Half-Day Trip to Downtown Raleigh, NC 🏛️👨‍👩‍👧

Enjoyed a relaxing family city walk at the end of 2024! We drove from Cary 🚗 — just about 24 minutes to downtown Raleigh. 📍 State Capitol Free entry! 🆓 Walked around and learned some history — the building has three floors and isn’t too big. Staff at the entrance were super friendly and gave us a map 🗺️. Security check is required before entering. 📍 Marbles Kids Museum Only a 8-minute walk from the Capitol. Heard it’s great for families 🧒👧 (ticket: $9/person). We didn’t go in, but there’s a cool outdoor playground right beside it — perfect for letting the kids burn off some energy! 🔥 📍 Parking Recommendation 💡 Best spot: 101 N Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601 Plenty of spaces 🅿️ Only $2/hour — one of the cheapest options downtown! On the way, we passed the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 🦖. It was closed on Monday 😢, but we still snapped a photo with the iconic giant globe 🌍 outside! Across from Marbles is Monroe Square — a large public plaza. Not much to do there, but the playground next to the museum was a hit with the kids! Overall, downtown Raleigh is compact and walkable 👣. The area around the Capitol is clean and pleasant. Lots of museums 🖼️ and restaurants 🍽️ nearby — great for a relaxed half-day of exploring and eating! Thinking about hiking at a state park in the Triangle area tomorrow — any recommendations? 🥾🌳 #NorthCarolina #Raleigh #FamilyTrip #CityWalk #TravelWithKids #NCTravel