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36 Hours

36 Hours in Durham, N.C.

By [9]Ingrid K. WilliamsUpdated Nov. 2, 2023

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A birds-eye view over a quiet city street during the daytime. The treetops vary
from green to orange to red.
[13]36 Hours
Durham, N.C.
Jump to:
[14]Recommendations
[15]Itinerary
[16]Google Map
By Ingrid K. Williams Photographs by Kate Medley for The New York Times
Nov. 2, 2023
Ingrid K. Williams is a regular contributor to the Travel section and a former
Durham resident who has reported on North Carolina since 2010.

The evolution of Durham from a faded tobacco town to a diverse cultural and
culinary destination has been years in the making. But the ongoing development
of this central North Carolina city seems to have reached a new stage. The
resurgent downtown area — long a transitional neighborhood with pockets of
progress — is now brimming with new restaurants, boutiques, bars and breweries.
And while construction continues apace amid the historic [17]brick warehouses, 
[18]tobacco factories and [19]textile mills — for [20]good and [21]ill —
visitors today have reason to venture farther afield, to emerging hotspots in
East Durham and the Old Five Points neighborhood. This season, only the
brilliant fall foliage can compete with all the terrific food, drink and local
color there is to discover across Dur’m, as residents affectionately call the
dynamic Bull City.

Recommendations

Key stops

  • The [22]Nasher Museum of Art, on Duke University's Central Campus, presents
    rotating exhibitions, including a current exhibition curated by ChatGPT.
  • [23]Saltbox Seafood Joint serves fresh, seasonal seafood caught off the
    North Carolina coast, along with honey-drizzled hush puppies.
  • [24]Mystic Farm & Distillery is a 22-acre bourbon distillery that offers
    weekend tours and free tastings of the label’s full range of spirits.
  • [25]The Velvet Hippo is a lively new bar serving fruity slushies and
    creative cocktails on a rooftop downtown.

Attractions and outdoor activities

  • At the [26]Sarah P. Duke Gardens, five miles of pathways wind past
    magnolias, blooming roses and a lake framed by vibrant foliage in the fall.
  • [27]Bennett Place is a Civil War site, with a small on-site museum, where
    Union and Confederate generals negotiated the war’s largest troop surrender
    in the home of a local family.
  • At [28]Eno River State Park and in [29]West Point on the Eno, a city park
    five miles north of downtown, there are dozens of trails to choose from.

Restaurants and bars

  • [30]Ponysaurus Brewing Co. is a downtown craft brewery with crackling fire
    pits in a leafy garden strung with lights.
  • [31]Ideal’s is a sandwich shop in East Durham with lines out the door at
    lunchtime.
  • [32]Mike D’s BBQ, also in East Durham, is a new barbecue joint serving
    brisket and smoked beans.
  • [33]Little Bull is a new restaurant in the Old Five Points neighborhood
    that serves dumplings stuffed with goat birria in a bowl of rich consomé.
  • [34]Motorco Music Hall is a concert venue that also hosts dance parties.
  • [35]Corpse Reviver is a cocktail bar in a former coffin shop.
  • [36]Monuts is a bustling Ninth Street bakery and cafe that began as a
    tricycle vendor peddling doughnuts at the Durham Farmers’ Market.
  • [37]Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and Sweets is a former meat market and sweets
    shop that evolved into a casual East Asian-inspired eatery.

Shopping

  • [38]Durham Vintage Collective is a new and inviting second-hand shop
    downtown.
  • [39]Chet Miller is a well-stocked gift shop with Durham-themed throw
    pillows, small-press travel guides, cookbooks from local chefs and jigsaw
    puzzles.
  • [40]EUtopia Design opened downtown last year and sells Polish glassware and
    handcrafted ceramics.
  • [41]Ella West Gallery is a sunny space that opened in August showcasing
    contemporary art.
  • [42]Carolina Soul Records and [43]Bull City Records are two spots to browse
    vinyl on Main Street.

