Bluefield State University (West Virginia)

City: Bluefield, WV

🌳 Bluefield City Park — Bluefield, WV

🎨 Gary Bowling’s House of Art — Bluefield, WV

🦖 East River Mountain Overlook — Bluefield, WV

🛝 Chuck E. Cheese — Princeton, WV (20 min)

🎢 Lake Shawnee Adventure Park — Princeton, WV (25 min)

🌿 Lotito City Park Trail — Bluefield, VA

🎳 Mountaineer Bowling Lanes — Bluefield, WV

☀️ Glenwood Recreation Park — Princeton, WV (25 min)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Buffalo Trail Restaurant & Brewery — Bluefield, WV

🍕 Portabella Italian Restaurant — Bluefield, WV

🥞 The Blue Spoon Café — Bluefield, WV

🌮 The RailYard — Bluefield, WV

🍦 Dairy Queen — Bluefield, WV

☕️ Blue Spoon Coffee Co. — Bluefield, WV

Bowie State University (Maryland)

City: Bowie, MD

🌳 Allen Pond Park — Bowie, MD (playground, trails & pond for paddle boating)

🎨 National Capital Radio & Television Museum — Bowie, MD

🦋 Watkins Regional Park — Upper Marlboro, MD (zoo, train rides, & Wizard of Oz playground)

🎢 Launch Trampoline Park — Capitol Heights, MD

🛝 Bowie Ice Arena — Bowie, MD (public skate sessions & family nights)

🌿 Patuxent Research Refuge — Laurel, MD

🎳 Crofton Bowling Centre — Crofton, MD

☀️ Six Flags America — Bowie, MD (15 min — perfect day trip!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Chesapeake Grille — Bowie, MD

🍕 Old Bowie Town Grille — Bowie, MD

🥞 First Watch — Bowie, MD

🌮 Mi Hacienda — Bowie, MD

🍗 Outback Steakhouse — Bowie, MD

🍦 Rita’s Italian Ice — Bowie, MD

☕️ Starbucks (Bowie Town Center) — Bowie, MD

🥗 Panera Bread — Bowie, MD

Claflin University (South Carolina)

City: Orangeburg, SC

🌳 Edisto Memorial Gardens — Orangeburg, SC (rose garden, splash pad & walking trails)

🎨 Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center — Orangeburg, SC

🦋 I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium — Orangeburg, SC (on SC State campus, next door!)

🎢 Orangeburg County YMCA — Orangeburg, SC (indoor pool, family fitness & play area)

🛝 Hillcrest Recreation Park — Orangeburg, SC

🌿 Santee State Park — Santee, SC (30 min — hiking & fishing on Lake Marion)

🎳 All-Star Lanes — Orangeburg, SC

☀️ Downtown Farmers Market Pavilion — Orangeburg, SC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Dukes Bar-B-Q — Orangeburg, SC (local classic buffet)

🍕 House of Pizza — Orangeburg, SC

🥞 Mama’s Kitchen — Orangeburg, SC

🌮 Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant — Orangeburg, SC

🍗 Chestnut Grill — Orangeburg, SC

🍦 Ye Olde Fashioned Ice Cream — Orangeburg, SC

☕️ Coffee Bistro — Orangeburg, SC

🥗 Thai Lotus Restaurant — Orangeburg, SC

Elizabeth City State University (North Carolina)

City: Elizabeth City, NC

🌳 Charles Creek Park — Elizabeth City, NC

🎨 Museum of the Albemarle — Elizabeth City, NC

🦋 Port Discover — Elizabeth City, NC (children’s science center)

🎢 Arts of the Albemarle — Elizabeth City, NC

🛝 Fun Junktion Park — Elizabeth City, NC (huge playground & splash pad)

🌿 Dismal Swamp State Park — South Mills, NC (~20 min — hiking & boardwalk trail)

🎳 Albemarle Lanes — Elizabeth City, NC

☀️ Waterfront Park — Elizabeth City, NC (family picnics, sunset views & paddle rentals)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Hoppin’ Johnz — Elizabeth City, NC

🍕 Big Boss Burritos — Elizabeth City, NC

🥞 Sidney’s Café & Bistro — Elizabeth City, NC

🌮 La Tiendita Mexican Restaurant — Elizabeth City, NC

🍗 Montero’s Restaurant — Elizabeth City, NC

🍦 Dairy Queen — Elizabeth City, NC

☕️ Muddy Waters Coffeehouse — Elizabeth City, NC

🥗 Cypress Creek Grill — Elizabeth City, NC

Fayetteville State University (North Carolina)

