National champions. Hall of fame coaches. The first-ever interracial basketball game. Durham sports history is rich and replete with competitors used to winning big; especially our nationally recognized sports and community champion, the Durham Sports Commission.
Whether baseball, basketball, track and field, fencing, curling, e-sports or futsal is your thing, Durham is your destination. There are sports to play, games to watch and history to take in every day of the year.
You likely know Durham from the blockbuster film “Bull Durham” — a career game-changer for Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins — and (we’ll claim this unapologetically) the best sports movie of all time. However, do you know about Durham’s role in the creation of baseball cards? You can learn about it all at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in between innings during a Bulls’ game or any time of the year at the Museum of Durham History.
The athletic programs at Duke University and North Carolina Central University are storied and bring the best kind of competition to Durham. Before or after a game at Duke’s Cameron Indoor or Wallace Wade Stadiums, stop by the Duke Basketball Museum and Sports Hall of Fame. Or at NCCU, discover where the Secret Game was played or walk through the center named after Leroy T. Walker, a track and field coach and the first black president of the United States Olympic Committee.
Durham is also home to nontraditional sports: making waves in the e-sports community, hosting national curling bonspiels in the South and more. From America’s pastime to the new age of sports, Durham’s got sports fans covered.
Explore. Encounter.
Get out! No ... really. Get out - Durham is waiting.
Lakes. Rivers. Public parks. Rails to trails for biking and hiking. Durham’s outdoor spaces are as diverse as they are beautiful.
Durham’s covered in pathways, both urban and natural. Stroll through all 55 acres of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Bike the American Tobacco Trail from downtown to the Streets of Southpoint without competing with car traffic. Fish at Lake Michie or kayak at Little River.
Unwind, exercise and breathe in that fresh air. The Bull City’s offerings allow you to escape or push yourself as much as you wish; don’t resist the challenge of encountering life at it’s fullest while exploring Durham’s outdoor spaces.
