is situated in the Southeastern region of the country.
The two structures that make up this museum are the Nature Research Center and the Nature Exploration Center.
Why We Recommend This Activity
One of Raleigh’s top family attractions is the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
This museum offers many family-friendly activities and displays, including a live conservatory with flowers, plants, turtles, butterflies, and more.
The displays on prehistoric North Carolina, dinosaurs, incredible fossils, the environment, climate, interactive exhibits, and much more will be fascinating to your family.
If you wish to celebrate your child’s birthday uniquely, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers birthday party packages and theater screening 3D films for all ages.
Recommended Ages
Families will love the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Children between 3 and 12 will enjoy watching movies and participating in other educational activities.
- North Carolina Museum of Art
The North Carolina Museum of Art, which debuted in 1956, is a remarkable institution that offers lovely art exhibits and a lovely Museum park, a variety of performances, concerts, educational programs, and other entertaining activities.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Bring your loved ones to the North Carolina Museum of Art, where they may take in unique works of art from across the globe while watching movies, attending fantastic performances, exploring a big park, and more.
North Carolina Museum of Art offers gorgeous routes for jogging, trekking, and beautiful artwork.
Even paved pathways allow you to ride your bike while admiring the stunning scenery.
Due to its free entrance, this museum is a well-liked venue for low-cost family entertainment.
It provides kid-friendly activities like making art, family-friendly excursions, and internationally renowned musical ensembles that your toddlers and teens can enjoy.
Recommended Ages
Toddlers, older kids, teens, and adults will enjoy the North Carolina Museum of Art’s various programs and events.
- Pullen Park
In Raleigh, Pullen Park is among the top places for family activities.
This is an attractively designed 66.4-acre park with a playground, swimming center, theater, community center, and other amenities.
Why We Recommend This Activity
If you’re looking for kid-friendly attractions in Raleigh, Pullen Park is a great option because it provides a wide variety of fun activities.
The amusement park in Pullen park has pedal boats, a toy railroad, kiddie boats, and carousels.
These rides are fun and secure for your kids to enjoy.
The Aquatic Center offers an Olympic-sized pool where you can spend the day swimming with your loved ones, dive boards for your older kids, and a warm water teaching pool perfect for your kids below 4.6 feet.
Lastly, the playground is fantastic if you’re traveling with a baby since it has sandpits, slides, a playhouse, and swings that feature full buckets.
Recommended Ages
Pullen Park is perfect for everyone. Children ages two and older can enjoy the park’s many exciting attractions to the fullest extent because most rides have a 30-42 inch height restriction.
- Frankie’s Fun Park
Visit Frankie’s Fun Park with your tribe for fun-filled activities, including arcade games, laser tag, bumper boats, go-karts, mini-golf, and flight simulators.
Why We Recommend This Activity
It’s fantastic to bring your kids to Frankie’s Fun Park.
They will enjoy trying out many amusement park rides and games that will make for a trip they won’t soon forget.
Teenagers enjoy Frankie’s Fun park because of the exciting activities available to them.
They can participate in virtual reality activities, interactive 3D movies with amazing effects, laser tag with a zombie theme, a sky trail, a 30-foot drop tower, and much more.
For your more minor children, there are also kid-themed games like Paw Patrol, Wizards of Oz, and Willy Wonka, to mention a few.
Recommended Ages
Children aged six and older will enjoy the arcade and laser tag activities, but your teenagers and other adults in your family will enjoy the other park attractions more.
- Marbles Kids Museum — Downtown
With toddlers and older kids, there are many activities in Raleigh at Marbles Kid, a non-profit children’s museum.
Play-based exhibitions, an IMAX cinema, and many other engaging and fun family-friendly activities are all included.
Why We Recommend This Activity
If you want to take your kids somewhere, they may have a fun and enlightening experience; think about taking them to the Marbles Kids Museum this weekend.
There are numerous options at this museum for youngsters of all ages.
You can pick from various options, including Toddlers Hollow: a play area for kids three years old and younger; Treetunes: a playground with a musical theme; power2play: a center for slightly older kids that features athletics; and more.
Check their calendar for a list of upcoming events before visiting because Marbles Kids Museum frequently hosts family-friendly themed events.
