I still love coming here to kill a little time when the day is slow. You never really know what you'll see. Great viewpoints and decent activities for the kiddos when the arrivals and departures are more spread out. read more

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A great view from any spot on the RDU observation deck. This is a decent activity for those seeking activities outside of eating or perhaps it can be enjoyed after an evening out or after dropping someone off at the airport. Pretty easy to find. It's recommended to carpool. The parking lot gets pretty crowded. You can watch the planes take off from the deck while daydreaming about where they are headed. (Smile) read more

GPS got us right here. the parking lot is a good size and had plenty of spaces available. There's a small play area for kids. But it has a single steel thing to play on, which gets scalding hot in the sun. Thete are also some tables to eat at. The entire observation deck is shaded, and the day of our visit, it was about 72 degrees with a mild breeze. PERFECT. They have radio communication from the tower playing on a loud speaker, which is pretty cool. It adds to the ambiance. The part of the runway where this is located is where the planes turn around and go to the gate after landing, and where the lift off when taking off. You can also see the private planes take off as well. Along the top of the railing are plaques showing different planes you might see. Overall, this was a pretty cool experience, and I recommend checking it out. read more

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I liked this little park. Stopped by for a bit, while waiting for a flight to come in. Pretty cool to watch planes land, and take off. The observation deck is covered with seats to watch. Hearing the tower over a loudspeaker talk to the pilots is also nice. Picnic areas available, bathrooms, play area for the kids, and vending machines for cold drinks. Recommended for kids learning about planes to come watch with a little learning on the signs around the park. read more

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This is a great little spot inside the airport complex near the FBO area. There is a parking lot, little park that mimicks a runway, and deck with a few benches to watch planes arrive and depart on the main terminal side. Our toddler enjoyed the area and excitement of the planes. There are also picnic benches on the bottom level and restrooms. A friend told me it is beautiful at sunset so we will have to try coming back another time for the views. read more

I took my little nephew here this past weekend and we went at around sunset and it was so much fun. He loved watching the planes take off and when he got bored of that he played on the little playground right next to the observation deck. This would also be a fun day spot if you catch it at sunset like we did. read more

RDU Observation Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

A great little spot with a view of the runway. The parking is typically super easy and you can get there via GPS or just follow the signs. There's a little shelter from which you can watch takeoffs and landings, take photos, listen to the tower, and maybe even bring something to snack on. There's a couple of benches as well as informational plaques. Highly recommend for all ages because honestly who doesn't love planes. read more

Really nice hidden gem this is. Really nice place to go if you are waiting on a flight to arrive. They have a really nice deck to watch planes to land and takeoff. You can hear the tower giving the ok to land. They have plane charts to look at to identify what's landing. read more

I really enjoyed the RDU Airport Observation Park! It's such a great thing to have the airport! I first came here several years ago for a birthday party and the other day when we had a little time before my husband it was the perfect waiting spot. When we arrived the parking lot was occupied with cars but people were constantly leaving so there were plenty of spaces for everyone. The parking lot was also very clean. Also, I want to point out the GPS brought me right to the park which was great. The park had a lot of children which was great for my son, he made fast friends. The park had a sand area and little lines on the ground so the kids could use their imagination and airplanes. Seriously the cutest thing ever. Although I didn't go inside the bathroom there is one which is awesome for children that have to potty! Overall this is a great park and such an amazing idea. read more

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This is a real hidden gem in the RDU complex. If you know how to get to it and back out, it is by far better than the alleged Cell Phone Lot (which is just extra parking by the administration offices). You have a pretty good view of the west runway. No view of the east runway or the other runway. There's a nice set of benches under an awning, and a park for kids! I think there are signs saying it shouldn't be used after sundown. But any other time it is the way to go, for sure! read more

Great airport! It's busy here but there are various shops and restaurants. My only complaint is that TSA is a little rude/catty/passive aggressive and corrected people going through security in a snarky way instead of just being direct with them. read more

