What to See and Do in Chapel Hill, NC
The home to the nation’s oldest public university and one of its most famous basketball teams, Chapel Hill remains a small college town. The cornerstone to Old East, the first building in America built specifically to house a public university, was laid on October 12, 1793. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill campus tours (http://www.unc.edu) are available by appointment. However, many notable Carolina icons, including Old East, The Old Well, Davie Popular and Silent Sam, are located in tree-lined McCorkle Place adjacent to Franklin Street. Walking or driving through campus, the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower lies near the steps up to the UNC Student Sores and the Carmichael Auditorium at the corner of South Road and Stadium Drive, surrounded by a maze of hedges. Continuing down Ridge Road, past Kenan Stadium and the Rams Head Center, the Dean E. Smith Center, aka the “Dean Dome”, home to the Carolina Tarheels, lies off Manning Drive, marking the southern end of campus.
Bordering the opposite, northern, side of campus, Franklin Street offers a variety of shops and restaurants. Over the years the look and feel have changed but certain names remain the same: The Shrunken Head (https://www.shrunkenhead.com/) carries everything imaginable in Carolina Blue, while Light Years and the Hallmark shop offer earrings and small gifts. Pepper’s Pizza is the place to find piercings, purple hair and the best pizza in town. In contrast, Spanky’s caters to those looking for a bit of fine dining. A Chapel Hill institution, be warned that the Ramshead Rathskeller is known more for its unique dÃ?©cor than its cleanliness rating, however a trip to Chapel Hill would never be complete without a bowl of its cheese-stringing-so-far-I-have-to-cut-it-with-a-knife lasagna and traditional iced tea. Check out the Toulouse-Letrec Room, The Train Room and The Zoo Room, or couples may ask to be seated in The Cave.
Want a more standard fare? Walk west and cross Columbia Street for the likes of Ben & Jerry’s and Carribou Coffee. Further westward, University Square sits in front of University Towers (three private residence halls) featuring more unique gift shops and food. Continue further west on Franklin Street to vintage shops, used bookstores and eventually the Carolina Brewery (http://www.carolinabrewery.com).
Going in the opposite direction from campus, eastward along Franklin Street, UNC’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center (http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org) offers a variety of multimedia shows for children and adults. The Star Theater presentations are shown in the round, projected onto the interior of the planetarium dome, while the new NASA Digital Theater offers more traditional stadium-style seating. Seeking to go far beyond the stars, topics of past movies range from the extinction of the dinosaurs to stormchasers. Seasonal shows include the astronomy of the night sky and Christmas specials, while the occasional laser light show is a special treat just for adults.
In front of the planetarium building is a 35 foot wide sundial surrounded by an abundant rose garden, while behind the building to the left is Coker Arbortreum (http://www.ncbg.unc.edu/coker.htm), a small, historical section of The North Carolina Botantical Gardens. Featuring species of flora indigenious to North Carolina, some related East Asian varieties are also included to add to the beauty and diversity of the garden. Just large enough for a quiet stroll, a few benches spot the pathways while an arbor at the intersection of Raleigh Street and Cameron Avenue marks the southeast corner. The larger main gardens, including the Totten Center and Plant Collections (http://www.ncbg.unc.edu/) lie off of the 15-501/Hwy 54 Bypass south of campus, just east of Manning Drive and the “Dean Dome”.
