Experience Fall Adventures at Discount Rates

Dr. Bina Patel remembers what it felt like to see the Biltmore Estate after a long, winding approach.

The view of the 8,000-acre estate offered a taste of its grandeur and elegance. But what she appreciated most in that moment was that her daughters, Kinjal and Keshal, and her husband, Ketan, were there to experience it, too.

“It’s a beautiful building inside, with beautiful decorations,” said Patel, Assistant Director of Pharmacy at Duke Regional Hospital and Lincoln Community Health Center. “All the rooms are so elegantly decorated, but the memories were really more about spending time with my family.”

The Patel family used a staff and faculty discount through Duke to visit Biltmore, which was built by George Vanderbilt in 1895 in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Staff and faculty can purchase all-day access tickets and save up to $13 on each ticket throughout the year. Take advantage of these fall adventures through the staff and faculty discount program through Duke.

Historic Colonial Williamsburg

Founded in 1699, Colonial Williamsburg is a year-round attraction, holding special monthly events for park-goers to experience the history of one of America’s first planned cities.

Colonial Williamsburg was the first place Michelle Ashford and her husband Craig visited together on vacation in 1998. Now, they use the Duke discount to visit with their teenage daughters, Elizabeth and Riley.

Each time, the family tours the 301-acre property and follows through on a tradition of purchasing Chowing’s Tavern Root Beer, made in Colonial Williamsburg, at a general store in town. They bring the root beer home to drink.

“When it’s fall, and we’re really wishing we could go back, we’ll open the root beer on a special day,” said Ashford, a certified child life specialist at Duke Children’s Hospital.

Use the discount to save on multi-day passes and daily admission to the park, which offers access to five historic sites, two art museums and more. Children 5 and under receive free admission.

Family Fun at Tweetsie Railroad

Located about three hours from Durham, Tweetsie Railroad boasts fun for the whole family.

The western-style theme park in Blowing Rock has a narrow-gauge steam locomotive, live interactive shows, kid-friendly amusement rides and a Deer Park Zoo.

Duke employees receive $9 off regular admission. 

By Jack Frederick