North Carolina is filled with attractions the whole family will enjoy. Plan your next family excursion with our list of family favorites from across the state (in no particular order).
In the Mountains
Mile High Swinging Bridge, Grandfather Mountain, Linville
Stop to enjoy the cool mountain air as you cross Mile High Swinging Bridge, a 228-foot suspension bridge spanning an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation. Take in the inspirational vistas stretching out for miles in every direction from the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains or hike one of eleven trails varying in difficulty from a gentle walk in the woods to a rigorous trek across rugged peaks.
www.grandfather.com/swinging_bridge
Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock
This family theme park features a three-mile, steam-powered train ride through the North Carolina mountains along with shopping, live entertainment, amusement rides and a petting zoo. Parents will enjoy some bargain hunting at the nearby Blowing Rock Tanger Outlets, too.
800-526-5740 or 828-264-9061
www.tweetsie.com and www.tangeroutlet.com
Beach at Lake Lure
Stretching out unexpectedly in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains just south of Asheville, the Beach at Lake Lure offers beautiful vistas in a relaxing setting. Gaze up at Chimney Rock as you float on the lake; then dry off in the sun before stopping for a bite or an ice cream cone at one of the restaurants on the shore. Lakeview Restaurant offers spectacular views.
www.rutherfordtourism.com
Sliding Rock, Brevard
This 60-foot natural water slide in the Pisgah National Forest is not to be missed. Wear your old blue jean cut-offs to sit and slip down the rock into the pool below, where 60-degree water beats summer heat. Sliding Rock is a few minutes' drive from Looking Glass Falls located on US 276 about five miles past the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest. The 60-foot falls were featured in Last of the Mohicans.
www.visitwaterfalls.com
Linville Caverns, Marion
In the caverns, you’ll find a constant 52-degree temperature. After remaining a mysterious secret for centuries, North Carolina’s only show caverns, located near Boone, allow visitors to glimpse nature at work "inside" the mountains. Slow moving ground water created underground labyrinths forming an incredible series of rooms and passages and spectacular formations.
www.linvillecaverns.com
In the Piedmont
Boomerang Bay Water Park, Carowinds, Charlotte
Carowinds Boomerang Bay Water Park features a 600,000-gallon wave pool, rental cabanas with chair-side service and numerous other amenities. Bondi Beach, Carowinds second wave pool, totals 34,000 square feet with 275 feet of “beach frontage” (shallow end width), giving guests ample opportunity to sunbathe as they watch the waves roll in on the zero-depth entry.
www.carowinds.com
Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst
Pinehurst boasts eight world-class golf courses, including the renowned Pinehurst No. 2, site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championships and the 2014 men's and women's U.S. Open. The 2,000-acre resort also is home of the Mobil Four-Star-rated Spa at Pinehurst and luxury accommodations with nearly 500 richly appointed rooms. Be sure to check out the Teen/Kids Spa designed for ages 12-17, where guests can sample the hottest product trends in health and beauty and enjoy smoothies in a relaxing atmosphere.
www.pinehurst.com
North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro
This world-class zoo is home to more than 1,100 animals from Africa, North America and Australia. In April 2008, the zoo opened an $8.5 million expansion of its elephant and rhinoceros facilities called the Watani Grasslands Reserve. Visitors can stroll through a rainforest of tropical birds, gaze across a prairie filled with bison, and enjoy the Australian Walkabout hopping with kangaroos. Take a ride on the zoo's 36-foot Endangered Species Carousel featuring figures of zebras, bears, sea lions, elephants, gorillas and other animals.
www.nczoo.org
N.C. Transportation Museum, Spencer
If planes, trains and automobiles make you tick, the N.C. Transportation Museum allows you to explore antique locomotives, rail cars, automobiles and more. It was once a national hub for steam engine repair and employed 3,000 people. Take the train ride around the historic 57-acre site, enjoy the many family-friendly special events and learn how transportation helped build North Carolina. The museum is located just minutes off I-85, about an hour's drive from Charlotte, Greensboro or Winston-Salem. The museum is featured in George Clooney's 2008 film, Leatherheads.
www.nctrans.org
Old Salem, Winston – Salem
Old Salem Museums & Gardens is one of America's most comprehensive historical attractions. Old Salem’s four museums - the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), the Old Salem Children's Museum, and the Old Salem Toy Museum - engage visitors in an educational and memorable experience about those who lived and worked in the early South.
www.oldsalem.org
On the Coast
Battleship USS NORTH CAROLINA, Wilmington
Experience the thrill of the most decorated US battleship of WWII with 15 battle stars. Come aboard and explore nine decks, crew's quarters, gun turrets and much more. This is a tour you won't want to miss. Afterwards visit Downtown Wilmington for eclectic shopping, day or evening riverboat cruises, museums showcasing North Carolina artists and history or tours of the historic district, nature preserves and movie studios.
www.battleshipnc.com
North Carolina Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores, Atlantic Beach
The Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores features exhibits and animals from across North Carolina. Mountain waterfalls, Piedmont rivers, coastal swamps and offshore shipwrecks are featured habitats. Visitors can see Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and the sunken German sub U-352 look like on the ocean floor. The "Living Shipwreck," which displays the wreckage of the sub, features a 60-foot-long viewing window.
www.ncaquariums.com
Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head
Learn to hang glide over soft sand dunes or fly tandem with an instructor at up to 2,000 feet. Other activities include kite surfing, dolphin tours, rock-climbing walls for all ages and more. Don't forget to check out one or all of the seven kite and toy stores. Kids’ programs run throughout the summer, as well as many spectacular kiting and hang gliding events.
www.kittyhawk.com
Surf Camp, Wrightsville Beach
Learn to surf in the emerald green waters of Wrightsville Beach and forget all about the hot weather. Surf Camp offers safe and exciting, private and group surfing lessons and camps. The program caters to all levels and the staff of professional certified surfing instructors will take you to the next level offering the perfect opportunity to cool down among the ocean breeze.
www.wbsurfcamp.com
The Birthplace of Pepsi, New Bern
What could be cooler than sipping an ice-cold Pepsi on a hot summer day at the place where Pepsi was born? The inventor of Pepsi, pharmacist Caleb Bradham, invented Pepsi at his drugstore where the locals met to socialize and listen to the latest music. The cellar of Bradham's drugstore served as the original site of Pepsi-Cola syrup manufacturing. Visit the Pepsi Store and browse through memorabilia while learning more about the history of one of the world’s favorite soft drinks.
www.pepsistore.com
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