Durham offers a wide range of reasons to visit: the expansive Sarah P. Duke Gardens, museums and theater history, as well as Minor League Baseball during the season. To plan your trip, it helps to first decide what matters most to you—such as gardens and nature, history or events.
Gardens, tours and nature
Sarah P. Duke Gardens covers 55 acres and has four distinct areas: the Historic Gardens, the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants, the W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum and the Gateway Gardens, including the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden. The names reflect the range of the grounds, from historic gardens and native plants to the Asiatic arboretum.
Duke Explore offers a free, self-guided mobile tour of the gardens. The introductory tour is one mile long and includes 16 stops. A free public tour led by a docent takes place at Duke Chapel every Sunday after the 11:00 a.m. service. The two options differ in format: the mobile tour is self-guided, while the Chapel tour takes place at a set time on Sundays.
The Museum of Life and Science also offers a variety of experiences. At the Butterfly House, visitors can see hundreds of tropical butterflies in a lush rainforest setting. The Dinosaur Trail offers an encounter with life-size dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous period. At Explore the Wild: Wetland, visitors can explore the urban wetland from a boardwalk observation platform or at the water’s edge. Butterflies, dinosaurs and wetlands therefore offer different ways to experience nature and its themes.
History, museums and theater
Bennett Place commemorates a meeting in April 1865. At the home of James and Nancy Bennett, Confederate and U.S. generals met and signed surrender documents for the Confederate armies in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. The site thus connects a specific house and date with an event that involved several states.
The Museum of Durham History uses stories about people, places and things to offer different perspectives on Durham’s community and history. Admission is free. Together with Bennett Place, the museum offers a different way to explore the city’s history: one through a range of perspectives on the community, the other through a clearly identified historical meeting. Check current opening hours before your visit.
The Carolina Theatre is a renovated 1926 Beaux-Arts theater. Its “Confronting Change” exhibit documents civil rights protests from the early 1960s. Visitors can tour the theater or attend films, live events and educational programs. This makes its architecture and exhibit potential interests for your stay, along with its current events program. For specific screenings and events, it’s a good idea to check the schedule in advance.
Routes and seasonal events
The Durham Bike and Hike Map highlights popular cycling, walking and hiking routes in and around Durham. It complements the city’s museums and cultural attractions with guidance for outdoor activities. The routes mentioned suit different ways of exploring the area; no specific distances or walking times are provided.
The Durham Bulls Athletic Park hosts Durham Bulls Minor League Baseball games during the season. There are weekly fireworks after Friday night games. If you’re planning a stay around baseball, check the game schedule for your chosen dates; games are seasonal.
A Sunday tour, games during baseball season and individual events provide different scheduling anchors. Coordinate your overnight stays with the dates that matter to you, then choose your hotel to suit your planned stay.
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