Where to stay

  • For a small city, Durham has an impressive selection of cool hotels. Most
    notable is [44]the Durham, a 53-room boutique property in a landmark
    building with midcentury modern architecture, mod décor and a scenic
    rooftop bar. Double rooms from around $240.
  • [45]Unscripted Durham opened in the former Jack Tar Motel, another 1960s
    property that is now home to 74 modern guest rooms and a rooftop pool.
    Doubles from $189.
  • [46]21c Museum Hotel is a more contemporary option downtown with 125 rooms,
    an art-filled restaurant and an on-site art gallery. Doubles from $189.
  • Look for a short-term rental in Trinity Park, a leafy residential district
    between downtown and Duke University’s East Campus, a short walk from many
    restaurants, bars, breweries and music venues.

Getting around

  • Downtown Durham is walkable but you’ll need a car to reach locations
    farther afield. If you don’t have your own, there are ride-share options,
    including Uber and Lyft. [47]Buses also run throughout the city (and are
    free through June 2024).

Itinerary

Friday

A square, beige-brick building with a colorful banner that reads:
Nasher Museum of Art
3:30 p.m. Visit a campus museum
Anyone concerned that artificial intelligence will eventually do their job may
be put at ease by the new exhibition at Duke University’s [48]Nasher Museum of
Art, “Act as if You Are a Curator,” which was organized not by museum staff but
by ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot (through Jan. 14; free admission). The
eclectic A.I.-generated exhibition spans Mesoamerican stone figures and
Salvador Dalí works selected from the museum’s nearly 14,000-piece collection,
though many were mislabeled by the chatbot (as noted by a flesh-and-blood
curator). More cohesive is the moving — and human-curated — exhibition of
photographs and collage installations from the artist Lyle Ashton Harris
(through Jan. 7). While on campus, stroll through the nearby [49]Sarah P. Duke
Gardens, where five miles of serene pathways wind past magnolias, blooming
roses and a lake reflecting autumnal colors.
A square, beige-brick building with a colorful banner that reads:
Nasher Museum of Art
Two people sit at a wooden table with plastic orange seats. They are looking at
two chalkboard menus advertising seafood options above an open kitchen. An
orange life preserver hangs on the wall between the two chalkboard menus.
Saltbox Seafood Joint
6 p.m. Feast on Carolina seafood
Fresh, seasonal seafood caught off the North Carolina coast is the simple,
winning formula at [50]Saltbox Seafood Joint, a restaurant owned by the chef
Ricky Moore, who earned the 2022 James Beard Award for the best chef in the
Southeast. What began as a tiny takeaway shack in the Old Five Points
neighborhood is now a spacious, but still frill-free, sit-down locale on
Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard. Luckily, the menu hasn’t changed much: You can
still get heaping plates of fried oysters, blue crab, mullet and clams with
generous portions of fried potatoes and collard greens. My go-to is the fried
catfish sandwich topped with citrusy red-cabbage slaw ($14) and a side of
Hush-Honeys, the chef’s trademarked take on cornmeal fritters drizzled with
honey ($4).
Two people sit at a wooden table with plastic orange seats. They are looking at
two chalkboard menus advertising seafood options above an open kitchen. An
orange life preserver hangs on the wall between the two chalkboard menus.
Saltbox Seafood Joint
8:30 p.m. Try a local beer by the firepit
The competition is growing among the many craft breweries downtown, where
out-of-town brewers — like Asheville’s [51]Dssolvr and [52]Hi-Wire Brewing —
have opened Durham taprooms in an area that’s already home to longtime local
favorites like [53]Fullsteam Brewery and the [54]Durty Bull Brewing Company.
But on a crisp fall evening, the most atmospheric place for a locally brewed
pint is easily [55]Ponysaurus Brewing Co., an independent craft brewery with
crackling fire pits in a leafy garden strung with lights. Try the
tangerine-tinged Golden Rule Saison ($6) and a scoop of the house snack mixes,
like the pretzel-and-peanutty Bartender’s Blend ($1).
A view of a white water tower rising against a blue sky. A logo on the tower
reads:
Durham’s downtown brims with new restaurants, boutiques and breweries amid
historic brick warehouses, tobacco factories and textile mills.

