Entertainment
Things to see
ALLTEL Pavilion at Walnut Creek
3801 Rock Quarry Road, 27601
(919) 831-6400
www.alltelpavilion.com
This is Raleigh's premier outdoor concert facility. More than 3 million people have visited this 77-acre center to hear marquee performers such as the Dave Matthews Band; Carole King; Norah Jones; Earth, Wind & Fire; Chicago; and one of Chapel Hill's greatest sons, James Taylor.
City Market
Intersection of Blount and Martin Streets
Historic City Market is in the heart of downtown Raleigh in the Moore Square district. City Market is home to art galleries, restaurants, specialty shops and a jazz club. The original cobblestone streets are lit by lamps and filled with 19th-century charm.
From 1914-1957, City Market was a farmers market. Revitalization has included the Police Department's use of horses and bicycles with their mounted patrol units. Capital Area Preservation runs Historic Trolley Tours linking City Market to other downtown locations. The tour operates on Saturdays, March-December, offering a narrated look at Raleigh's 200-year history. For ticket and tour information, call (919) 834-4844
Haywood Hall House and Gardens
211 New Bern Ave., 27601
(919) 832-8357
www.haywoodhall.org
The oldest residence in Raleigh's original city limits still located on its original site with family furnishings, this Federal frame house was built by John Haywood, North Carolina's first elected treasurer, in 1799. The house and gardens are open for tours on Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., from March through December, and by appointment.
Historic Raleigh Trolley Tours
1 Mimosa St., 27604
(919) 834-4844
Step aboard the trolley and travel back in time to see Raleigh's 200-year history. This narrated tour includes historic sites, government buildings, museums, shops and restaurants. Tours run each Saturday from March through December. Board the trolley on the hour at Mordecai Historic Park from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. or catch a ride at any of its historic stops throughout downtown.
Historic Tours of Raleigh
301 N. Blount St., 27601
(919) 829-4988
This group conducts walking tours of downtown on Sundays at 2 p.m. Advance reservations are required. The tour begins at the State Capitol and covers historic and government buildings as well as area museums. Step-On Guide Service for businesses and vans is also available.
North Carolina State Capitol
Capitol Square
(919) 733-4994
www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/capitol
Built between 1833 and 1840, this National Historic Landmark is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of a major civic building in the Greek Revival style. The capitol originally housed the governor's office, cabinet offices, legislative chambers and the state library.
Sports
North Carolina State University
3801 Rock Quarry Road, 27601
Tickets: (800) 310-PACK
The N.C. State Wolfpack is a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and holds two NCAA Men's Basketball National Championships.
Duke University
(919) 684-2633
A charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke University is the home of the Blue Devils and three NCAA Men's Basketball National Championships.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(919) 962-6000
The University of North Carolina Tar Heels are also charter members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and boast four NCAA Men's Basketball National Championships.
Carolina Hurricanes
(919) 467-7825
Tickets: (919) 861-2323(888) NHL-TIXI (645-8491)
www.carolinahurricanes.com
The National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes arrived in North Carolina in 1997 and settled into the RBC Center in Raleigh in 1999. Since then, the team has attracted more than 3 million "Caniacs" to the 18,730-seat facility.
Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell St., Durham, 27701
(919) 687-6500
Tickets: (919) 956-BULL
www.durhambulls.com
Only 30 minutes away in Durham, the Durham Bulls play in a stadium that is considered one of the finest in minor league baseball. A Class AAA team in the International League, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the team was immortalized in the classic baseball film "Bull Durham." The famous "snorting bull" was originally only a prop for the movie, but has remained a Durham Bulls' staple ever since. In 2003, the Bulls become the only team in the 119-year history of the International League to sweep back-to-back Governors' Cup Finals.
