Raleigh Convention Center – Experiences

As nice of a facility as the Raleigh Convention Center is, your time spent there probably won’t be the highlight of your trip to Raleigh, North Carolina. That’s because there’s so much to see and do in Raleigh’s booming downtown area. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to explore the beautiful capital of North Carolina by simply shuttling back and forth between the Raleigh Convention Center and your hotel.

You won’t have to venture far from the Raleigh Convention Center to find some of the city’s most popular tourist spots. For instance, the North Carolina State Capitol is just a few blocks away and right next to that are the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Museum of History. It’s like visiting three attractions in one! Also nearby are must-try restaurants like The Pit, where they’re serving up some of the best barbecue in Raleigh.

As you can see, there are plenty of fun things to do within walking distance of the Raleigh Convention Center. Whenever you’ve got some downtime, make an effort to experience what this unique city has to offer. You might end up turning just another trip to a convention center into one you’ll remember fondly for years to come.

 

Morning

Noon

Night

 

Morning

A big day out in Raleigh calls for a big breakfast. Lucky for you, Big Ed knows a thing or two about big breakfasts. That’s Big Ed Watkins of Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant, a charming eatery that’s been a Raleigh institution ever since they opened the doors to their original location back in 1958.

Now they’re at the City Market, a quaint collection of art galleries, boutique shops, other restaurants, and more in the heart of downtown Raleigh; hence the name Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant. Getting there from the Raleigh Convention Center should take less than 10 minutes on foot, so you won’t have to travel far before being rewarded with one of the best breakfasts the city has to offer.

What sets the breakfasts at Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant apart is tradition. Some of their recipes are so old that Ed claimed they were handed down from his great-grandfather, who was a mess sergeant for the Confederate army.

The menu features plenty of Southern breakfast staples, including country ham smothered in red-eye gravy and grits topped with a layer of gooey Cheddar cheese. They’ve also got pancakes bigger than the plates they’re serving them on and fluffy biscuits that provide the perfect base for a ladling of their hearty sausage gravy. Hope you didn’t make any plans for lunch!

Raleigh Convention Center

Although you might be tempted to head back to your hotel for a quick nap after such a decadent, down-home breakfast, there’s no time to waste. You’ve still got so much more to see, including Nash Square and the North Carolina State Capitol. Both of these Raleigh landmarks are located less than a half-mile from Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant, making it easy to stop by both in not a lot of time at all.

Nash Square is a scenic, four-acre greenspace located smack dab in the heart of downtown. Featuring a lush landscape full of open lawns, a variety of perennials, and native shade trees like oaks and magnolias, Nash Square is sure to strike a chord with nature lovers. Those with an interest in history will appreciate Nash Square too, since this park was one of the four designated by surveyor and former North Carolina state senator Williams Christmas, who was hired in 1792 to develop a plan for what would become the Raleigh we know today.

Continue your journey through Raleigh’s storied past at the North Carolina State Capitol. Built between 1833 and 1840, the Capitol’s appearance inside and out has remained largely unchanged. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973 and is widely regarded as a shining example of American Greek Revival architecture.

Visitors are welcome to step back in time and take a free, self-guided tour of the Capitol between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Guided tours are also offered on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The guided tour lasts approximately an hour and includes stops at the building’s rotunda, the outside of the governor’s office, the old Senate and House chambers, the state library, and more.

 

Noon

The next two stops on your Raleigh itinerary aren’t far from the North Carolina State Capitol. In fact, they’re practically right next door! Just head one block north and you’ll come across the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Museum of History. Both are recognized as two of Raleigh’s most popular attractions for good reason.

Each one offers visitors the chance to learn more about the state through a variety of exhibits that are as engaging as they are informative. And, oh yeah, they’re both free. That way you can get your fill of North Carolina-related knowledge without having to worry about cutting into your travel budget.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a good place to start your educational afternoon excursion. You won’t have any trouble finding it either, thanks to the giant globe located right out front. Boasting a 70-foot diameter, this scaled-down replica of Earth actually houses a three-story theater where a variety of educational programming is projected onto a massive 42-foot-tall screen.

