Campbell University (Buies Creek, NC)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Cape Fear River Trail Park — Lillington, NC

🎢 Gregory Vineyards (lake & family events) — Angier, NC

🎨 Dunn Area History Museum — Dunn, NC

🌊 Kiwanis Park — Dunn, NC

🐠 Aloha Safari Park (drive-through zoo & rescued animals) — Cameron, NC (~25 minutes)

🦖 Averasboro Battlefield Museum — Dunn, NC

🐊 Cape Fear River Adventures (kayak & tubing rentals) — Lillington, NC

🌿 Anderson Creek County Park — Spring Lake, NC

🎡 Fuquay Mineral Spring Park — Fuquay-Varina, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Heath’s Steakhouse — Dunn, NC

🍕 Pizza House — Lillington, NC

🍦 Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt — Dunn, NC

🍔 Fainting Goat Brewing Co. (family-friendly outdoor space) — Fuquay-Varina, NC

🍩 Burney’s Sweets & More — Dunn, NC

College of Charleston (Charleston, SC)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🐾 South Carolina Aquarium — Charleston, SC

🎨 Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry — Charleston, SC

🌳 Waterfront Park — Charleston, SC

🎢 Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark — North Charleston, SC

🎠 Folly Beach County Park — Folly Beach, SC

🐊 Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum — Mount Pleasant, SC

🦋 Magnolia Plantation & Gardens (petting zoo & nature train) — Charleston, SC

☀️ Sullivan’s Island Beach — Sullivan’s Island, SC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Poe’s Tavern — Sullivan’s Island, SC

🍕 Famulari’s Pizzeria — Charleston, SC

🥞 Millers All Day — Charleston, SC

🌮 Taco Boy — Charleston, SC

🍗 Fleet Landing — Charleston, SC

🍦 Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream — Charleston, SC

☕️ Second State Coffee — Charleston, SC

🥗 The Daily — Charleston, SC

🍔 Home Team BBQ — Charleston, SC

🍩 Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts — Charleston, SC

Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Please Touch Museum — Philadelphia, PA

🐾 Philadelphia Zoo — Philadelphia, PA

🎨 Franklin Institute — Philadelphia, PA

🌳 Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk — Philadelphia, PA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Shake Shack — University City, PA

🍕 Blaze Pizza — Philadelphia, PA

🍦 Franklin Fountain — Philadelphia, PA

Elon University (Elon, NC)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Burlington City Park & Carousel — Burlington, NC

🎨 Children’s Museum of Alamance County — Graham, NC

🎢 Alamance Battleground Historic Site — Burlington, NC

🌊 Cedarock Park — Burlington, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Simply Thai — Elon, NC

🍕 The Root — Burlington, NC

🍦 Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream — Burlington, NC

Hampton University (Hampton, VA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Virginia Air & Space Science Center — Hampton, VA

🌊 Buckroe Beach & Park — Hampton, VA

🎢 Bluebird Gap Farm — Hampton, VA

🎨 Mariners’ Museum — Newport News, VA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Surf Rider Restaurant — Hampton, VA

🍕 Venture Kitchen & Bar — Hampton, VA

🍦 Rita’s Italian Ice — Hampton, VA

🍩Glazed Doughnuts– Hampton, VA

Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Eisenhower Park — East Meadow, NY

🦖 Long Island Children’s Museum — Garden City, NY

🎨 Cradle of Aviation Museum — Garden City, NY

🚂 Nassau County Firefighters Museum — Garden City, NY

🐠 Center for Science Teaching & Learning — Rockville Centre, NY

🛝 Laser Bounce Family Fun Center — Levittown, NY

🎭 Madison Theatre at Molloy University — Rockville Centre, NY

🌿 Old Westbury Gardens — Old Westbury, NY

🎡 Wantagh Park — Wantagh, NY

🐊 Queens County Farm Museum — Floral Park, NY

🎳 Bowlero Mineola — Mineola, NY

🦓 White Post Farms — Melville, NY

🎠 Adventureland Amusement Park — Farmingdale, NY

🚴‍♀️ Jones Beach Boardwalk — Wantagh, NY

☀️ Lido Beach Town Park — Lido Beach, NY

🌆 Long Beach Boardwalk — Long Beach, NY

Family Friendly Eats:

🍔 Croxley’s Ale House — Franklin Square, NY

🍕 Vincent’s Clam Bar — Carle Place, NY

🥞 Morning Rose Café — Bellmore, NY

🌮 Churrasco Grill — Garden City, NY

🍗 Smokin’ Al’s BBQ — Massapequa, NY

🍦 Marvel Frozen Dairy — Lido Beach, NY

☕️ Café Aroma — West Hempstead, NY

🥗 Thomas’s Ham & Eggery — Carle Place, NY

🍔 The Cheesecake Factory — Westbury, NY

🍩 Doughology — Rockville Centre, NY

Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌊 Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park — Long Branch, NJ

🎨 Silverball Retro Arcade — Asbury Park, NJ

🌳 Thompson Park — Lincroft, NJ

🎢 Runaway Rapids Waterpark — Keansburg, NJ

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Turning Point — Long Branch, NJ

🍕 Talula’s — Asbury Park, NJ

🍦 Coney Waffle — Belmar, NJ

North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, NC)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🦓 Greensboro Science Center — Greensboro, NC

🌳 Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden — Greensboro, NC

🎨 Greensboro Children’s Museum — Greensboro, NC

🛝 The Outdoor Play Plaza at Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum - Greensboro, NC

🚂 Greensboro History Museum — Greensboro, NC

🎢 Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe — Greensboro, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍗 Dame’s Chicken & Waffles — Greensboro, NC

🍔 Hops Burger Bar — Greensboro, NC

🥞 Scrambled Southern Diner — Greensboro, NC

🍕 Sticks & Stones — Greensboro, NC

🍦 Ice Cream Factory — Greensboro, NC

Northeastern University (Boston, MA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Boston Common & Frog Pond — Boston, MA

🎨 Museum of Fine Arts (right next to campus!) — Boston, MA

🦖 Museum of Science — Boston, MA

🐠 New England Aquarium — Boston, MA

🎭 Boston Children’s Theatre — Boston, MA

🛝 LEGOLAND Discovery Center — Somerville, MA

🎢 Sky Zone Trampoline Park — Everett, MA

🧗‍♀️ Rock Spot Climbing — South Boston, MA

🚴‍♀️ Charles River Esplanade (bike path, playgrounds & splash pad) — Boston, MA

🎡 The Lawn on D (giant swings & outdoor games) — Boston, MA

🌿 Arnold Arboretum — Jamaica Plain, MA

🚂 Franklin Park Zoo — Boston, MA

🎨 Boston Children’s Museum — Boston, MA

🎳 Kings Dining & Entertainment — Seaport District, Boston, MA

🦋 Harvard Museum of Natural History — Cambridge, MA

🐊 Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary — Lincoln, MA (~30 minutes)

🎠 Castle Island Park (playground, beach, and harbor views) — South Boston, MA

🌆 Freedom Trail (historic walk through downtown) — Boston, MA

🦓 Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park — Boston, MA

☀️ Rose Kennedy Greenway (splash pad & carousel) — Boston, MA

Kid Friendly Eats:

🍔 Tasty Burger — Boston, MA

🍕 Regina Pizzeria — Boston, MA

🥞 The Friendly Toast — Cambridge, MA

🌮 Anna’s Taqueria — Boston, MA

🍗 Sweet Cheeks Q — Boston, MA

🍦 J.P. Licks — Back Bay, MA

☕️ Tatte Bakery & Café — Boston, MA

🥗 Life Alive Organic Café — Boston, MA

🍔 Shake Shack — Boston, MA

🍩 Union Square Donuts — Somerville, MA

Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Avalon Park & Preserve — Stony Brook, NY

🧠 Long Island Explorium — Port Jefferson, NY

🎢 Country Fair Park — Medford, NY

🎨 Long Island Museum — Stony Brook, NY

☀️ West Meadow Beach — Stony Brook, NY

🌆 Port Jefferson Harborfront Park — Port Jefferson, NY

🛝 Safari Adventure Indoor Playground — Riverhead, NY (~30 min)

🐠 Long Island Aquarium — Riverhead, NY (~30 min)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 Via Roma Pizza Bar — Stony Brook, NY

