We stayed here with our child and cat when we first moved to NC. The staff could not have been friendlier or more helpful. They really went out of their way to help us and answer any questions we had. The suite was clean, well-equipped, and worth the $$. Convenient location, close to restaurants and shops, with easy access to highways.

This is an updated, family-friendly hotel right on Wrightsville Beach. It's on the northern end where the beach is cleaner and less crowded. The rooms are all 2 room suites and have kitchens - great for families. Every room has an ocean view. There's a restaurant, as well as indoor and outdoor pools. It's a bit of a hike to the grocery store and restaurants, but, in my opinion, worth it to be on the northern end of the beach, away from the crowds and noise.

This is an awesome museum for young children. It has both indoor outdoor exhibits; I highly recommend visiting when the weather is nice enough to explore the outdoor part. It's clean and spread-out. Among many other things, there's a gigantic wooden play structure with bridges and tunnels, drums to beat, a caboose to run through, a sandbox with trucks, a dinosaur trail with fossil dig, a 10-minute train ride ($5 a person), animals, and a butterfly house. There's also a cafe with healthy options, as well as clean restrooms.

The indoor part is on 2 floors and full of exhibits. It's especially crowded on Wednesdays when Durham residents are free.

I highly recommend a membership, it more than pays for itself and members have the first opportunity to purchase tickets for the popular Santa Train. Parking is free and easy.