Saturday

The interior of an old-fashioned room with wooden floors, wooden walls and a
wooden ceiling. It is sparsely furnished, with two wooden chairs and a wooden
chest. Sunlight comes into the room from a window.
Bennett Place
9:30 a.m. Take a history lesson
Swing by [56]Monuts, a Ninth Street bakery and cafe, to pick up a
cinnamon-and-molasses-glazed pumpkin-spice doughnut ($2.50) and Hot Apple
Chai-der, a steaming blend of apple cider and chai tea ($5.50), before heading
out west for a dive into North Carolina history. Beyond Civil War scholars, few
are likely to recall what transpired at [57]Bennett Place, a historic farmstead
about six miles northwest of downtown. One of the few Civil War sites not
associated with battle, this out-of-the-way landmark is where the Union general
William T. Sherman and the Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston negotiated
the largest troop surrender of the war — nearly 90,000 soldiers from the
Carolinas, Georgia and Florida — inside the home of a local family in 1865.
Begin a visit in the small museum, where a short video explains the site’s
significance, then head across the lawn to tour the reconstructed farmhouse and
surrounding outbuildings where the generals hashed out the terms (free
admission).
The interior of an old-fashioned room with wooden floors, wooden walls and a
wooden ceiling. It is sparsely furnished, with two wooden chairs and a wooden
chest. Sunlight comes into the room from a window.
Bennett Place
12 p.m. Seek sandwiches in the east
A former food desert, East Durham has emerged as a lunchtime destination for
hungry diners from across the city. You’ll know you’ve found [58]Ideal’s, a
sandwich shop that opened in 2021, by the line snaking down the sidewalk (don’t
worry, it moves quickly). Here, freshly baked rolls — sesame-crusted hoagies
and rosemary focaccia — are the foundation for superb deli sandwiches. Best is
the Philly-style roast pork with provolone and garlicky broccoli rabe ($8.50
for a half-hoagie) and the thick-cut garlic-and-onion potato chips ($1.75).
Another notable newcomer is [59]Mike D’s BBQ, a barbecue joint that opened
nearby in July. Go there for a brisket sandwich doused with the signature
smoky-sweet sauce ($10), a side of smoked beans ($5) and sweet tea ($4).
Rows of barrels that have the word
Mystic Farm & Distillery
2 p.m. Sip North Carolina bourbon
Whatever your preferred spirit, there’s likely someone in Durham distilling it.
Small-production craft booze — from [60]mead and [61]cider to [62]gin and [63]
rye — have exploded in popularity recently, and one producer worth seeking out
is [64]Mystic Farm & Distillery, about six miles east of downtown. Drop in at
this bucolic 22-acre bourbon distillery for a free tasting of the full range of
spirits, including the award-winning Broken Oak bourbon and a smooth
cacao-finished version made with cacao nibs from Raleigh’s [65]Videri Chocolate
Factory. Small group tours are also offered on weekends ($20; reserve in
advance).
Rows of barrels that have the word
Mystic Farm & Distillery
4 p.m. Flip through records and second-hand finds
Supporting local businesses is a point of pride in this fiercely loyal city, as
evidenced by the growing number of small independent shops downtown. Start on
West Parrish Street at the [66]Durham Vintage Collective, an inviting
second-hand boutique that opened in July, where you might find plaid
miniskirts, leather jackets or a framed Jean-Michel Basquiat lithograph. Across
the street, explore [67]Chet Miller, a well-stocked gift shop with
Durham-themed throw pillows, small-press travel guides, cookbooks from local
chefs and game-night jigsaw puzzles. Right next door, [68]EUtopia Design opened
last year selling exquisite Polish glassware and handcrafted ceramics. Scope
out the latest color-splashed exhibition at [69]Ella West Gallery, a sunny
space that opened in August showcasing contemporary art from Black, female and
other diverse and underrepresented artists. Then continue to East Main Street
to browse vinyl albums of jazz, soul, rock and bluegrass at [70]Carolina Soul
Records and at the new location of [71]Bull City Records across the street.
A glass dish with sliced fish that is garnished with flowers.
Little Bull
7 p.m. Dine on fresh Mexican-American flavors
Downtown Durham is packed with great restaurants, but head a bit north to the
Old Five Points neighborhood where the city’s latest hotspot, [72]Little Bull,
opened on a quiet block in June. The chef Oscar Diaz, already well-known in
Raleigh for his Mexican-American cuisine, again tapped his heritage when
creating the playful menu. Highlights of a recent meal included crudo with
North Carolina tuna, aguachile, wasabi and flying-fish roe ($18), plantain
empanadas ($16) and soft dumplings stuffed with goat birria in a bowl of rich
consomé ($16). Stick to the small plates as portions are generous, and save
room for dessert: The churro balls with chocolate sauce ($9) are divine.
A glass dish with sliced fish that is garnished with flowers.
Little Bull
A person with a tattooed arm holds a drink in a martini glass. A skewer with
three stuffed green olives rests on top of the glass.
Corpse Reviver
9 p.m. Sip martinis in a former coffin shop
At the end of 2022, the city designated most of downtown a social district
called [73]the Bullpen, where folks are permitted to walk around with alcoholic
beverages purchased in the area. So if the bar is packed at [74]the Velvet
Hippo, a lively rooftop lounge that opened in August serving fruity slushies
and creative cocktails, you can take that frozen Hawaiian Rum Punch ($13) to go
and stroll over to [75]Motorco Music Hall, a concert venue that also hosts
dance parties, like a recent Taylor Fest for local Swifties. Or continue to 
[76]Corpse Reviver, a cocktail bar associated with the [77]Durham Distillery,
which opened in 2020 in a former coffin shop and serves dirty martinis
garnished with bacon-and-blue-cheese-stuffed olives ($15).
A person with a tattooed arm holds a drink in a martini glass. A skewer with
three stuffed green olives rests on top of the glass.
Corpse Reviver
[02-36HOURS-DURHAM-west-point-cvkl-mobileMasterAt3x-v2]
The West Point Mill along the Eno River. Follow the yellow trail markers from
the mill to reach Sennett’s Hole, a popular summertime swimming spot.

