A treasure trove of North Carolina’s rich history, a thriving centre for the arts and boasting some of the state’s top eateries and shopping experiences, Raleigh and Durham have something for everyone.
See history come alive in Raleigh
Raleigh offers a striking example of Greek revival architecture. Built in 1840, the North Carolina State Capitol housed the government of North Carolina up until 1888. Government business is still carried out on the first floor and the rest of the buildings is open for guided tours.
One of Raleigh’s great attractions is its top-quality museums, all of which are free to enter. One of the best is the state-of-the-art North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
The museum hosts a distinctive three-floor multimedia globe, playing fantastic films within a giant-screen theatre. The museum’s Nature Exploration Center has exhibits from coastal to prehistoric North Carolina, including the world’s most complete Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur, while the Nature Research Center has a huge aquarium and collections of live fish, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians.
The North Carolina Museum of History showcases over 14,000 years of the state's history and features multimedia presentations, dioramas and interactive features, as well as two, full-size historic houses and many Civil War artefacts.
Visit top art galleries
Indulge your artistic side at the excellent North Carolina Museum of Art. It has more than a dozen galleries containing African, Middle Eastern, European and ancient American works, including the largest collection of Rodin sculptures in the south-eastern US.
For something more modern, visit the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM Raleigh) in the city’s warehouse district, which features a wide variety of pioneering new art and design.
Eat out in style
Raleigh is fast becoming a real foodie destination, where you can sample everything from James Beard Award-winning chefs to good old home cooking. One of the most talked-about places to eat out is Poole’s Diner, where you can try the legendary macaroni au gratin.
Another must-visit venue is the Morgan Street Food Hall in downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District. This is a gastronome’s paradise, where you can enjoy anything from crepes and tacos to Thai rolled ice cream or lobster rolls.
Treat yourself to a top-class sports event
Sports fans are in the right place when they visit either Raleigh or Durham. Raleigh’s major professional sports team is the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes play at the 20,000-seater PNC Arena from September to April and watching a home game is not be missed.
Equally exciting is a visit to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home to the Triple-A baseball club made famous by the 1988 movie ‘Bull Durham’.
The rich history of Durham
Durham's history surrounds you everywhere you turn. You can visit the historic site of Bennett Place as part of a free guided tour to learn about the Confederates surrender to the Unionists.
After the end of the war, Durham became the centre of the growing tobacco industry and you can explore its beginnings at Duke Homestead, where Washington Duke started his worldwide empire.
With Hertz car rental from Raleigh-Durham Airport, you can explore everything these two cities have to offer. Start your North Carolina trip with Hertz.
