* COVID-19 Update: All visitors must comply with Duke's COVID-19 guidelines while on campus, including social distancing and masking where required. Visitors are also expected to monitor their health, particularly the symptoms of COVID-19, and stay home when they exhibit any symptoms, feel ill, or may have been exposed to others and need to self-isolate. For more details, please visit the Duke United webpage. Thank you for your support.
In addition to coming to Duke to spend time with your student, we encourage you to experience the many wonderful dining, retail, and historical attractions that Durham and the surrounding Triangle area have to offer.
Below you will find details on some of these great local activities, shops, and events, in addition to many area hotel and motel chains. For more information on how to experience the sights and sounds of Durham, also be sure to visit Discover Durham’s website.
Duke is home to some of the South's best events, local places to eat and shop, concerts, and more. Here are some of our favorites...
9th Street
9th Street is known for its variety of restaurant offerings at reasonable prices that Duke students and Durham locals frequent and enjoy. From upscale bar food to the best brunch in the city, 9th Street is the place for anyone seeking to find great local food and shops.
American Tobacco Campus
www.americantobaccohistoricdistrict.com
324 Blackwell St.
The American Tobacco Campus features Durham Bulls Baseball, the Durham Performing Arts Center, Music On the Lawn outdoor concerts, art exhibits, restaurants and so much more. It is also a registered historic site with roots in the American Tobacco Factory established in the 1800s.
Brightleaf Square (off of East Campus)
historicbrightleaf.com
905 West Main St.
Brightleaf features an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops in the historic warehouse district of downtown Durham.
The Streets at Southpoint
streetsatsouthpoint.com
6910 Fayetteville Rd.
At Southpoint, shoppers can explore an exquisite two story, indoor and outdoor mall with a wide variety of stores, restaurants, and a movie theater.
Duke Performances
dukeperformances.duke.edu
Duke Performances hosts a wide variety of events and musical performances in many Duke and Durham community venues. Selections include classical and chamber music, jazz, pop, theater, dance, comedy shows, and more.
Duke Athletics
goduke.com
Check out one of Duke's many nationally recognized Divison 1 athletic teams! From Coach K's Men's Basketball team inside Cameron Indoor Stadium to Kerstin Kimel's Women's Lacrosse squad, Duke features award-winning scholar-athletes. To purchase tickets, you can go online or call the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at 1-877-375-DUKE (3853) toll-free or (919) 681-BLUE (2583). If you live locally, you may also visit the ticket office located in the south lobby of Cameron Indoor Stadium. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more upcoming events, visit the Events@Duke calendar. The site offers a comprehensive listing of Duke events, including lectures, conferences, performing arts, exhibitions, cultural activities and more. Users can search by date, event category, or organization/group, and can download event details to most personal calendar clients.
Durham Performing Arts Center
dpacnc.com
123 Vivian St.
The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) is the largest performing arts center in both North Carolina and South Carolina. From Broadway to concerts, comedy to family shows...there’s something for everyone at DPAC.
Nasher Museum of Art
nasher.duke.edu
2001 Campus Dr.
The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University serves as the center for the visual arts on campus. The museum promotes engagement with the visual arts among a broad community including Duke students, faculty, and staff, the greater Durham community, the Triangle region, and the national and international art community. The museum presents an ambitious schedule of exhibitions that travel to major institutions around the world, and has a growing collection of international contemporary art.
Duke Gardens
gardens.duke.edu
420 Anderson St.
Enjoy the natural beauty of campus with a visit to Duke Gardens. This 55-acre botanic garden is one of the top 10 public gardens in the United States. The grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. to dusk 365 days a year.
We'd love to have you on campus! But, when visiting your student on campus, it’s important to keep in mind that Duke has become, on many levels, home. Students have a degree of autonomy and range of relationships that were not part of their lives before arriving on campus. It’s important to allow your student to develop relationships, decision-making skills, and techniques for organization and time management. It’s okay to offer suggestions, but it’s also important to allow your student to experience the challenges and growth opportunities that college provides.
To help plan your visit, here are a few more helpful resources:
- Campus Maps: https://maps.duke.edu
- Visitor Parking: https://parking.duke.edu/visitor
- Campus Tours and Information Sessions: https://admissions.duke.edu/setting/plantrip
- Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU): http://rdu.com
Please note that as of July 1, 2020, Duke is a tobacco-free campus. We ask that you support our efforts and don't use any tobacco products anywhere on campus, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes, and chewing tobacco. For more info: https://healthy.duke.edu/tobaccofree/.
Here are some addresses for key university landmarks:
Bryan Center Visitor Parking Garage:
120 Science Drive
Durham, NC 27708
Duke University Chapel (West Campus):
401 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
George and George Frank-Wall Center for Student Life (Marketplace):
1324 Campus Drive
Durham, NC 27708
For your convenience, we have compiled a list below of the many major hotel and motel chains represented in the Durham and Triangle area. Hotels are measured and sorted by distance from the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center on West Campus.