I'm seriously impressed by what RDU has done here. A raised deck with a super view of one of the runways and one of the general aviation areas. There's a small playground here and they have even laid out a model of the two RDU runways and terminals. Super cool. A reasonable amount of parking, but I'll bet that on a warm summer day, they need three times as many spots. Sadly, the half hour I spent here had no decent sized planes taking off or landing. They seemed to want to use the other runway on the other side of the terminal. I had no problem finding it, approaching from the north entrance and following the signs to the Observation Park. read more

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Wow this was a cool discovery. Was really impressed that they actually built a small structure to give folks a better view of the runway. And playing ATC audio was a cool plus. I wish other airports would take a bit of an effort like this to be more welcoming. It's close to the threshold of runway 23R. So good landing and takeoff photos if they are landing to the south. Probably wouldn't be quite as good if the winds were out of the north / with the traffic flow reversed. read more

As Marcel says, RDU Airport Observation Park is a little known airport feature because it's so well hidden and nearly impossible to Google map! Follow the main RDU roadway past Terminal 1 and then after you take the first left-hand turn and before Terminal 2, you should see W. International Drive on your right. Follow that road down and out past Park and Ride 2 and you'll find the park, phew! RDU Observation Park is a great spot for a birds-eye view on RDU's airport operations. There's a playground, sandbox, picnic area and shade for families to hang out in. Bring your lunch, relax and enjoy some fresh air, sunshine and aviation. I didn't find the park to be particularly compelling but I'm also not 8 years old so your kids may be totally pumped to check out this place! Given it's free and close by, if your kids enjoy airplanes the RDU Airport Observation Park is definitely worth the effort! Just don't rely on your GPS because you're on your own once you enter RDU grounds... read more

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One of my favorite places to watch a beautiful romantic sunset. It's something you can do alone, with an SO or even with friends. It's beautiful to watch the planes take off and land around sunset. There's a tiny park there too for kids. Grab a bite to go and come here to watch planes or catch a beautiful sunset! read more

RDU Observation Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

I use this are to wait for incoming flights on clients or family I am picking up. It is close and has public bathrooms. Nice clean park area. The observation deck is a great place to view planes landing and taking off. The kids seem to really enjoy this sight. they always cheer and yell for the take offs. Again a great place to wait for incoming flights. read more

Right now I came with my 6 year old who was really excited, the website said nothing about construction work!!! Very disappointing that the runway wasn't up or wouldn't have drove the 30 minutes to come see!!! Maybe they should list that it's under construction!!!! read more

RDU Observation Park - Looks like it's under construction - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

Pretty awesome experience. It is a little tricky to find...just follow the signs for "Terminal 2" as you first enter the airport, and you will eventually see signs for "General Aviation Terminal" - follow those signs to reach the Observation Park. If you enjoy planes, be sure to check this out. Also - if you or someone you know is afraid of flying, this is a perfect demonstration that flight is both routine and safe. read more

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GPS knows exactly where the Observation Park is. Parking was easy. I was able to take photos and videos of the UA plane that my little grandson was on as it landed and taxied. That was his wish! read more

The observation park is a really cool feature at the RDU Airport. It's a small park within the airport property that has a little playground area, picnic tables, miniature replicas of the RDU runways for the kids to run around on and an elevated observation deck that overlooks one of the airports runways. The observation deck is very nice. It's covered to keep the sun from beatin' down on ya, it has benches to sit on, it also has a speaker that broadcasts the communications between the control tower and the arriving & departing planes. It's accessible by stairs from the playground area or a ramp from the parking lot area. I took my 6 year old nephew here recently and he had a blast running on the little runways and watching the planes. Planes were landing and taking off every 5-10 minutes or so while we were there. We also brought our lunch and ate at one of the picnic tables...on a side note, you can download a flight schedule app on your phone and see in real time the schedule of arriving & departing flights, neat to see where the landing planes are coming from and see where the departing planes are headed, I used the "Flight Board" app. Great place for kids or anyone who likes watching airplanes. read more