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
5 E. Edenton St., Raleigh 27601
(919) 807-7900
www.ncmuseumofhistory.org
The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, located in the North Carolina Museum of History, exhibits items donated by approximately 200 inductees. The exhibit includes champion driver Dale Earnhardt's racing jumpsuit, Richard Petty's stock car, Jim Valvano's N.C. State warm-up suit, Arnold Palmer's Ryder Cup golf bag, Meadowlark Lemon's Harlem Globetrotters basketball uniform, N.C. State coach Kay Yow's Olympic team basketball, Jim Beatty's running shoes, and Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice's UNC-Chapel Hill football jersey.
RBC Center
Sports and Entertainment Arena
1400 Edwards Mill Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
(919) 861-2300
Parks (City of Raleigh)
Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department
Call the Recreation Division at (919) 831-6640 for programs and activities.
Lake Johnson
5600 Avent Ferry Road, 27606
(919) 233-2121
Located in southwest Raleigh, Lake Johnson features a 150-plus-acre lake surrounded by 300-plus acres of land. The facility offers boating, fishing, boat rental, picnic shelters, paved greenway trails, and a variety of educational programs. Waterfront concerts are held during summer months.
Lake Lynn Recreation Center
7921 Ray Road, 27613
(919) 870-2911
This facility in-cludes a community center, lighted ballfields, tennis courts, greenway trails and a lake.
Lake Wheeler
6404 Lake Wheeler Road, 27603
(919) 662-5704
This 650-acre lake is host to many recreational water sports, including kayaking, canoeing, sailing, fishing and rowing. On any given weekend, look for fishing tournaments, outdoor equipment expos, boat shows, water/nature-based educational programs and evening waterfront concerts. Lake Wheeler also serves as the home for the annual Tarheel Regatta.
Millbrook Exchange Off-Leash Dog Park
1905 Spring Forest Road, 27615
(919) 872-4156
This unique two-acre facility, designed for dog owners and their canine friends, consists of three separate, fenced-in areas for large and small dogs, as well as a picnic shelter area. Open sunrise until the lights turn off, seven days a week.
Pullen Park
520 Ashe Ave., 27606
Amusements (919) 831-6468
Aquatics Center (919) 831-6197
Arts Center (919) 831-6126
Community Center (919) 831-6052
Adjacent to the N.C. State campus, Pullen Park is home to Theatre in the Park, an arts center, a 1911 carousel, the C.P. Huntington train, and a lake with paddleboats. The Pullen aquatic center houses an Olympic-sized, warm-water swimming pool and seating for 300 spectators.
Shelley Lake
1400 W. Millbrook Road, 27612
(919) 420-2331
This 53-acre lake in North Raleigh is surrounded by two miles of paved greenway trails with workout stations and is home to Sertoma Art Center. The park provides visitors with boat and bike rental, water sports, a playground, facilities for bird watching, and three open fields where free yoga classes are held Sunday mornings.
Walnut Creek Softball Complex
1201 Sunnybrook Road, 27610
(919) 250-2725
This unique complex contains nine state-of-the-art lighted and irrigated fields in a "two wheel" configuration. The center of each wheel contains a two-story press box/restroom/concession building. The facility can accommodate up to 1,500 spectators and regional, national and international competition. The complex is available for rental and special events.
Parks (Wake County)
American Tobacco Trail
2112 County Park Drive, New Hill 27562
(919) 387-2117
Once completed, this 23-mile rails-to-trails project will run from southwest Wake County to historic downtown Durham. Wake County currently has 5.5 miles of the trail open for walking, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Blue Jay Point County Park
3200 Pleasant Union Church Road, 27614
(919) 870-4330
Located on the shores of Falls Lake, this 234-acre county park is home to the Blue Jay Center for Environmental Education, which provides environmental education programs and features several exhibits concerning water quality and the natural environment of the Piedmont North Carolina basin. The park also offers picnicking, hiking trails, playfields and a playground.
Crowder District Park
4709 Ten Ten Road
(919) 662-2850
This 33-acre park offers a variety of educational and recreational outdoor activities, including a 2.7-acre pond, an open-play field and a one-mile paved trail, as well as shelters, picnic sites and fishing areas. Staff members also provide environmental education.