City: Fayetteville, NC

🌳 Arnette Park — Fayetteville, NC (playgrounds, trails & splash pad)

🎨 Fascinate-U Children’s Museum — Fayetteville, NC

🦋 Cape Fear Botanical Garden — Fayetteville, NC

🎢 DEFY Fayetteville — Fayetteville, NC

🛝 Monkey Joe’s — Fayetteville, NC

🌿 Lake Rim Park — Fayetteville, NC

🎳 B & B Bowling Lanes — Fayetteville, NC

☀️ Downtown Fayetteville — shops, murals & farmers market — Fayetteville, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Bubba’s 33 — Fayetteville, NC

🍕 Luigi’s Italian Chophouse — Fayetteville, NC

🥞 The Friend’s Table — Fayetteville, NC

🌮 Mi Casita Mexican Restaurant — Fayetteville, NC

🍗 Huske Hardware House — Fayetteville, NC

🍦 Cold Stone Creamery — Fayetteville, NC

☕️ Rude Awakening Coffee House — Fayetteville, NC

🥗 Blue Moon Café — Fayetteville, NC

Johnson C. Smith University (North Carolina)

City: Charlotte, NC

🌳 Freedom Park — Charlotte, NC

🎨 Discovery Place Science — Charlotte, NC

🦋 ImaginOn Children’s Library — Charlotte, NC

🎢 Carowinds Amusement Park — Charlotte, NC (20 min)

🛝 Sky Zone Trampoline Park — Charlotte, NC

🎭 Blumenthal Performing Arts Center — Charlotte, NC

🌿 Romare Bearden Park — Charlotte, NC

🎳 AMF Centennial Lanes — Charlotte, NC

☀️ Charlotte Rail Trail — Charlotte, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Midnight Diner — Charlotte, NC

🍕 Hawthorne’s Pizza — Charlotte, NC

🥞 Famous Toastery — Charlotte, NC

🌮 Paco’s Tacos & Tequila — Charlotte, NC

🍗 Mert’s Heart and Soul — Charlotte, NC

🍦 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Charlotte, NC

☕️ Not Just Coffee — Charlotte, NC

🥗 7th Street Public Market — Charlotte, NC

Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)

City: Oxford, PA

🌳 Nottingham County Park — Nottingham, PA (caves, hiking, & playground)

🎨 Herr’s Snack Factory Tour — Nottingham, PA (free family tours & samples!)

🦋 Ashland Nature Center — Hockessin, DE (25 min)

🛝 Sky Zone Trampoline Park — Glen Mills, PA (25 min)

🎳 Timber Lanes Bowling — Oxford, PA

🌿 New Garden Township Park — Avondale, PA

☀️ Longwood Gardens — Kennett Square, PA (30 min — breathtaking family spot!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Nottingham Inn — Nottingham, PA

🍕 La Sicilia Pizza & Pasta — Oxford, PA

🥞 Two Stones Pub — Jennersville, PA

🌮 Plaza Azteca — Kennett Square, PA

🍗 The Whip Tavern — Coatesville, PA

🍦 Sweet Cream Co. — Oxford, PA

☕️ Oxford Coffee Co. — Oxford, PA

🥗 Giordano’s Garden Café — Oxford, PA

Livingstone College (North Carolina)

City: Salisbury, NC

🌳 Dan Nicholas Park — Salisbury, NC (zoo, splash pad, & mini train!)

🎨 Waterworks Visual Arts Center — Salisbury, NC

🦋 Rowan Museum — Salisbury, NC

🎢 Bounce City — Salisbury, NC

🛝 Lazy 5 Ranch — Mooresville, NC (30 min — drive-thru zoo!)