Official Duke Hotels
Washington Duke Inn
(919) 490.0999
3001 Cameron Boulevard (NC 751/Cameron)
www.washingtondukeinn.com
West Campus, 1.2 miles
The Lodge at Duke Medical Center
(919) 313.2165
2306 Elba Street
www.lodgeatdumc.com
Medical Campus, 1.2 miles
JB Duke Hotel
(919) 660.6400
230 Science Drive
www.jbdukehotel.com
West Campus, 1.3 miles
Durham
The University Inn
(919) 286.4421
502 Elf Street
www.universityinnduke.com
1.2 miles
Hilton Garden Inn Durham
(919) 286.0774
2102 West Main Street
www.hilton.com
1.2 miles
Residence Inn Durham McPherson
(919) 680.4440
1108 West Main Street
www.marriott.com
1.5 miles
The Durham Hotel
(919) 768.8830
315 E. Chapel Hill Street
www.thedurham.com
1.8 miles
21C Museum Hotel Durham
(919) 956.6700
111 North Corcoran Street
www.21cmuseumhotels.com
1.8 miles
Durham Marriott City Center
(800) 909.8375
201 Foster Street
www.marriott.com
1.8 miles
Unscripted Hotel
(800) 909.8375
202 N. Corcoran Street
www.unscriptedhotels.com
1.8 miles
AC Hotel Durham
(984) 900.2700
2800 Erwin Road
www.marriott.com
2.3 miles
Aloft Durham Downtown
(919) 402.5656
345 Blackwell Street
www.marriott.com
2.4 miles
Courtyard Durham Near Duke University/Downtown
(919) 309.1500
1815 Front Street
www.marriott.com
2.7 miles
Hampton Inn & Suites Durham University Medical Center
(919) 710.3804
1206 Cole Mill Road
www.hilton.com
2.7 mile
Home2 Suites by Hilton Durham University Medical Center
(919) 710.3804
1206 Cole Mill Road
www.hilton.com
2.7 mile
Extended Stay America
(919) 489.8444
3105 Tower Boulevard
www.extendedstayamerica.com
2.7 mile
SureStay Plus by Best Western
(919) 382.3388
3710 Hillsborough Road
www.bestwestern.com
2.8 miles
Hilton Durham
(919) 383.8033
3800 Hillsborough Road
www.hilton.com
2.9 miles
Hampton Inn & Suites Durham/North I-85
(919) 688.8880
1542 North Gregson Street
www.hilton.com
2.9 miles
Holiday Inn Express Durham
(919) 313.3244
2516 Guess Road
www.ihg.com
3.4 miles
LaQuinta Inns & Suites by Wyndham
(919) 401.9660
4414 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd
www.wyndhamhotels.com
4.8 miles
Homewood Suites by Hilton Durham/Chapel Hill
(919) 401.0610
3600 Mt. Moriah Road
www.hilton.com
*Complimentary shuttle services to/from Duke
*Ask for "Duke University" rate
6.3 miles
SpringHill Suites Durham/Chapel Hill
(919) 403.1111
5310 McFarland Dr.
www.marriott.com
Link for Duke University's Discounted Rate
6.3 miles
Home2 Suites by Hilton Durham Chapel Hill
(919) 680.9000
3305 Watkins Road
www.hilton.com
*Complimentary shuttle services to/from Duke
*Ask for "Duke University" rate
6.5 miles
Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Durham/Research Triangle Park
(919) 941.6066
4620 South Miami Blvd.
www.hilton.com
11.4 miles
Sonesta Select Durham Research Triangle Park
(919) 484.2900
301 Residence Inn Blvd
www.sonesta.com
11.8 miles
Hilton Garden Inn Durham Southpoint
(919) 544.6000
7007 Fayetteville Road
www.hilton.com
14.1 miles
Chapel Hill
Sheraton Chapel Hill
(919) 968.4900
One Europa Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.marriott.com
7.7 miles
Residence Inn Chapel Hill
(919) 933.4848
101 Erwin Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
www.marriott.com
7.7 miles
The Siena Hotel
(919) 929.4000
1505 East Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
www.marriott.com
8.8 miles
Aloft Chapel Hill
(919) 932.7772
1001 South Hamilton Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
www.marriott.com
11.9 miles
Raleigh/Cary
Residence Inn Raleigh-Durham Airport
(919) 472.1005
10600 Little Brier Creek Lane
Raleigh, NC 27617
www.marriott.com
11.9 miles
Courtyard Raleigh-Durham Airport
(919) 472.1000
10600 Little Brier Creek Lane
Raleigh, NC 27617
www.marriott.com
11.9 miles
Fairfield Inn & Suites Raleigh-Durham Airport
(919) 246.0107
10040 Sellona St.
Raleigh, NC 27617
www.marriott.com
12.5 miles
Hyatt House Raleigh/RDU/Brier Creek
(919) 405.7001
10030 Sellona Street
Raleigh, NC 27617
www.hyatt.com
12.7 miles
Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport
(919) 224.1400
3931 Macaw Street
Raleigh, NC 27617
www.marriott.com
16.6 miles
The Umstead Hotel and Spa
(919) 447.4000
100 Woodland Pond Drive
Cary, NC 27513
www.theumstead.com
17.7 miles