Cameron Indoor Stadium

What it is: Cameron is the legendary basketball stadium at Duke where the Blue Devil teams play and the fans cheer them on each basketball season.  While very difficult to get into with tickets during basketball season, it is fairly easy to get into when there's not a game going on.  In fact, if basketball practice is not currently going on, the stadium is open for viewing Monday-Friday.  Viewers can take a look at the court and wander around the stands.  They can also tour the hallways and Duke athletics museum in the building. 


What we liked: I wouldn't have necessarily thought about this as a toddler destination, but my son had a great time climbing up and down the stairs on the stadium and sitting in the seats.  He had seen basketball games on television before, so this was particularly interesting for him.  He even made a lap of the entire stadium exploring and looking around.  The best part is it's free!

We also had a great time trekking to the stadium through Duke's campus.  We parked at the student union, The Bryan Center, ate at the McDonalds in that building, checked out the bookstore for some Duke goodies, passed by the chapel and took a quick peek inside at the beautiful stained glass and architecture, wandered through Duke's campus exploring all the paths, trees, and flowers, and finally made it to the stadium.  The journey was definitely half the fun!


What we would change: It's not a quick visit.  There's no good parking right next to Cameron, so you do have to do a little walking to get there.  Plus, Duke's campus is not the most stroller friendly place in the world.

In addition, since Cameron can be closed for the team's practice, it is probably best to call and make sure that they're open.

Website and other important information:

Website: http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=218099

Map of Duke's Campus: http://map.duke.edu/

Phone Number: (919) 613-7500 (Duke Basketball Office)


Photos:

1. The view of the court

(This is the perfect outing for a Duke fan, but I would love to find out if anyone has checked out the stadiums at UNC or NCState.)