10 Hidden Gems In Fayetteville You Didn’t Know Existed
There are hidden gems in Fayetteville, NC that make the city a worthwhile place to live in or visit. In this article I’ll tell you about 8 local favorites and why it is that there considered a “hidden gem”.
Visit the Musuem
In the heart of downtown Fayetteville, NC stands the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. Admission to the museum is free and they offer a variety of antiques to observe. I personally have went to this museum as kid and it was one of the most interesting places I have ever seen. For this place to be in a city like Fayetteville is an honor for the residents like myself.
The museum is basically a self-guided tour in chronological order that talks about the history of the airborne and spec ops soldiers from 1940 to the present. The museum is a gem because it offers four-story tall theater and motion simulator ride.
Cape Fear River Trail
At the edge of the city there is the Cape Fear River Trail. The trail itself is a 5 mile hike with the parking lot at Clark Park and Jordan Soccer Complex
This is probably the most in touch with nature experience you will have with nature in Fayetteville. The trail is basically broken up into three parts: the park, the suburbs, the falls. It starts with the beginning at the popular campsite, Clark Park. Next the trail leads through the woods into multiple suburb areas. Last the trail goes into the woods where you can see very vivid waterfalls. There is no name for the falls amazingly but the falls that are met at the end of the trail makes this a hidden gem in Fayetteville.
Veterans Park
Fayetteville, NC is the home of one of the largest military bases in the nation. Ft. Bragg. With the base comes hundreds and hundreds of soldiers that chose to call Fayetteville their home. With soldiers comes history and Ft. Bragg and the Airforce and Special Operations Museum decided to pay homage to those fallen in battle, they made the Veterans Park.
The Veteran’s Park is a dedication to Veteran’s. It takes a trip thorough the lives of fallen combat and retired veterans before, during, and after service. All of the military branches are present in its history banks. To visitors that come and gone through Fayetteville, they have described it as a very emotional and profound experience being surrounded by all of that history.
Fascinate-U Children’s Museum
Near the local park located in downtown Fayetteville, stands the Fascinate-U Children’s Museum. For over 20 years the museum has given a chance for kids to explore children history through interacting and palying with each other.
The organization Fascinate U is a non-profit founded in 1994 that decided they wanted to make a hands-on museum for kids of all ages. Between all of the museums in the Cape Fear region, this one is the only science museum that teaches the kids about science education. I had personal experiences with this museum and I would recommend this spot to all visitors that want to give their children an opportunity to learn about science.
Segra Stadium
This is the youngest gem of Fayetteville with the stadium itself only being just a couple of years old. The stadium is home to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers who’s hosted by the Houston Astros. The big league ball game will be a force inf Fayetteville for the team has a 30 year lease.
The stadium has a bar named Healeys so that fans can have fun and drink along with the ball game. The only downside is the fact that parking could be better. However the are still ways the stadium makes up for parking with cheap food prices and a funny and friendly mascot nicknamed “Pecker”.
Cape Fear Regional Theatre
The Cape Fear Regional Theatre is another icon for Fayetteville, NC for its wonderful acting and good prices even giving local school the opportunity to have fun watching a play
The theatre is a three-story complex with 309-seats featuring actors, designers, writers from all around the country. The outreach programs serves over 42,000 audience members from all ages and backgrounds and it doesn’t hesitate to reach broader audiences. Through sales and community support, this theatre is still a favorite visiting place in Fayetteville, NC.
Monkey Joes
Monkey Joes is the more kid friendly version of Chuck E. Cheese with its balloon inflated playgrounds and quality food. This site is the second youngest attraction in Fayetteville being just five years younger than the Segra Stadium.
The attraction is very kid friendly and well monitored for safety reasons. A note for all visitors is that the kids need to wear socks at all times and adults need to sign waivers. I had personal experience with the place. It was fairly big for a strip space and it was more fun that I had expected. The food was great and birthdays were held on a regular basis. For visitors that want a quick fun Monkey Joes is the place to be.
Cumberland County Library
The library usually seems like a boring place to be right? The thing about this library is that this is the headquarters for all of the libraries in Cumberland County.
There are so many resources that can be used in the library from renting out language guides to even scheduling learning events. This is a place, I would usually go to if there is a book I wanted that is not available online. You can check out large print books, DVD’s, book bundles, and you can also download audio books. The organization of the library is very neat and very tidy so finding a particular piece is as simple as grabbing it off of a shelf. This library is a hidden gem to the residents because it is open to the public and it offers safety and comfort for the residents to interact with one another.