🎳 Woodleaf Lanes — Salisbury, NC

🌿 Sloan Park — Mount Ulla, NC

☀️ Downtown Salisbury — shops, murals & family restaurants — Salisbury, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Go Burrito — Salisbury, NC

🍕 Mykonos Grill — Salisbury, NC

🥞 Breakfastime — Salisbury, NC

🌮 Casa Grande Mexican Restaurant — Salisbury, NC

🍗 Hendrix BBQ — Salisbury, NC

🍦 Spanky’s Homemade Ice Cream — Salisbury, NC

☕️ Mean Mug Coffee Co. — Salisbury, NC

🥗 La Cava — Salisbury, NC

Saint Augustine’s University (North Carolina)

City: Raleigh, NC

🌳 Pullen Park — Raleigh, NC (train rides, playground & paddle boats)

🎨 Marbles Kids Museum — Raleigh, NC

🦋 North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences — Raleigh, NC

🎢 Adventure Landing — Raleigh, NC

🛝 Defy Raleigh — Raleigh, NC

🎭 Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts — Raleigh, NC

🌿 Lake Johnson Park — Raleigh, NC

🎳 Buffaloe Lanes — Raleigh, NC

☀️ Downtown Raleigh — shops, murals & family eats

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Beasley’s Chicken + Honey — Raleigh, NC

🍕 Trophy Brewing & Pizza — Raleigh, NC

🥞 Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant — Raleigh, NC

🌮 Jose and Sons — Raleigh, NC

🍗 The Pit — Raleigh, NC

🍦 Two Roosters Ice Cream — Raleigh, NC

☕️ Morning Times Coffee — Raleigh, NC

🥗 Irregardless Café — Raleigh, NC

Shaw University (North Carolina)

City: Raleigh, NC

🌳 Moore Square — Raleigh, NC

🎨 Marbles Kids Museum — Raleigh, NC

🦖 NC Museum of Natural Sciences — Raleigh, NC

🛝 Pullen Park — Raleigh, NC (rides & playground)

🎢 Adventure Landing — Raleigh, NC

🌿 Lake Wheeler Park — Raleigh, NC

🎳 Buffaloe Lanes — Raleigh, NC

☀️ Fayetteville Street — Raleigh, NC (murals, shops & live events)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Pit — Raleigh, NC

🍕 Oakwood Pizza Box — Raleigh, NC

🥞 Big Ed’s — Raleigh, NC

🌮 Centro — Raleigh, NC

🍗 Beasley’s Chicken + Honey — Raleigh, NC

🍦 Two Roosters Ice Cream — Raleigh, NC

☕️ Heirloom Coffee — Raleigh, NC

🥗 Raleigh Times Bar & Grill — Raleigh, NC

Virginia State University (Virginia)

City: Petersburg, VA

🌳 Pocahontas State Park — Chesterfield, VA (30 min — lake, splash pad & trails)

🎨 Siege Museum — Petersburg, VA

🦋 Pamplin Historical Park — Petersburg, VA

🎢 Swaders Sports Park — Colonial Heights, VA

🛝 Ironbridge Sports Park — Chester, VA

🌿 Petersburg National Battlefield — Petersburg, VA

🎳 Bowl America Southside — Midlothian, VA

☀️ Old Towne Petersburg — shops, murals & cafés — Petersburg, VA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Dixie Restaurant — Petersburg, VA

🍕 Luca Italian Restaurant — Petersburg, VA

🥞 Demolition Coffee — Petersburg, VA

🌮 El Caporal — Colonial Heights, VA

🍗 King’s BBQ — Petersburg, VA

🍦 Sweet Tooth — Colonial Heights, VA

☕️ Trapezium Brewing Co. — Petersburg, VA

🥗 Saucy’s BBQ — Petersburg, VA

Virginia Union University (Virginia)

City: Richmond, VA

🌳 Maymont Park — Richmond, VA (petting zoo & gardens)

🎨 Children’s Museum of Richmond — Richmond, VA

🦋 Science Museum of Virginia — Richmond, VA

🎢 Defy Richmond — Richmond, VA

🛝 Bryan Park — Richmond, VA

🌿 Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden — Richmond, VA

🎳 River City Roll — Richmond, VA

☀️ Carytown — shops, murals & ice cream — Richmond, VA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Galaxy Diner — Richmond, VA

🍕 Bottoms Up Pizza — Richmond, VA

🥞 821 Café — Richmond, VA

🌮 Casa del Barco — Richmond, VA

🍗 Mama J’s Kitchen — Richmond, VA

🍦 Gelati Celesti — Richmond, VA

☕️ Ironclad Coffee Roasters — Richmond, VA

🥗 The Daily Kitchen & Bar — Richmond, VA