Sunday

[02-36HOURS-DURHAM-eno-ghvw-mobileMasterAt3x]
Eno River State Park
9 a.m. Hike along the river
Catch the season at its most colorful along the Eno River, where there are
dozens of trails to choose from in the [78]Eno River State Park and in [79]West
Point on the Eno, a city park five miles north of downtown that is anchored by
the historic West Point Mill. One scenic route begins at the mill, then climbs
through the forest along the river (follow the yellow trail markers). After
about 20 minutes, hop across the rocks crossing a shallow tributary to reach
Sennett’s Hole, a natural pool — and popular summertime swimming spot — with
small waterfalls and turtles warming themselves on the rocks on sunny days.
[02-36HOURS-DURHAM-eno-ghvw-mobileMasterAt3x]
Eno River State Park
11 a.m. Slurp some noodles
Refuel after a hike with brunch at [80]Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings and Sweets, a
former meat market and sweets shop near Brightleaf Square that evolved into a
casual East Asian-inspired eatery serving fragrant bowls of beef pho ($17) and
Thai rice soup ($14). The selection of cakes, cookies and pastries is
impressive, but best are the ice-cream sandwiches that easily serve two — my
favorite is the white miso flavor between chewy gingersnaps ($7).
Read Comments
Correction: 
Nov. 2, 2023

An earlier version of this article misstated the days that Monuts, a bakery and
cafe, is open on the weekend. It is open on Saturdays, not Sundays.

Read 164 Comments

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