Fred G. Bond Metro Park
801 High House Road, Cary
(919) 469-4100
Bond Park is a 310-acre facility with athletic fields, fitness and hiking trails, picnic shelters, a 42-acre fishing/recreation lake, boat rentals, a playground, a ropes course, an amphitheatre, a community center, and the Cary Senior Center.
Harris Lake County Park
2112 County Park Drive, New Hill 27652
(919) 387-4342
This 680-acre park forms a peninsula on the Shearon Harris Reservoir. Known for excellent fishing in both its lake and farm ponds, the park offers recreational and educational programs, playgrounds, picnic shelters, individual picnic sites, and several miles of mountain biking and hiking trails.
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
2616 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary
(919) 387-5980
The preserve includes nearly 150 acres along Swift Creek, with north-facing bluffs supporting vegetation more typical of the mountains, including Eastern Hemlocks. The trail system highlights its unique natural features. Nature programs are conducted at the Stevens Nature Center in the park.
Historic Oak View County Park
4028 Carya Drive (I-440 Beltline and Poole Road), 27610
(919) 250-1013
www.wakegov.com/county/parks/oakview
This 27-acre park features a 19th-century farmstead, a cotton museum, a plank kitchen, picnic sites, a fishing pond, an herb garden and a pecan grove. The site offers educational programs, special events, exhibits and passive recreational opportunities. Special exhibits throughout the year include a new exhibit opening in spring 2006 on the history of North Carolina's textile mill communities. Visit Oak View each fall for the annual Storytelling Festival and Heritage Day. The park sponsors the annual "Holidays Around the World" exhibit in December.
Historic Yates Mill County Park
4908 Penny Road
(919) 856-6675
This 574-acre park is under development and is scheduled to open in May 2006. The centerpiece is the restored gristmill - the last one remaining in Wake County - which has been preserved thanks to a public-private partnership with Yates Mill Associates, North Carolina State University and Wake County Government. The mill was originally built in 1756 and operated up to the late 1950s. A major feature of the park will be the environmental education and research center.
Lake Crabtree County Park
1400 Aviation Parkway Morrisville 27560
(919) 460-3390
This 200-acre park is situated next to a 520-acre lake. It offers hiking, mountain biking, nature trails, fishing piers, boat rentals, picnic shelters and playgrounds, as well as environmental education.
Thomas Brooks Park
111 Brooks Park Avenue Cary 27512
(919) 469-4061
This new, multi-purpose park features four lighted baseball/softball fields, a batting cage, two lighted basketball slabs, two soccer fields, a playground and two picnic shelters. The park is also the site of the USA Baseball National Training Center.
Parks (State)
Falls Lake
13304 Creedmoor Road Wake Forest 27587
(919) 676-1027
With a 12,000-acre lake and 26,000 acres of woodland, Falls Lake is one of the largest recreational areas in the state. The facility offers seven sites for water activities - fishing, boating or swimming - and land activities such as hiking, biking and camping along a portion of the state's Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Jordan Lake
280 State Park Road, Apex 27523
U.S. Highway 64 and Fearrington Road
(919) 362-0586
The state operates eight recreation areas fronting the 46,768-acre Jordan Lake. Just 21 miles southwest of Raleigh off U.S. 64, the nearly 14,000-acre lake provides water for surrounding cities as well as boating, swimming, fishing and camping. The park is also a habitat for the bald eagle and has an observation deck for viewing our nation's symbolic bird.
William B. Umstead State Park
8801 Glenwood Ave., 27612
(919) 571-4170
Tucked between Raleigh, Cary, Durham and the corporate world of Research Triangle Park, Umstead State Park is easily accessible. With over 5,400 acres of woodland, the park offers a peaceful haven on Crabtree and Reedy creeks. Recreational activities include boating, hiking, horseback riding, camping, cycling, fishing or picnicking.