Close your eyes and imagine
a city set among acres of hardwood and evergreen forests, hills and dales,
serene lakes, meandering rivers and streams, and you will have an accurate
picture of Durham, North Carolina. Durham is the fourth largest city in the
state, and is located about halfway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the
pristine beaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Visitors have found this
congenial town to be filled with a wonderful spirit. Both residents and
visitors enjoy the host of cultural, historical, educational, and natural
amenities that it has to offer.
Durham, North Carolina is
also known as the City of Medicine for its medical and research center at Duke
University, one of the top schools in the nation. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill
are the three cities that make up the area know as the Research Triangle.
Research Triangle Park (RTP) is a public/private, planned research park, created
in 1959 by leaders from business, academia and industry. The name originated
from the Park's relationship with three major research universities: Duke
University in Durham, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North
Carolina State University in Raleigh. The Triangle now refers to a six-county
metropolitan statistical area and a 13 county state planning region.
If you are wondering what
to do during your trip to Durham, visiting adults and children enjoy the highly
acclaimed, entirely hands-on Museum of Life and Science. Durham has many
historic sites from which to choose, such as Bennett Place (where the Civil War
ended) or Stagville (the largest plantation in North Carolina with the
original big house, slave quarters and a monumental barn
still standing). Explore the miles of nature trails along the Eno
River, or take a restful stroll through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. At night,
you may want to enjoy a live performance at Duke University or at the
beautifully restored Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham.
No trip to Durham would be
complete without visiting Duke University. The highlight of this showplace is
the Duke Chapel, reminiscent of England's Canterbury Cathedral. The bell tower
rises 210 feet and houses a 50-bell carillon that rings out at the end of each
workday and on Sunday. A half-million-dollar Flentrop organ with more than 5,000
pipes is in a special oak gallery, and renowned organists perform public
recitals on the first Sunday of each month. During a visit to the West Campus
take a look at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the home of the Duke Blue Devils
basketball team since 1935.
Thousands of locals and
tourists fill the stands each summer as the Durham Bulls play a full season in
the Class A Carolina League as an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The Bulls
shot to fame on the shoulders of Kevin Costner catching for hotshot rookie
pitcher Tim Robbins in the 1988 movie “Bull Durham”. if you're in town
for a game, don't expect to see the wonderful old-time ballpark where the film
was actually shot, however. In 1995, the Bulls abandoned the old ballpark for
snazzy new digs on Magnum Street.
Throughout the year, the
city of Durham is jumping with festivals and events. From free music concerts
and chili cook-offs to fireworks and film festivals, visitors to the Durham area
will find both their days and nights filled with entertainment.
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