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City in North Carolina, United States
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Of the three cities that make up North Carolina's Research Triangle, Durham has traditionally been the one with the grittier, more working-class image. A city of just over 300,000 residents in 2026, Durham has moved beyond a "tobacco town" with a prestigious university at its center to become a regionally and nationally recognized symbol of urban renewal, gentrification, technology and diversity. Durham's vibrant African-American community was historically pioneering in United States Black culture, from the arts to finance.
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One of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the United States, Duke University possesses beautiful Gothic architecture. Duke is sometimes referred to as either the "Harvard" or the "Yale" of the South.
The museum features world-class classical to contemporary works and has hosted some major names in art. Don't miss the giant face-mask.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
One of the premier public gardens in the U.S., and with more than 5 mi of walkways and paths. Beautiful flowers in the spring.
See the largest collection of lemurs outside of Madagascar. Scheduling your tour at least two weeks in advance is recommended, but they can sometimes accommodate last-minute additions.
Spend a day with kids exploring interactive exhibits at this museum. Space vehicles, farm animals, playground, drum area, physics display, maps and globes, butterfly house, bugs, and now with bears and lemurs.
This simple farmhouse was situated between Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's headquarters in Greensboro, and Union Gen. William T. Sherman's headquarters in Raleigh. In April 1865, the two commanders met at the Bennett Place, where they signed surrender papers for Southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. It was the largest troop surrender of the American Civil War, coming 17 days after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox.
Comprises the remains of North Carolina's largest pre-Civil War plantation and one of the South's largest. It once belonged to the Bennehan-Cameron family, whose combined holdings totaled approximately 900 slaves and almost by 1860. Today, Stagville consists of , on three tracts. On this land stand the late 18th-century Bennehan House, four rare slave houses, a pre-Revolutionary War farmer's house, a huge timber framed barn built by skilled slave craftsmen, and the Bennehan Family cemetery.
Features the Duke family's mid 1800s home, tobacco barns and cigarette factory.
The Durham Bulls are one of the most popular minor league baseball teams in America, due to the 1987 movie Bull Durham, filmed largely at the old Durham Athletic Park. They play now in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park which was designed by the architects of Baltimore's Camden Yards.
A historic theater that hosts many independent films and plays.
A frequent stop for touring Broadway shows, as well as many other high-end acts.
A wooded, hilly area centered around the Eno River. Go for a hike on one of the trails or for a canoe ride on the river. Campsites are also available.
A city park adjacent to Eno River State Park. West Point has an old-fashioned corn mill that still sells fresh cornmeal.
Most of the week this is an average Chinese takeout place; however, on Wednesday and Saturday they serve Vietnamese home cooking and soups. A local hangout since 1985. The locals can tell you're "not from around here" if you order Chinese on those days. There are both vegetarian and vegan plates. The "#8 Vegetarian plate" of fried tofu and a vegetable roll is the most popular dish on Saturdays and to a lesser degree on Mondays. The "Pork Bun" is a good choice for small children as is the Satay Chicken (they'll frequently make adapted portions for children).
A locally owned and operated coffee shop which as the name indicates is also a coffee buyer/distributor of the "Bean Traders" brand of whole sale coffee beans. The coffee is excellent and the atmosphere relaxed and casual. Cookies and baked goods are also for sale. Wireless access is provided.
A Duke hangout with cheap California-style burritos, cheap beer, and quick service. Entrees, if they can be called that, range from $2-6, beer is $2, soda is $1. Cosmic is open late, generally until 4AM. Durham is home to the original Cosmic Cantina, which can also now be found in Chapel Hill.
Serves the best breakfast in Durham, as well as good comfort food and diner fare for lunch and dinner. Grab a table or sit at the bar. You may have to wait a bit on weekend mornings, but Elmo's makes coffee and newspapers available to help pass the time.
Local chain for Venezuelan arepas. Vegetarian and vegan options available.
Serves gourmet popsicles in a variety of unusual, Mexican-inspired flavors. Try the Mexican chocolate or the mojito. Each popsicle is $1-2.
A local bakery that has branched out into full dinner fare. Their dinners are as good as (and more creative than) their cakes and cookies. Entrees tend to be $6-8, and many are healthy and vegetarian-friendly.
Eat great German fare and baked goods.
All-vegan restaurant with plant-based interpretations of North Carolina barbecue and other comfort food.
A local tradition, serving eastern-North Carolina BBQ, sweet tea, hush puppies, and plenty of fried vegetables. Go "family style" for about $13 and eat a bit of everything. Note that eastern-NC BBQ is dry and is cooked with vinegar, and may not be what outsiders are used to. Bullock's is often crowded, but the line moves fast. Bullock's is cash only and closes at 8PM.
Upscale Argentinian steakhouse. Unusually great salad and steak with great service and a romantic atmosphere.
A wild-west themed bar and dance club popular with the college crowd, Shooters is famous for its mechanical bull and dancing cage. It is easy to find cheap drink specials and some new friends. Shooters is most frequented on weekend nights after 10PM.
A non-smoking bar with many types of beers. It draws more the post-grad and 25-35 crowd. Great burgers and also an unusually good salad.
Local brewery serving their own plus other NC beers. Popular among locals, large amount of seating, and pet/child friendly. In the American Tobacco Campus, a refurbished factory setting with multiple shops, offices and restaurants.
Offers guests an exercise room and a business center.
Offers guests free shuttle service and a small meeting room.
All-suite atrium hotel lakeside near Research Triangle Park and ten minutes from the airport. Rooms feature refrigerator, microwave, and wetbar area.
The people there are friendly and provide great service. They have a shuttle to take you up to a 5 mi diameter from the hotel which gets you to most places in town. Ask for the 8th floor rooms facing west.
Accommodations, meeting space, and dining venues about a mile from Duke University.
A pet-friendly hotel which offers free airport transportation.
Free parking, high speed internet and offers a complimentary airport shuttle.
The largest and most varied mall in the area, if not the whole state. It mixes indoor and outdoor shopping and dining, in a setting that tries to recapture the spirit of old downtown Durham.
Just west of downtown Durham, is built in a restored tobacco warehouse. It houses boutique shops and several nationally-renowned restaurants.
Family-owned clock shop featuring new grandfather clocks.
A non-profit selling all sorts of industrial and office surplus materials, ready to be recycled as supplies for crafts and other projects. A good place for creative people.
Big game store with board games, RPGs, miniatures, and other collectibles.
黎明超市
The Triangle's premier Asian supermarket, with an emphasis on Chinese products. If you're looking for lychees, Sichuan peppers, red bean buns, or a dozen flavors of mochi, this is the place to go.
By plane
The nearest commercial airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), southeast of Durham in Morrisville, just off I-40.
By train
Amtrak's Carolinian and Piedmont lines stop in Durham.
By bus
Inter-city buses arrive and depart Durham from the Durham Station Transportation Center, 515 W Pettigrew St, near the Amtrak station.
By bus
GoDurham and GoTriangle buses have racks that can accommodate at least two bicycles on the front of the vehicle.
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Raleigh/Durham · International · RDU
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