Press Release
Affordable Family Fun Makes
Raleigh Getaways Memorable
RALEIGH, N.C. (January 2005) – Set amidst parks and lakes, interactive museums and restaurants dishing up nouvelle Southern cuisine, a weekend in Greater Raleigh is the ultimate family experience. And with 20 FREE attractions, including the North Carolina Museum of Art , North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, it's an affordable escape for parents and children alike!
Exploris, the $40 million state-of-the-art interactive museum about the world, has a unique mission: to encourage young people to make connections with the people of all cultures. Through hands-on exhibits and thought provoking, engaging programs, visitors see how the world works, and the part everyone can play in it. The IMAX Theatre at Exploris provides yet another innovative medium to introduce new places, new people and new ideas to visitors of all ages. In 2005, the IMAX film Journey Into Amazing Caves follows two divers as they explore the extraordinary caves of the world. Admission charged. www.exploris.org
North Carolina Museum of History's collection contains more than 250,000 artifacts representing the state's rich heritage, with exhibits on agriculture, politics, folklife and more. 2005 signature exhibit includes: North Carolina Aviation Pioneers, on display through May 29, 2005. The exhibit, A Change Is Gonna Come: Black, Indian, and White Voices for Racial Equality, is slated to open in 2005, and will focus on the struggle for racial equality in North Carolina from the 1860s to the 1980s through the personal stories of the state's citizens. Admission is free. www.ncmuseumofhistory.org
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences includes 70,000 square feet of walk-through environments. Four floors of exhibits feature four great whales, the world's only Acrocanthosaurus, better known as the "Terror of the South," and Willo, the dinosaur with a heart. Using cutting-edge techniques, focusing more on habitats (dioramas) than specimens, live animals are included in exhibits throughout the museum. Exhibits throughout the year look at the natural world through the distinct lens of North Carolina's diverse geography, geology, plants and animals.
Through June 2005, the special exhibit, Treasures Unearthed: North Carolina's Spectacular Gems & Minerals, showcases the largest collection of North Carolina's gems and minerals ever displayed, from emeralds, rubies and sapphires, to a walk-through gold mine. Then on June 18, 2005 through September 18, 2005, CSI: Crime Scene Insects takes center stage, exploring forensic entomology to solve crimes, the use of flies, maggots and beetles to reveal critical details of a crime scene. BugFest, the annual festival where guests can cheer for their favorite candidate during the roach races, and savor creepy-crawly cuisine, is planned for August 13, 2005. Museums admission is free; special exhibits may charge. www.naturalsciences.org
Visit the North Carolina Railroad Museum and ride the New Hope Valley Railway! In October, catch the spooky "Halloween Express," or ride with Santa on the December "Christmas Train." Admission charged for train rides only. www.nhvry.org
Playspace Museum offers activities to stimulate the senses of children (6 months-7 years.) There is a "pretend" grocery store, hospital, café, puppet theatre, water area, costumes/stage, computers, and infant area. Admission charged. www.playspacemuseum.com
Adventure Landing's super fast go-kart track, and themed activities – including three mini-golf courses, laser tag, batting cages, and arcades – amuse families for hours. Admission charged. www.adventurelanding.com
Guests of Hill Ridge Farms can ride into the woods on a covered wagon hayride, ride the Hill Ridge Farms express train ride, or wander through the petting barn. For a bedazzling site, families can mine gem stones, including rubies, sapphires, tourmaline, emeralds, topaz and amethyst! Admission charged. www.hillridgefarms.com
Horseback riding for the entire family is available at J & H Stables thanks to pony leads that can accommodate children under age 5. One or two-hour guided trail rides and lessons are also offered to those who call at least a day ahead. Admission charged. www.jhstables.citysearch.com
Silver Lake Waterpark offers swimming, diving and an assortment of waterslides, along with other exciting attractions in their spring-fed lake. For more fun, ride around in a bumper or pedal boat. Heat up on their sandy beach, or relax in the shade and be entertained by costumed critters. Admission charged. (919) 851-1683
Come meet some unfamiliar faces at Triangle Metro Zoo. The petting barn and 33-acre zoo feature exotic animals including camels, pygmy goats and Yak! Admission charged. www.trianglemetrozoo.com
Family Adventures in the Great Outdoors
Travelers are sure to enjoy the area's 4,300 acres of award-winning parkland and 1,400 acres of water flowing throughout Greater Raleigh. Choose to wander around one of the 150 interconnected parks, varying from light trails to advanced hikes that venture deep into the heart of the woods. Pullen Park features a carousel, kiddie-boat ride and pedal boats through a duck-filled lake and TV Land's "Andy & Opie" statue. Laurel Hills Park offers an "all children's playground," designed for the use and enjoyment of children of all physical capabilities, with a wooden play structure of tunnels, bridges, towers, swings and rings built over soft sand.
Shelley Lake, a 53-acre lake surrounded by miles of greenway trails, offers fishing, canoeing, sailing, rowing, pedal boating, biking, hiking and picnicking are available. Raleigh's other great lakes – Lake Wheeler (650 acres), Jordan Lake (13,900-acre reservoir) or Lake Johnson (150 acres) – offer similar activities. Shelly Lake and Lake Johnson also offers the unique Fishing Tackle Loaner Program, allow guests to borrow a rod and reel from for free. Neuse River Canoe Launches offers travelers a chance to paddle the river, year-round. Admission is free to all parks with the exception of Jordan Lake, which charges $5 per car ($3 for seniors). There is a minimal fee for renting boats and fishing at some locations.
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