8 Great Things to Do in Raleigh North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina is a large metropolitan area with large tracts of dense woods and streets alit with Southern charm. It’s a startlingly peaceful and pleasant district, melding historic districts with modern attractions. Free museums are a specialty of the area.
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Advice When Visiting
Driving around Raleigh can be tricky. The I-440 Beltline is notorious for traffic during rush hour. Additionally, many of the streets in the city change names while continuing. Be sure a map or directions app is working while driving here.
For scenic drives, the area outside of Raleigh is difficult to beat. There are winding roads gracing mountains and forests all around the area.
If you don’t have a personal vehicle, Union Station is a good area to get in and out of the city. The Amtrak stops by frequently.
Top 8 Things to Do Raleigh North Carolina
Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky – A woodland camera obscura in the forest outside of the city
Free Expression Tunnel – A local art attraction filled with ever-changing graffiti
Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest – A huge tract of forested land often overlooked in favor of other outdoor attractions. Exceptional in the autumn
Neuse River Greenway Trail – A long and exceptionally pretty running and biking trail extending through the Raleigh countryside
Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden – Best visited in the late summer, this is a famous part of the city
Drive Shack – An interactive, multi-storied driving range for golfers
Historic Yates Mill Country Park – Rustic, extremely photogenic historic park
WRAL Azalea Garden – In full bloom in mid-April, the Azalea Garden is hidden behind the WRAL TV studio
Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky
This is one of the most interesting things to do in Raleigh North Carolina. Located on a vast museum campus, this structure looks like a stone igloo with a grass top roof. It operates as a camera obscura, which uses a pinhole of light in a enclosed, light-tight space to create a projection of the sky and clouds above. It takes several minutes for a person’s eyes to adjust to the point where the pinhole-light-illusion is visable.
The chamber is an artistic, fairy-inspired feature at Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park. Reaching the site requires a short walk on a trail through the woods. There are several maps posted nearby to help with directions
Free Expression Tunnel
This tunnel is a icon of North Carolina’s University culture. The short foot-traffic tunnel located on campus is open to student artworks, self expressions and designs. The artwork of the tunnel changes frequently, so expect different images with each visit.
Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest
The large tract of land has several looping trail routes tracing through small fields and woods. Bicycles and dogs aren’t allowed on the trails. The forest trails link up with a series of other trails, some of which follow narrow tunnels. The most famous of these is the 11 mile Zombie Tunnel Route which goes from Umstead State Park to the Memorial Forest via the Richland Creek Trail.
Neuse River Greenway Trail
This trail is a long (over 50 miles) paved biking and walking trail following the Neuse River. The trails incorporates various paths including a boardwalk overlooking marshlands. The route is very flat, so bicycle specialization isn’t needed for those wishing to ride the trail. The entire trail length can be biked in a single day, but the trail is only open from dawn to dusk.
Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden
These historic gardens bloom with different species of roses, bulbs, trees, shrubs and other plants from May until mid-autumn. It’s a very pleasant garden to walk around and sits alongside an amphitheater which hosts occasional performances. Admission to the garden is free.
Drive Shack
If you’re looking for things to do in Raleigh North Carolina, Drive Shack is a great relaxation and hangout spot for groups. Drive Shack is a towering multi-story golf range. Visitors can try their hand at the driving range while ordering various meals, snacks or alcoholic beverages. There are also nearby minigame features inside, such as interactive golfing games or darts. Prices vary depending on arrival times.
Historic Yates Mill Country Park
For photography enthusiast who appreciate a peaceful outdoor setting, Historic Yates Mill Country Park is appealing. It’s a large outdoor activity park which hosts a fully restored 1756 gristmill. The mill is a heritage site and artifact, offering paid tours to visitors. The park also hosts a large pond, a sprawling wetland zone, several hiking trails, some fishing areas and some small gardens.
WRAL Azalea Garden
An oasis of calm nature embedded within Raleigh’s city scenery, WRAL Azalea Garden hosts walls of blooming plants and delicate flowers, including azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas, perennials, succulents, trees and shrubs. The garden is fairly close to the nearby downtown area. There are no reservations or fees necessary to enter.