Recommended Ages
All are welcome to visit Marbles Kids Museum, but families with young children (12 and under) should go.
- William B. Umstead State Park
The 5,599-acre William B. Umstead State Park is breathtakingly beautiful.
It offers a variety of fun family activities in the middle of nature.
Why We Recommend This Activity
If you want to take your family somewhere peaceful to escape the bustle of the city, you should visit William B. Umstead State Park.
You may find the most picturesque backdrops for a romantic trek, a leisurely bike ride, or shooting lots of family photos in the gorgeous forests.
You can hire canoes and rowboats to enter the water and relax while cruising through it.
You can even take your children fishing while teaching them how to cast a line.
Your kids will have a great time on the playgrounds.
Try camping with your tribe this summer while you sit around a campfire, take in the stars, sing songs, tell tales, and toast marshmallows.
Recommended Ages
Any age group in your family will enjoy a vacation at William B. Umstead State Park.
- Adventure Landing
The Adventure Landing Family Entertainment Center, also known as Adventure Landing or just as Adventure Landing, is a fantastic family facility.
There are go-karts, batting cages, a laser tag arena, a miniature golf course, and an arcade.
Why We Recommend This Activity
If you and your loved ones seek the most important things to do in Raleigh with kids, Adventure Landing is one of your best possibilities.
Your kids can choose from 75 games in its arcade, and after you’ve collected enough tickets, you can win fantastic rewards.
You can choose from various levels on the tiny 18-hole gold course based on your expertise.
You can see waterfalls, mountains, and vegetation throughout its lovely journey.
In addition to the options described above, there are plenty more enjoyable options that your family is welcome to explore.
Recommended Ages
The batting cages have a minimum age requirement of 6 years, and the go-kart track is ideally suited for teens.
However, children ages three and up may ride them with an adult present.
- North Carolina Museum of History — Downtown
One of the top museums of its kind in North Carolina is the North Carolina Museum of History, a member of the Smithsonian Affiliations program.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The North Carolina Museum of History is kid-friendly and offers many exhibits, activities, and events that your group will love.
The displays present North Carolina’s rich history several times.
Your loved ones can participate in various activities at this museum, including baking 1700s-era foods, creating a time capsule, and riding a 100-year-old saddle.
The numerous exhibits cater to all ages, and there are even displays regarding toys from the 1950s and 1960s.
Recommended Ages
Visitors of all ages are welcome at the North Carolina Museum of History. Still, only children between the ages of 14 and 18 may participate in the program that involves riding a historic saddle.
- JC Raulston Arboretum
The 10-acre JC Raulston Arboretum is a botanical garden and arboretum founded in 1976.
It has many gardens, including 13 central parks and various plant collections.
Why We Recommend This Activity
A great option if you’re seeking free, family-friendly activities in Raleigh is the JA Raulston Arboretum. You can utilize all the services, including free guided tours, without paying an entrance fee.
Children’s programs at the JC Raulston Arboretum are excellent for your young children. They include learning how to grow plants, and summer garden programs where they may play, learn, and explore, among many other activities.
They have many beautiful gardens, including the Japanese Garden, a charming zen garden. The Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden, which boasts more than 200 superb roses, the Winter Garden, which showcases the beauty of winter flora, and many others, will be a hit with your family.
Recommended Ages
Adults, older children, newborns, and toddlers can enjoy JC Raulston Arboretum.
- Lake Johnson Park
Lake Johnson Park is a beautiful leisure facility providing visitors with a lake with many exciting activities, 5.4 miles of beautiful pathways, and attractive picnic sites.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Lake Johnson Park is the perfect setting if you want to spend a leisurely day with your family while breathing in the fresh air and taking in mother nature to the fullest.
You can find many beautiful paths in this recreation area, and many are simple enough for your kids to hike.
Fishing is allowed in the lake, and you can rent a boat to spend some quiet time on the water.
The types of boats available for rent include sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and on ships.
You are welcome to bring your watercraft to Lake Johnson Park.
Depending on the time of year, Lake Johnson Park hosts family-friendly activities, such as the Lake Johnson Park Nature Explorers program, where you may have fun while being outdoors.
For children in elementary school, this program is excellent in particular.
Recommended Ages
All ages are welcome to visit Lake Johnson Park, which is appropriate for kids and adults.
