Lodging & Attractions

Flying

If you are flying in to participate in Design Forge, the two closest airports are Raleigh-Durham International Airport and the Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Public Transport

Elon has reliable Uber and Lyft services year-round to navigate you to, from, and around Burlington, Greensboro, and Raleigh. Elon also offers a free bus service through the Elon Express, which has several routes around campus, the Town of Elon, and Burlington. Check out Elon’s transportation page for more information about public transit at Elon.

Parking

We will provide you with a parking permit to print out and place on your dashboard for the duration of the event. This pass will allow you to park in any of the lots on campus for the event (i.e. any spaces that are open in the Elon Community Church lot, Oaks faculty, staff, visitor spaces, spaces along Lebanon, Innovation Quad or South Campus lots).

Street parking is monitored by the Town of Elon, not Elon University. The parking permit will not be honored by the Town of Elon.

Drury Inn

We have reserved a limited number of rooms at the Drury Inn, located about 10 minutes away in Burlington.

Reserve a room online or call 1-800-325-0720 and reference the group number 10197640.

Pandora’s Pies

Located right below the Center for Design Thinking, Pandora’s serves pizza, sandwiches and salads with locally sourced ingredients.

Tangent Eat + Bar

Tangent serves delicious street tacos in downtown Elon for delivery, take-out or dine-in.

MaGerk’s Pub & Grill

Head to MaGerk’s for delicious bar snacks, Philly cheese steaks, sandwiches and salads. It’s also a great place to catch March Madness action!

Coffee Shops

• Oak House is in downtown Elon just below the Center for Design Thinking. Open for coffee in the morning or happy hour in the evening.
• Acorn Coffee Shop is located inside Elon’s Belk Library in the center of campus. They offer coffee, tea and breakfast options.
• Irazu is located inside Elon’s Moseley Center in the middle of campus. It’s a great place for relaxing in a comfy chair!

Museums

• International Civil Rights Museum – Book a 1-hour guided tour through the site of the 1960 Woolworths counter sit-in in Greensboro (30 minutes away).
• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences – Free general admission. Located about 1 hour away in Raleigh.
• North Carolina Museum of Art – Free general admission to the museum and extensive outdoor walking trails. Located about 1 hour away in Raleigh.

Parks

• Joe Davidson park
• Burlington Arboretum