🍦 Port Jefferson Ice Cream Café — Port Jefferson, NY

🍔 The Bench Bar & Grill — Stony Brook, NY

🍕 Luigi’s Pizzeria — Stony Brook, NY

🥞 Sweet Mama’s — Stony Brook, NY

🌮 Salsa Salsa — Port Jefferson, NY

🍗 Jackson’s Landing — Stony Brook, NY

🍦 Crazy Beans Café — Stony Brook, NY

☕️ Village Coffee Market — Stony Brook, NY

🥗 Country House Restaurant — Stony Brook, NY

🍔 Smashburger — Lake Grove, NY

🍩 Duck Donuts — East Setauket, NY

Towson University (Towson, MD)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Cromwell Valley Park (trails, nature center, & farm animals) — Parkville, MD

🎨 The Fire Museum of Maryland — Lutherville-Timonium, MD

🦖 Maryland Science Center — Baltimore, MD

🐠 National Aquarium — Baltimore, MD

🎭 The Senator Theatre (classic family movies) — Baltimore, MD

🛝 Sky Zone Trampoline Park — Timonium, MD

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — White Marsh, MD

🧗‍♀️ Earth Treks Climbing Center — Timonium, MD

🚂 B&O Railroad Museum — Baltimore, MD

🌿 Cylburn Arboretum — Baltimore, MD

🎡 The Avenue at White Marsh (shopping, playground, & events) — White Marsh, MD

🦋 Ladew Topiary Gardens — Monkton, MD

🐊 Patterson Park (playgrounds, pond, & Pagoda overlook) — Baltimore, MD

🚴‍♀️ Gunpowder Falls State Park — Kingsville, MD

🎳 AMF Towson Lanes — Towson, MD

🎨 Port Discovery Children’s Museum — Baltimore, MD

🦓 Maryland Zoo — Baltimore, MD

🎠 Inner Harbor (waterfront attractions & boat rides) — Baltimore, MD

☀️ Loch Raven Reservoir — Towson, MD

🌆 Sherwood Gardens (tulips in spring!) — Baltimore, MD

Family Eats:

🍔 Towson Hot Bagels (THB) — Towson, MD

🍕 Pasta Mista — Towson, MD

🥞 BlueMoon Too Café — Baltimore, MD

🌮 Nacho Mama’s — Towson, MD

🍗 The Melting Pot — Towson, MD

🍦 The Charmery — Towson, MD

☕️ Cunningham’s Café & Bakery — Towson, MD

🥗 Zia’s Café — Towson, MD

🍔 BurgerFi — Towson, MD

🍩 Diablo Doughnuts — Baltimore, MD

UNC Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌊 Wrightsville Beach — Wilmington, NC

🧠 Children’s Museum of Wilmington — Wilmington, NC

🚢 Battleship NC – Wilmington, NC

🎨 Airlie Gardens — Wilmington, NC

🎢 Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park — Wilmington, NC

🛍️ Mayfair Shopping Center – Wilmington, NC

🥕 Biggers Market – Wilmington, NC

☕ Happy House ILM– Wilmington, NC

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Poe’s Tavern — Wrightsville Beach, NC

🍕 Slice of Life Pizzeria — Wilmington, NC

🌊 Oceanic – Wrightsville Beach, NC

🌮 Islands Mexican Grill (Ogden) – Wilmington, NC

🍦 Boombalatti’s Homemade Ice Cream — Wilmington, NC

🍚  Okami Japanese Steakhouse — Wilmington, NC

🎮 Dave and Buster’s — Wilmington, NC

William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎢 Busch Gardens Williamsburg — Williamsburg, VA

🎨 Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area — Williamsburg, VA

🧠 Virginia Living Museum — Newport News, VA

🌳 Waller Mill Park — Williamsburg, VA

🛝 Bounce House — Williamsburg, VA

💡 Ripley's Believe It or Not! Williamsburg — Williamsburg, VA

🏊 Great Wolf Lodge — Williamsburg, VA

☠️ Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf— Williamsburg, VA

🪻 Sweet Haven Lavender Farm — Williamsburg, VA

🧸 Build-a-Bear, Williamsburg, VA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Food for Thought — Williamsburg, VA

🍕 Sal’s by Victor — Williamsburg, VA

🥓 Old City BBQ — Williamsburg, VA

🥞 Colonial Pancake House— Williamsburg, VA

🍤 The Whaling Company — Williamsburg, VA

🍺 Precarious Beer Project– Williamsburg, VA

🍦 Kilwins — Williamsburg, VA