When visiting North Carolina with your family, make the best out of your time by visiting as many places as possible. If your children are accompanying you, show them a good time by taking them around to various parts of the state that offer interactive activities for children. Even if you are not just visiting and actually live there, you must know all the fun places for children.
North Carolina has various theme parks across the state. Carowinds in Charlotte has more than 100 rides and movie-themed shows for children of all ages. Ghost Town In The Sky in Maggie Valley offers live music for children, food, crafts and gunfights. Other similar theme parks you can take your children to include Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock where your children can dress up as Indian, cowboy or engineer; Gold City Gem Mine in Franklin, where children can go mining for gems and bring rough stones to on-site professional jewelers for free. Adventure Landing in Raleigh is another theme park that features laser tag, go-karts, mini golf, batting cages and mega arcade.
Two of the zoos in North Carolina are Cherokee Bear Zoo in Cherokee and North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. Carolina Raptor Center in Huntersville features a nature trail where you and your children can observe raptors in aviaries and have fun shopping in the museum gift shop. North Carolina Aquarium in Manteo offers various aquatic animals, which are native in the state of North Carolina. You can also take your children to the Lazy 5 Ranch if you visit Moorsville, which is a private animal drive through a safari park with over 750 animals from different continents.
North Carolina has various educational and historical centers to offer children of all ages, such as Emerald Village in Little Switzerland, Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point and Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill. If your children are into adventurous activities, take them to Discovery Place in Charlotte, which features a science center and the Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theater. Battleship USS North Carolina is another interesting place in Wilmington, featuring a two-hour self-guided for children where they imagine themselves at a battle station looking for enemy aircrafts.
North Carolina has a number of water parks popular among children during the summer. Rays Splash Planet in Charlotte, Kannapolis Recreation Park in Kannapolis and Fantasy Lake in Hope Mills are three of these water parks that feature swimming, mini golf and waterslides. According to the Family Days Out USA website, Wet n Wild Emerald Point is the largest water park in both the Carolinas, offering over 36 rides and attractions for children and accompanying adults.
For children interested in science-related museums and galleries, SciWorks in Winston Salem, Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and Imagination Station Science Museum in Wilson are good options. Greensboro Children's Museum in Greensboro offers an interactive play place for young children, typically aged up to 10 years, accompanied by families. Children can play, discover and explore various exhibits at the museum.