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Short version: RDU Airport Observation Park is a nice place to enjoy an afternoon watching the planes. Not particularly huge or built up but very well kept and laid out. Some good play areas for the kids as well as the main covered platform itself for observing air traffic in/out. I'm a fan! The Deets: Spending some time with the family this past weekend, we traveled over and tried out hanging at RDU Airport Observation Park. My parents love watching planes so this stop was a no-brainer. The airport has made a nicely kept and designed area for people to watch planes take off and land. It's pretty obscure and hard to find, keep your eyes peeled well for the signs as they are not very obvious...it's located near the General Aviation side of the complex a bit away from the main terminals. A nice sheltered platform is there with some benches, so you can settle in and enjoy a good long visit watching all the flight traffic if you want. It's a pretty well thought out mini-park with chairs/tables/umbrellas, areas for the kids to play (even mini-runways for them to enjoy), and public restrooms. I think the only thing it is really lacking is some type of snack bar availability (and I'm really splitting hairs here). This whole area really is impressively clean and well kept. The observation platform itself is not massive but a good sized area to enjoy the planes facing the Terminal 2 side runways. Depending on which way they are taking off/landing you can see most of the action, but may be obscured a bit looking down past the Terminal 2 building itself. Small things aside, it's a nice afternoon of taking in air traffic and is pretty enjoyable actually. There were LOTS of small kids there and most showed how excited they were to see the planes. In all, I think this park is cool getaway to kick back for a while and enjoy the wonder of modern aviation in motion. read more

The RDU Airport Observation Park has been a place on my list to visit, but I've never really had an excuse until now. Because last Sunday's weather was GORGEOUS for a February day and I had to be at the airport eventually to pick up someone, I decided to take advantage of the day and read at the Observation Park. I arrived around 3/3:30 in the afternoon and the park was full of families and kids, some watching the airplanes taxi by and some even pretending to be airplanes themselves. The foot traffic never stopped, even after I left the area around 5:00. There is a fun replica of the runways for kids to play on, a playground, and ample amounts of seating and tables if you want to bring a picnic. There's an elevated shaded area, but I found that part to be extremely windy compared to the rest of the park. I also really liked that there was so much information about RDU, airplanes, and the airport in general, so I'll have to go back and read more. The only downside is that apparently there was another observation deck with a restaurant that closed last October? The signs are still up for it, but I was disappointed to find that it no longer exists. Anyways, awesome for kids, especially before your flight, but also a great place to relax, read, and wait for your loved ones to land. read more

A little known feature of RDU airport is the observation deck and park. It's a wonderful outdoor facility that is a bit out of the way. It's behind the control tower, there is a small access road to get to it between the terminals. Look at the map on the web site. You can drive right up to it, no need to go through a security checkpoint. It has a nice elevated deck with a good view of runway 5 Left. Runway 5 Right is behind you. The planes taking off from the southwest will get airborne right in front of you. There are speakers that play the radio channel for the tower and planes, so you can hear the pilots and controllers. There are lots of nice information displays about common planes and RDU history. Also has a playground with a sand pit, model runway to run up and down with your arms sticking out, picnic tables, benches with shade, and restrooms. It's a great place for the kids to sit and watch, run around, and play. On a nice day get some takeout food, go to this park, and then eat lunch while the planes takeoff and land. Then you can sit on a bench in the shade while the kids run around and get tired for a good nap. read more

Please bring your kids here. It's time forgot when air travel was special. Getting the see the airplanes takeoff and land is really cool and they have a wonderful observation deck which is a covered. They even have an a playground for the young kids. Great place to hangout! read more

Took a friend to the airport yesterday and we decided to kill some time checking out the RDU Airport Observation Park rather than sitting around in the terminal. This is a really neat spot. Cool to check out all the placards with info about all the planes. We saw the signs for Cessna, different kinds of jets, etc. The observation deck gives you a great view to the planes landing and taking off. Near the Observation deck is a little grassy area for kids to run around in and a mini landing strip. Also in the play area is a jungle gym. The only thing missing is a swing set! It's a small area to take in the scenery, but it seemed like sufficient parking. A nice place to check out and escape before a flight or even just to relax. I'd like to go back when I have more than 15 minutes. Really cool idea! read more

