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The Ultimate Weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina for a Sports Fan
Raleigh is in the center of a jam-packed sports region. Here's the ultimate sports-specific guide to the City of Oak.
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Raleigh has exploded over the last 20 years from a small Southern town into a modern metro market in the heart of North Carolina. Along with the expansion has come an incredible influx of culture. The biggest challenge–which won’t feel like one to anyone from a truly “big” city–is the location of various entertainment opportunities because of the city’s geographical sprawl. It’s not as extreme as LA for example but to maximize your enjoyment, you may find yourself technically outside Raleigh’s city limits.
The Raleigh region is well-known across the country for its deep history of college athletics. In particular, the Duke-UNC rivalry almost always features future NBA stars and is one of America’s most intense competitions. NC State is the younger sibling in-state but still boasts an extensive list of national titles. ‘Stick sports’ are also huge in the area; North Carolina has some of the best golf in the country and both field hockey and baseball maintain locals’ attention during postseason time.
You’ll find Raleigh’s growth has turned it into a jam-packed sports region - here, we’ve got your sports-specific guide to the City of Oaks.
Who I am: A Raleigh resident for the better part of two decades, I’m Will Brinson, a professional sports writer and long-suffering NC State fan. My ideal day in Raleigh involves finding an outdoor patio with a TV to spend the afternoon soaking in a slew of spring sporting events.
Before you go
Book early: The must-dos in the area include some of the country’s best and most-desired sports experiences. If it’s ACC basketball season, going to a Duke game at Cameron Indoor Stadium is a hard ticket to find but is an absolute bucket-list item. The same goes for the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, especially with Carolina considering an off-campus option in the future.
Where to Stay
The Aloft on Hillsborough Street
The Aloft is an upscale setting overlooking the main road that runs through NC State’s campus and provides easy access to downtown and Raleigh proper.
The Umstead
The Umstead is often considered the nicest place to stay in the Raleigh area. It’s technically in Cary, but it’s a lavish hotel and spa close enough to be perfectly viable, while also offering easier access to the aforementioned sports destinations.
The Renaissance at North Hills
The Renaissance is a little more sequestered, located outside of downtown, and is family friendly while still being luxurious enough with plenty of dining and entertainment options nearby.
Two sporty days in Raleigh, North Carolina
Day 1
Morning
- Fuel up: For more than half a century, locally owned Cup-A-Joe has given coffee heads the jolt they’ll need to start the day. And who knows, you might even run into Patton Oswalt enjoying an early cup. If you’re looking for something a little more filling, Big Ed’s Restaurant, a southern staple, serves up biscuits, hot cakes, grits, and every breakfast dish you can imagine.
Mid day
- Stretch your legs: Raleigh is a superb spot for soaking in the outdoors. One of the best options is Dorothea Dix Park, a 300-plus-acre area in downtown where you can join in on calendared activities or walk around the 11-acre Flowers Field and check out Raleigh’s skyline. The entire city also has an intricate Greenway system running throughout it—hundreds of miles of guaranteed space for biking, running, or walking.
- Get your (or the kids') zoomies out: The North Carolina Museum of Art is located on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh and gets slammed both indoors and out during the spring and summer. We go routinely to take our kids outside for a bike ride or walk among the sprawling fields and outdoor art exhibits.
Afternoon
- Take a few swings for cheap: Sports enthusiasts without a scheduled athletic event could consider two of my favorite golf simulators in the Raleigh area, whether it’s visiting Dogwood Country Club off Capital near downtown or popping over to newly-opened The Albatross Golf Pub in Cary.
- Go for an all-in-one: If you choose to hit up Dogwood, it’s a short hop over to North Hills, a large multi-use area in North Raleigh where there’s abundant activities like shopping, dining, or just sitting outside and grabbing coffee or snacks. In Cary, Fenton is a similar setup that’s become a vibrant part of the community and is a perfect way to relax and unwind.
- Try a little outdoor competition: Another excellent option for afternoon fun is Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard. Designed as an open-air bar that features games like cornhole when the weather is nice, there are also multiple outdoor seating areas and rotating live music.
Evening
- See a big hit up close: Checking the Carolina Hurricanes schedule is a must in the event there’s a home game while you’re in Raleigh. The NHL season seemingly lasts the full calendar year but it only means more home games available to attend. The atmosphere is intense, the Canes are a strong team year in and year out, and if you happen to be in town for a playoff game, bring ear plugs. It gets unbelievably loud.
- Appease your inner child: If there’s nothing on the calendar, I’m a sucker for a nostalgic video game and love hitting up Boxcar BarCade. It’s home to hundreds of arcade machines to satiate your inner kid, along with an outstanding selection of craft beverages, an outside patio, and the occasional NBA Jam tournament.
