A Spring Break Guide to Raleigh

Spring break is often a time for travel or a trip home, but simply taking the week to unwind and relax right here on campus without the hustle and bustle of classes and other activities is also a great way to spend that much-deserved week off. 

When NC State’s spring break kicks off on March 11, there’s plenty to do right here in Raleigh if you plan on staying local until classes resume on March 18. 

Grab a Bite

First and foremost, you’ve gotta eat, right? Fortunately, campus dining still offers a range of options throughout spring break, including dining halls, food courts and more. 

University Towers Dining Hall will be open the entire break, and Fountain and Clark will operate as follows:

From March 10 -14, Clark will be open between 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., while Fountain will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 15 and 16. Fountain will resume normal hours March 17.

Several options in Talley Student Union will be open, as well as Common Grounds at Hill Library, Gravity at Wolf Ridge, Social Fabric at Textiles and the Terrace at the Lonnie Poole Golf Course. For a complete list, check dining.ncsu.edu/locations.

Hit up Hillsborough Street

Of course, spring break is a great time to try a new restaurant, and there are plenty of options on nearby Hillsborough Street, including long-time NC State favorites such as Global Village Coffee, Gumby’s Pizza, Slice of New York Pizza, Coco Bongo, Mitch’s Tavern, Players’ Retreat and more. 

Throughout the week, Live it Up! Hillsborough Street will be running a mobile scavenger hunt, in which participants will have an opportunity to earn points towards Hillsborough Street E-dollars gift cards that can be used at various businesses along Hillsborough Street. 

The scavenger hunt will run through the Eventzee app, and will require participants to find certain “buzzwords” in the windows of various businesses and submit them to earn points, taking photos at businesses and submitting them or answering quiz questions.

“We do know that a lot of students stay in the area for spring break,” said Autumn Self, Live it Up!’s events and engagement associate. “We want to try to give them something to do, whether they’re first-years trying to still get to know the area or they’ve been here a while and haven’t seen some of the new additions. We’re really just trying to get our street out there and let the students and community know all of the things we have to offer.” 

Get Active With Wellness and Recreation

The free time provided by spring break is a great time to explore the many benefits of physical exercise, and fortunately there are many free options for students right here on campus. 

Wellness and Recreation’s gyms will be open throughout spring break, and are free for students to utilize, with the following adjusted hours. 

Need help getting started? Wellness and Recreation will have both fitness classes and wellness coaching available during spring break. 

Prefer to get moving outside? Centennial Campus’ Lake Raleigh offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking and mountain biking trails, fishing, boating and disc golf. Dix Park offers yoga, trails, picnic areas and more.You can also explore the Capital Area Greenway System of over 100 miles of trails to walk, hike and bike.

Visit the Gregg Museum 

If you’re the artsy type, or want to check out an art museum for the first time, a free visit to the Gregg Museum of Art & Design is a perfect spring break activity. 

The museum will be open during its normal hours throughout spring break: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.

Three exhibitions are currently open. “Leading by Design” celebrates the 75th anniversary of the NC State College of Design. “Selections from the Collections” features a sampling of the many different kinds of objects in the Gregg collection. “The Art of John Mark Hall” is an exhibition of photographs drawn from some of Hall’s favorite works. 

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

It’s always a great time to show your Wolfpack pride and support the university’s athletic teams, and baseball and softball have several home games during spring break, so grab your friends, head out to Doak Field or Dail Softball Stadium, enjoy a favorite item from the concession stand and watch the Pack hit the diamond. 

Student tickets are free for all sporting events, simply swipe your student ID to get in the gate. A full schedule of athletic events can be found here. 

The ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament will also run during spring break, so it’s a great time to head to a favorite NC State establishment such as Amedeo’s, Players Retreat or Sammy’s Tap and Grill and take in a long-standing North Carolina sports tradition. 

Explore Raleigh 

Spring break is also a great time to get off campus for a bit and enjoy the city. The North Carolina Museum of Art–including Museum Park brimming with nature and art–and Downtown Raleigh are both conveniently close to campus. 

Downtown offers plenty of fun options such as the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and History Museum, various shops and restaurants and more. 

For ideas about exploring the city, head to Visit Raleigh’s event calendar or things to do page.