Wish FLL would build a park like this. Not just a great place to watch airplanes, but also hang out

Beautiful place to visit rain or shine. There is a covered area to escape rain or intense sun. Great views of planes taking off and landing. I only wish this was open the entire time the airport was open and didn't close earlier. This spot has become more crowded over the last few years especially with kids and families. read more

RDU Observation Park - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

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What a nice FREE place to take the little ones! We've been here many, many times and enjoyed it no matter the weather. There is an excellent platform for observation - awesome view at night when the runway lights are on. At ground level they have restrooms and covered picnic tables. Good open area for kids to run around and get their energy out. read more

So even on a 100+ degree today, we really had a blast! There's plenty of shade, trees plus the observation deck itself. There's a public restroom facility and a water fountain as well. Great place to have a picnic I'm guessing and will definitely be back. My 2.5YO loved running up and down the model runways pretending to take off and land. read more

One of my favorite places to visit. I love to fly so this park gives me life when I come and watch the planes come and go. I LOVE living so close to RDU.It is a great place to bring a bagged picnic lunch they have a small play area for the kids and lots of seating on the observation deck and the restrooms are clean. . It's time for a vacay definitely ! read more

Great place to bring your kids. Not just seeing your favorite commercial airline fly by, but there is also pictures showing different types of planes, great for all ages. read more

Well done, RDU! I am an avid planespotter and have been to the RDU overlook 3 different times now. It really is a great little place. They have a playground for little kids which has been busy every time I have been there. The observation deck is quite nice--it has information on different types of aircraft at RDU as well as ATC coming from a speaker. The speaker is pretty poorly placed, though, and you really have to concentrate to hear what it is saying. Photography opportunities are very good from the park. If the airport is using 23s, you can see landing traffic on the rollout and departing traffic taxiing by and taking off. If the airport is on 5s, you can see departures after takeoff and some landings on their rollout. Traffic variety is okay--most of the Southwest stuff uses the other runway, but you'll still see some along with AA, JetBlue, US Airways, American, Frontier, and Delta. Any airport with an observation deck gets the thumbs up from me, but this one is especially nice. read more

Great area to wait for those you might be picking up at the airport or a great place for plane enthusiast to watch as planes take off and land. Shaded and plenty of benches to sit and and enjoy the views. There are also areas to sit, where you can have a picnic. They have a small area for the kids to play but might be too hot on a bright and sunny day as the climbing sculptures are made of metal. read more

If you have never been up there to see the sunset it is an awesome experience you need to go!

The observation park was a nice place to stop on our way from Greensboro to downtown Raleigh. I love watching airplanes so this setup was much better than pulling over on the side of a highway. The weather was wonderful. There were nice areas for eating and a small sand playground area for little ones. Despite not seeing very many planes (only 3 in twenty minutes), I still very much enjoyed it. read more

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Nice place great for a good quality time with the family so the kids (and adults ) can have fun with the airplanes. Also very clean and free what else you can ask. Give it a try! read more

RDU Observation Park - Beautiful view great for family quality time - Parks Near Me - Morrisville, North Carolina

I love to go here for lunch. I don't work too far from here, so it is a great place to bring a bag lunch, sit down and stare at the amazement of flight. Where else can you go and see a plane take off or land from a few hundred feet away? read more

The play area is very minimal, but it's still a fun spot. Plenty of room to bring a picnic and let the kids enjoy.

The RDU Observation Deck is awesome! Kids and adults will enjoy watching planes take off and land! Instructions from control tower can be heard while you watch. Site also has a play area for kids, ample parking and clean restrooms. Easy access and exit routes to I-40 and US70. Great place for some fun family time and it's all free. read more

It's hard to find, and there's a building in the way. You can't see the planes touchdown. You are about 200 yards away from the runway. I guess it's okay, but I've seen better. It's probably best for smaller kids since they have a playground. Maybe ages 5 - 11. It's maybe too loud for younger than 4 year olds. To find it, go past the main terminals toward the east. It's just past the General Aviation terminal. read more