- Try a brew and a bite: There are plenty of food and drink options nearby, including the now seven(!) offerings from Trophy Brewing, including their original—and now expanded—setup on Morgan Street. The beer is elite and the pizza is even better. Trophy also runs State of Beer, a bottle shop with incredible sandwich offerings.
Day 2
Morning
- Try a taste of NOLA: Head to Hummingbird for brunch, the upscale New Orleans-inspired diner that serves up outstanding versions of everything from a breakfast burrito and chicken and waffles to a po boy, plus plenty of early morning libations and an excellent variety of pick-me-up drinks.
- Get out of town: Next, hop on the Amtrak ($9 each way) and head out of town to Durham, aboard the old Piedmont Express. The train leaves from the gorgeous new downtown Raleigh depot and puts you in the heart of the Bull City just 30 minutes later. Two things worth noting: One, the train is also an option for heading to Cary should it fit your fancy; you’ll have a stop there en route to Durham. And two, I recommend coming back the same day on the 5:30 p.m. train, although planning ahead and spending the night in Durham is certainly an option if you want to do dinner or hit up a Durham Bulls game.
Mid day
- Scope out downtown Durham: Take a quick five-minute walk into downtown onto Chapel Hill Street. Dinner at Pizzeria Toro is ideal but it’s a hard seat to find, so grab lunch instead at the world-famous, wood-fired intimate pizza spot. The sweet fennel sausage (red) and soft egg (white) pizzas are highly recommended.
Afternoon
- Relive the movie: You may know the excellent 1988 film starring Kevin Costner but even if you don’t, check out a Durham Bulls home game. The area’s minor league baseball team puts on a show every night. You can take a train from Raleigh, walk to the stadium, and catch a future superstar in action. (I took my son to see budding superstar Ronald Acuna’s final minor league game a few years back.)
- Hit up another iconic sports heaven: If there’s no downtown baseball to see, there’s still a sports fan mecca to visit. There are few more recognizable brands in sports than Duke Basketball, and while you probably can’t get onto the actual court, Duke does offer self-guided tours of both the Rubenstein Pavilion and Duke Basketball Museum inside the arena. Private tours of Cameron itself are available (for free) but you have to schedule at least 48 hours ahead of time. Duke is a quick rideshare trip away from downtown Durham.
- Bring your sunglasses: After your tour, head back downtown and visit The Durham Hotel and its rooftop bar with absurd panoramic views of both downtown Durham and, on a clear day, a pretty wide swath of the state of North Carolina. On a sunny spring afternoon, it can become a standing room-only situation but it’s usually no problem to find a high table. The beauty of the North Carolina train system is there’s no need to sweat as the trains run on time, so arriving at 5 p.m. leaves plenty of time to grab a coffee in the station and head back to Raleigh for dinner.
Evening
- Test the barbecue hype: An Amtrak return to downtown offers plenty of options for dinner within walking distance. North Carolina barbecue is usually whole hog and pulled pork although within the state, there is a geographical divide between the east and west in terms of sauce. If you feel like trying some of NC’s best barbecue, both The Pit and Sam Jones BBQ are just about a five minute walk away. Ashley Christensen has piled up James Beard awards, including 2014’s Best Chef (Southeast) and her original offering, Poole’s Diner, is within walking distance when you return. Don’t walk away without ordering the mac and cheese.
- Go upscale: Stanbury is my favorite dinner restaurant in Raleigh. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations—the seating list opens at 4:30 p.m. every afternoon and seating begins at 5 p.m. Order the bone marrow.
- Opt for post-dinner music: If music is your scene, there’s almost always a strong concert option available at either Red Hat (bigger acts, will start sooner) or places like Lincoln Theater with an intimate 750 person capacity (I once saw 2025 Grammy-nominee Khruangbin play here). If you simply want to relax and enjoy a cocktail, Foundation is an underground, speakeasy style bar. A little further up Blount Street, William and Company—or WillCo—offers some of the best post-dinner cocktails around.
If you have three days
All of the above, but add...
- If you’re into golf you can’t miss it, but even if you’re just an average sports fan it's worth it to head south to Pinehurst. The Cradle of American Golf offers abundant options for your stay and play, depending on when you’re in town. The drive is easy; you can get from your house in Raleigh to the tee box in well under 90 minutes.
- If you’re shorter on time or you’re not a die-hard golfer, The Cradle—dubbed “the most fun 10 acres in all of golf”—is an approachable, family-friendly Par 3 course with music playing and a bar at the top of the hill that you’ll pass several times during your round.
- Want to stay overnight? Pine Needles Lodge offers an incredible trip back in time with the hotel’s lobby bar, where you’ll step down into a sunken area around a U-shaped bar overlooking the course. MidPines Inn offers a bar and outdoor patio overlooking the putting practice area and 18th green and is a stunning place for a cocktail when the sun is coming down. I also recommend the Ironwood, a superb place to get dinner if you don’t want to eat on property.