Best Things to Do in Raleigh

A Raleigh culinary mainstay for more than 80 years, they’re known for their pulled pork, but they won’t judge you for ordering chicken either. 

This downtown Raleigh spot feels more modern than its counterparts, but they take the traditional route when it comes to pork: whole-hog and pit-cooked. 

Good old-fashioned, down-home cooking. A throwback to the BBQ joints of yore, roadside stands with wafting smoke. They make a mean biscuits and gravy breakfast.

Their airy, peaceful tasting room is lined with bookcases and plants. Customers can buy books and local flowers, chow down on dim sum and order from 40 taps of year-round and provisional beers.

They take the classic pizza-beer partnership and knock it out of the park, and they like to experiment. Get a pizza with chicken andouille sausage, local mushrooms or (for the daring) ghost pepper salami. 

The sheer number of taps on their wall might floor you — 350 of them, which is reportedly more than any other beer garden in the world.

Technically right next to the district, this is star chef Ashley Christensen’s take on a classic ’40s- and ’50s-style diner, one with an ever-changing menu of comfort foods like mac and cheese and potato casserole. Christensen has stacked her trophy case with James Beard awards for Best Chef: Southeast in 2014 and 2017 and Outstanding Chef in 2019.

Everything here is handmade on-site and subjected to field tests like ping-pong, tree climbing, etc. Their “Curatory” contains finely crafted goods and a ceiling full of 5,000 paper airplanes.

Vegans rejoice: You don’t have to miss out on Raleigh’s fantastic BBQ. Extensive experimentation has yielded smoked soy and cornmeal-fried oyster mushrooms that capture the essence of Carolina-style BBQ.

This place is inspiration in motion, a studio space that’s open to the public where you can meet artists and watch them work.

A collaborative space that supports and showcases local artists while engaging the community through exhibits, critique nights and artist groups.

This iconic venue keeps you guessing. It brings in musicians of all genres intermixed with stand-up comedy, movie screenings and game show nights. And down below, they’ve got a craft cocktail hideaway called Neptunes. 

Slim’s has a loyal local following. Maybe it’s the strong drinks, or the nightly live music, or the unpretentious attitude, but probably all three. It’s a classic dive bar that showcases local bands from every genre. 

With 20 miles of hiking trails, this park between Raleigh and Durham can satisfy serious hikers, casual walkers, mountain bikers and horseback riders. And it’s lush with North Carolina’s native flora and fauna. 

The artist, Taylor White, partnered with Google Fiber, so this painting comes to life via the Abstracted Motion app and augmented reality. 

A whimsical piece that reimagines North Carolina’s jazz giants as cartoonish “monsters.” It’s on the Trophy Brewing Co. building, so stop in for a pint while you’re there.

These wide-eyed primates are the most endangered mammals on the planet and rarely found outside their native Madagascar. Duke has more than 200 of them across 14 species.

Once the Lucky Strike factory complex, this district now contains athletic parks, event spaces, restaurants and shopping. 

This is modern art meets art deco elegance meets minimalist comfort. A former bank that’s been transformed into an evocative contemporary art gallery and a vault into a lounge. Terrazzo floors and arched windows set the tone for drinking and dining at Counting House, and a quick trip back to your favorite painting before retiring for the night. 

Yep, the same town where the Wright Brothers took their first flight is an accessible patch of wind-swept coastline.

If you don’t mind driving farther, Carova Beach is a little more tranquil, plus you can spot wild horses roaming around.

The centerpiece of this 174-acre park is the Yates Mill, a historic gristmill where you can take guided tours and see corn-grinding demonstrations. 

Smack dab in downtown Raleigh, the Mordecai House is the city’s oldest house in its original location. The park was once the site of Wake County’s largest plantation and contains Andrew Johnson’s birthplace.