North Carolina Museum of Life and Science: Durham

Raleigh is one of our favorite places to visit and, since our usual summer trip was cancelled (thanks Covid), we took advantage of some time off to drive to the area for a day. Right outside of Raleigh is the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. Covering 84 acres, the museum is part of the reciprocity program for the Children's Museum of Virginia.

We started off inside with the plan to return to their really cool science and math indoor play area before leaving. (It never happened; there was so much to do outside that we didn't even hit it all out there.) Outside we hopped aboard their train before cruising the dinosaur path and then seeing bears, wolves, and lemurs. We explored the farm, produced music with their many outdoor instruments, and finally ended up at the Hideaway playground, which was a huge hit. With both a big kid and a fenced in toddler section, the playground is hidden among the trees in the woods. Hammocks, sitting areas, a creek, and and tables sat all around the grounds for parents to lounge on while kids played. We could have stayed here all day.

Although we wanted to, the museum was so large that we didn't see half of it, so a return trip is in order. In addition to the exhibits that we didn't see, in the summer there are waterfalls to romp in and misting play areas to run through. As we were leaving, RT declared that he would like to come back "one hundred times!"