The fun continues with exhibits like Postcards from Space, where visitors can get their hands on a stone that traveled through space for millions of years, and Nature’s Explorers, which features oddities like a preserved ocean sunfish caught in 1934. Other notable displays include the world’s most complete Acrocanthosaurus skeleton; a 10,000-gallon aquarium filled with angelfish, pufferfish, and more; and a tranquil butterfly room that’s also home to an adorable two-toed sloth.

From there, head over to the North Carolina Museum of History. It’s right across the street, so you might as well pop in and check it out. Did we mention admission is free? You definitely won’t have to worry about getting your money’s worth at this Smithsonian-affiliated attraction, especially since the museum is home to a collection of over 350,000 artifacts that tell the story of North Carolina from the state’s earliest inhabitants up to the 20th century.

There’s something for everyone to enjoy at the North Carolina Museum of History. For history buffs, there’s the museum’s signature, award-winning exhibit, The Story of North Carolina. This fascinating exhibit covers more than 14,000 years of Tar Heel State history through artifacts like ancient stone tools dating back as far as 12,000 B.C. and a lunch counter that played a pivotal role during the civil rights movement.

Sports fans will get a kick out of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame located on the third floor of the museum. Mementos on display in the hall of fame include champion NASCAR driver Richard Petty’s stock car and Meadowlark Lemon’s Harlem Globetrotters basketball uniform.

These two exhibits are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all there is to see at this world-class museum. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to explore, but don’t feel bad if you don’t get to see everything. It’s not easy covering thousands of years of history, after all! Though, with free admission, there’s really nothing stopping you from making a return trip before you have to head back home.

 

Night

Since you’re in North Carolina, there’s a good chance you’ve got barbecue on the brain, and rightfully so. The state’s famous for their slow-smoked offerings, so it’s in your best interest to get yourself a heaping helping of barbecued goodness while you’re there. Trust us when we say you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t.

As you could imagine, Raleigh’s full of killer barbecue joints, but one of the best just so happens to be less than a 10-minute walk from the Raleigh Convention Center. This joint, fittingly named The Pit, is devoted to cooking barbecue the right way: low and slow. That means no shortcuts and no substitutions.

Raleigh Convention Center

It goes without saying that great food starts with great ingredients. That’s why they’re using free-range pigs and only the freshest produce whenever possible. These ingredients and more find their way into dishes ranging from traditional barbecue fare to imaginative offerings like egg rolls packed with chopped pork, cabbage collards, and candied carrots known as BBQ Soul Rolls.

The fun doesn’t stop there though. They’ve also got French fries drowned in a combination of pimento cheese, pulled pork, scallions, and barbecue ranch dressing; slow-smoked meatloaf made from house-ground brisket and pork; a Portobello mushroom sandwich; and more.

Don’t worry, diehard barbecue traditionalists; there’s plenty for you to enjoy too. Some of the more familiar menu items you’ll find at The Pit include plates and sandwiches piled high with meats like savory chopped pork and juicy brisket, fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs, and classic sides like mac and cheese, potato salad, and baked beans. In short, The Pit’s got your barbecue fix, whatever that may be.

Of course, nothing beats washing down some killer ‘cue with a delicious mixed drink or an ice-cold beer. While The Pit does serve alcohol, travelers looking to experience Raleigh to the fullest should head to Isaac Hunter’s Tavern after they’ve polished off their meal. This lively watering hole is located right down the street from The Pit, one block past the Raleigh Convention Center.

What makes Isaac Hunter’s Tavern worth visiting over any of the other bars that line the streets of Raleigh is that it’s steeped in historical significance. It gets its name from a bar that, as the centuries-old story goes, was where the City of Raleigh was founded.

Back in 1788, the North Carolina General Assembly gathered together at their bar of choice to determine where the new capital of North Carolina would be located. Believe it or not, they drafted a resolution declaring that the capital had to be located within 10 miles of that favorite watering hole, which just so happened to be a tavern owned by a man named Isaac Hunter.

Although it’s highly unlikely that any major political decisions are being made at this current incarnation of Isaac Hunter’s tavern, it’s still a great place to share a drink or two with the local crowd. You might even come across some of your colleagues who are also in town visiting the Raleigh Convention Center, since Isaac Hunter’s Tavern is located right down the street from the facility. Whether you order your favorite beer or one of their creative craft cocktail offerings, expect it to be served with a dose of Southern hospitality. Isaac Hunter’s Tavern, along with the rest of Raleigh, has plenty to go around.