Close your eyes and imagine a city set among acres of hardwood and evergreen forests, hills and dales, serene lakes, meandering rivers and streams, and you will have an accurate picture of Durham, North Carolina. Durham is the fourth largest city in the state, and is located about halfway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the pristine beaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Visitors have found this congenial town to be filled with a wonderful spirit. Both residents and visitors enjoy the host of cultural, historical, educational, and natural amenities that it has to offer.

Durham, North Carolina is also known as the City of Medicine for its medical and research center at Duke University, one of the top schools in the nation. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill are the three cities that make up the area know as the Research Triangle. Research Triangle Park (RTP) is a public/private, planned research park, created in 1959 by leaders from business, academia and industry. The name originated from the Park's relationship with three major research universities: Duke University in Durham, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The Triangle now refers to a six-county metropolitan statistical area and a 13 county state planning region.

If you are wondering what to do during your trip to Durham, visiting adults and children enjoy the highly acclaimed, entirely hands-on Museum of Life and Science. Durham has many historic sites from which to choose, such as Bennett Place (where the Civil War ended) or Stagville (the largest plantation in North Carolina with the original big house, slave quarters and a monumental barn still standing). Explore the miles of nature trails along the Eno River, or take a restful stroll through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. At night, you may want to enjoy a live performance at Duke University or at the beautifully restored Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham.

No trip to Durham would be complete without visiting Duke University. The highlight of this showplace is the Duke Chapel, reminiscent of England's Canterbury Cathedral. The bell tower rises 210 feet and houses a 50-bell carillon that rings out at the end of each workday and on Sunday. A half-million-dollar Flentrop organ with more than 5,000 pipes is in a special oak gallery, and renowned organists perform public recitals on the first Sunday of each month. During a visit to the West Campus take a look at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the home of the Duke Blue Devils basketball team since 1935.

Thousands of locals and tourists fill the stands each summer as the Durham Bulls play a full season in the Class A Carolina League as an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The Bulls shot to fame on the shoulders of Kevin Costner catching for hotshot rookie pitcher Tim Robbins in the 1988 movie “Bull Durham”. if you're in town for a game, don't expect to see the wonderful old-time ballpark where the film was actually shot, however. In 1995, the Bulls abandoned the old ballpark for snazzy new digs on Magnum Street.

Throughout the year, the city of Durham is jumping with festivals and events. From free music concerts and chili cook-offs to fireworks and film festivals, visitors to the Durham area will find both their days and nights filled with entertainment.