Open data › Family day-out cost index
What admission costs two adults and two children (ages 8 and 12) at North Carolina attractions, museums, gardens, trails and state parks. We add up the prices each place publishes, before tax and fees. A price a place does not publish stays Not published, and no total is made for it.
Want to plan a whole day? Try the Day-Out Cost Calculator, which uses this same list.
Browse The Cost Index
Computed dataset. We worked these values out ourselves from: nc-attractions (admission text) and nc-places (day-use admission); family = 2 adults and 2 children aged 8 and 12. A value the source does not publish stays Not published and is never filled in.
| Name | Where | From | Adult | Age 8 | Age 12 | Family Of 4 | Status | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airborne & Special Operations Museum | Fayetteville, Cumberland | nc-attractions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Free |
| Battleship North Carolina | Wilmington, New Hanover | nc-attractions | $14 | $6 | $14 | $48 | Computed | Free |
| Biltmore Estate | Asheville, Buncombe | nc-attractions | $110 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Adult price only (child price not published) | Included with admission |
| Blue Ridge Parkway | Asheville, Buncombe | nc-attractions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not published |
| Cape Fear Botanical Garden | Fayetteville, Cumberland | nc-attractions | $12 | $7 | $7 | $38 | Computed | Free |
| Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Bodie Island Lighthouse | Nags Head / Manteo (headquarters), Dare | nc-attractions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not published |
| Carolina Raptor Center | Huntersville, Mecklenburg | nc-attractions | $16 | $12 | $12 | $56 | Computed | Free |
| Carowinds | Charlotte, Mecklenburg | nc-attractions | $45 | Not published | Not published | Not published | Adult price only (child price not published) | Not published |
| Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park | Chimney Rock, Rutherford | nc-attractions | $17 | $8 | $8 | $50 | Computed | Included with admission |
| Discovery Place Science | Charlotte, Mecklenburg | nc-attractions | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Fort Fisher State Historic Site | Kure Beach, New Hanover | nc-attractions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not published |
| Grandfather Mountain | Linville, Avery | nc-attractions | $25 | $13 | $13 | $76 | Computed | Included with admission |
| Great Smoky Mountains Railroad | Bryson City, Swain | nc-attractions | $63.72 | $47.52 | $47.52 | $222.48 | Computed | Paid |
| Greensboro Science Center | Greensboro, Guilford | nc-attractions | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Free |
| Linville Caverns | Marion, McDowell | nc-attractions | $15 | $13 | $13 | $56 | Computed | Not published |
| Marbles Kids Museum | Raleigh, Wake | nc-attractions | $9.50 | $9.50 | $9.50 | $38 | Computed | Paid |
| Museum of Life and Science | Durham, Durham | nc-attractions | $24 | $19 | $19 | $86 | Computed | Free |
| North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher | Kure Beach, New Hanover | nc-attractions | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores | Pine Knoll Shores, Carteret | nc-attractions | $15 | $13 | $13 | $56 | Computed | Free |
| North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island | Manteo, Dare | nc-attractions | $15 | $13 | $13 | $56 | Computed | Not published |
| North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences | Raleigh, Wake | nc-attractions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Paid |
| North Carolina Zoo | Asheboro, Randolph | nc-attractions | $20 | $16 | $16 | $72 | Computed | Free |
| Old Salem Museums & Gardens | Winston-Salem, Forsyth | nc-attractions | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Reynolda Gardens and Reynolda House Museum | Winston-Salem, Forsyth | nc-attractions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Free |
| Tryon Palace | New Bern, Craven | nc-attractions | $20 | $10 | $10 | $60 | Computed | Free |
| Tweetsie Railroad | Blowing Rock, Watauga | nc-attractions | $65 | $45 | $45 | $220 | Computed | Free |
| WNC Nature Center | Asheville, Buncombe | nc-attractions | Not published | $12.95 | $12.95 | Not published | Child price only (adult price not published) | Not published |
| Wright Brothers National Memorial | Kill Devil Hills, Dare | nc-attractions | $10 | $0 | $0 | $20 | Computed | Not published |
| Carolina Beach State Park | Carolina Beach, New Hanover | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Carvers Creek State Park | Spring Lake, Cumberland | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Chimney Rock State Park | Chimney Rock, Rutherford | nc-places | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Partly free (amount not published) | Not in source dataset |
| Cliffs of the Neuse State Park | Seven Springs, Wayne | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Crowders Mountain State Park | Kings Mountain, Gaston | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Dismal Swamp State Park | South Mills, Camden | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Elk Knob State Park | Todd, Watauga | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Eno River State Park | Durham, Durham | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Falls Lake State Recreation Area | Wake Forest, Wake | nc-places | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Partly free (amount not published) | Not in source dataset |
| Fort Fisher State Recreation Area | Kure Beach, New Hanover | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Fort Macon State Park | Atlantic Beach, Carteret | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Goose Creek State Park | Washington, Beaufort | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Gorges State Park | Sapphire, Transylvania | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Grandfather Mountain State Park | Banner Elk, Avery | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Hammocks Beach State Park | Swansboro, Onslow | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Hanging Rock State Park | Danbury, Stokes | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Haw River State Park | Browns Summit, Guilford | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Jockey's Ridge State Park | Nags Head, Dare | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Jones Lake State Park | Elizabethtown, Bladen | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Jordan Lake State Recreation Area | Apex, Chatham | nc-places | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Partly free (amount not published) | Not in source dataset |