- Mordecai Historic Park — Downtown
The majestic Mordecai Historic Park is home to a historic house museum and popular trolley tours.
The birthplace of Andrew Johnson, the 17th US President, is also located in this park.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Go to Mordecai Historic Park and take a tour of the center of Raleigh.
Visit at least ten historical sites, including Raleigh’s oldest home, the Mordecai House.
Consider taking the Historic Raleigh Trolley tour while at Mordecai Historic Park.
When visiting with younger children, this air-conditioned trolley tour, available from March to December, is excellent because it allows them to see the sights comfortably without walking long distances.
Recommended Ages
All ages can enjoy Mordecai Historic Park, but older kids might find the area’s grandeur more appealing.
The park is free to enter for children under the age of six.
- TreeRunner Adventure Park
World-class aerial adventure park TreeRunner Adventure Park has 70 obstacles, seven distinct courses, and three difficulty levels.
Ropes courses and zip lines are some of the things you can anticipate.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Try taking the kids to the TreeRunner Adventure Park if you still need help with what to do in Raleigh with kids but want to do something different from visiting theme parks and museums.
With activities even your toddlers may participate in, this outdoor adventure park is ideal for you and your loved ones.
For instance, the Junior Park is fantastic for your kids to navigate a miniature obstacle course roughly 2-3 feet high up through the woods.
In contrast, your teenagers have a choice of three levels of instruction: beginning, intermediate, and expert.
These courses’ lowest and highest points are 10 and 40 feet, respectively.
Recommended Ages
Children under the age of seven and toddlers are allowed in the Junior Park.
Children must be at least seven years old and in the company of an adult to climb in the aerial forest.
Children ten and older may climb on their own.
- Boxcar Bar + Arcade — Downtown
The Boxcar Bar + Arcade is a fantastic arcade with over 100 vintage and modern games, and it opens at 4 p.m.
Your youngsters will be happy playing over 50 arcade cabinets, 15 pinball machines, and 175 console games available.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Your kids will have a wonderful time if you make a quick visit to this exciting arcade.
There are countless options available to them, including arcade cabinets, video games on consoles, pinball machines, foosball tables, basketball hoops, giant Jenga, and more.
Younger kids can play games with themes like The Simpsons, Jurassic Park, Willy Wonka, Spider-Man, Donkey Kong, and many others.
Family-friendly tournaments are regularly held at Boxcar Bar + Arcade, including free air hockey matches on Mondays and skee ball matches on Thursdays.
Recommended Ages
From 4 to 9 p.m., people of all ages are welcome as long as an adult is with them.
Kids ages five and older would do best in this arcade.
- Crabtree Valley Mall
The largest enclosed mall in the Research Triangle region, Crabtree Valley Mall, is a popular dining and shopping destination for locals and visitors. There are at least 140 different shops to pick from.
Why We Recommend This Activity
You should take a break from all the tours, museum hopping, and exciting events while on vacation in Raleigh and spend an afternoon shopping at Crabtree Valley Mall, one of the top malls in the city.
Crabtree Valley Mall has all the toys, clothes, books, and other items you may want to purchase for your children.
This colossal mall also offers a variety of eateries to select from, depending on your family’s appetites, after you’ve spent the day shopping to your heart’s delight.
Recommended Ages
The Crabtree Valley Mall welcomes children of all ages and is family-friendly.
- Lake Lynn Park
Locals and visitors enjoy relaxing vacations at the lovely Lake Lynn Park.
It has a baseball field, picnic shelter, batting cage, sports courts, two playgrounds, a community center, and a promenade along the lake.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Visit Lake Lynn Park, one of the many entertaining things to do in Raleigh with kids.
Bring your tennis equipment so you may play a family match at the tennis courts and spend time with your loved ones.
There are playgrounds available for your more minor children to use.
Consider renting a picnic shelter to enjoy extra privacy while enjoying a fantastic family barbecue or grilling juicy hamburgers.
You can have a special moment with your special someone as the sun begins to set while strolling along the promenade and watching the sunset together.
Recommended Ages
There are two playgrounds in the park.
Only children ages 2 to 5 are permitted on the smaller playground, while only children ages 5 to 12 are allowed on the enormous garden.