| Kerr Lake State Recreation Area | Henderson, Vance | nc-places | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Partly free (amount not published) | Not in source dataset |
| Lake James State Park | Nebo, McDowell | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Lake Norman State Park | Troutman, Iredell | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Lake Waccamaw State Park | Lake Waccamaw, Columbus | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Lower Haw River State Natural Area | Pittsboro, Chatham | nc-places | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not in source dataset |
| Lumber River State Park | Orrum, Robeson | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Mayo River State Park | Mayodan, Rockingham | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Medoc Mountain State Park | Hollister, Halifax | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Merchants Millpond State Park | Gatesville, Gates | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Morrow Mountain State Park | Albemarle, Stanly | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Mount Jefferson State Natural Area | West Jefferson, Ashe | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Mount Mitchell State Park | Burnsville, Yancey | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| New River State Park | Laurel Springs, Ashe | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area | Hillsborough, Orange | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Pettigrew State Park | Creswell, Washington | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Pilot Mountain State Park | Pinnacle, Surry | nc-places | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not in source dataset |
| Raven Rock State Park | Lillington, Harnett | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Rendezvous Mountain | Purlear, Wilkes | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Singletary Lake State Park | Kelly, Bladen | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| South Mountains State Park | Connelly Springs, Burke | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Stone Mountain State Park | Roaring Gap, Alleghany | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve | Southern Pines, Moore | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
| William B. Umstead State Park | Raleigh, Wake | nc-places | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Free | Not in source dataset |
No rows match.
71 rows, last checked Oct 27, 2026. Files: CSV, JSON, JSON Schema, catalog. License CC BY 4.0.
How We Computed It
Family total = 2 × the adult price + the price for a child aged 8 + the price for a child aged 12. We read each price from the admission text in our attractions dataset and take the day-use fee from our state parks dataset. Where one price covers a range of ages, we use it for both children. Seasonal and peak-day prices differ, so the row says which price we used. Prices change and extras (tours, rides, parking) are not counted, so confirm on the place’s page before you go.
71 places, last checked Oct 27, 2026.
Computed admission cost of a day out for 2 adults and 2 children (ages 8 and 12) at North Carolina attractions, museums, gardens, trails and state parks, from the prices each place publishes. A price the place does not publish stays Not published and no total is made.
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Columns
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
name | Official name |
source_dataset | The dataset the row was computed from: nc-attractions or nc-places |
category | Category or park type from the source dataset |
city | City or town |
county | County |
region | Our editorial region (not an official designation) |
adult_price | Adult admission in US dollars (a number), blank when not published |
child_age_8_price | Admission for a child aged 8 in US dollars (a number), blank when not published |
child_age_12_price | Admission for a child aged 12 in US dollars (a number), blank when not published |
family_total | Computed: 2 x adult + child age 8 + child age 12, before tax and fees, in US dollars; blank unless every price is published |
cost_status | Computed, Free, Adult price only, Child price only, Partly free or Not published |
price_basis | Which published price each figure came from, as we read it |
parking | Free, Included with admission, Paid or Not published; Not in source dataset for state parks |
official_url | Official page the price was read from |
page_url | Our page for the place |
checked | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) the source row was read |
License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as: It's North Carolina (2026). North Carolina Family Day-Out Cost Index (Computed). https://itsnorthcarolina.com/data/nc-family-day-out-cost-index/.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a family day out cost in North Carolina?
It depends on the place: the filter bar sorts rows from Free to over $100 for a family of four. State parks charge nothing for day use at most units, while the biggest attractions cost the most.
Why is a total blank?
Because the place does not publish a price for an adult or a child in the text we read, or only publishes a starting price. We show the status instead of a guess.
Does this include tax and parking?
No. Totals are admission only, before tax and fees. The parking column says whether parking is free, included, paid or not published.
Sources
- Admission text: each place’s own site, through our attractions dataset.
- State park day-use fees: ncparks.gov, through our state parks dataset.
- Totals: computed by us as described above.
How we check: editorial standards, verification log, corrections.