Explore what the Raleigh area has to offer without breaking the bank! Here are 30-plus free (or nearly free) experiences and attractions that can anchor any trip to the area.
 

William B. Umstead State Park

N.C.’s most visited state park maintains its status as a peaceful and affordable getaway thanks to its sheer size. With more than 5,000 acres of forest, trails and lakes, this natural oasis is a must-do destination for outdoor enthusiasts—hikers, cyclists, horseback riders and canoeists included!

Local tip: Park at the Old Reedy Creek Rd trailhead for one of the best ways to take advantage of the park’s multi-use trails.

Hunting for murals

The expansive public art scene in Raleigh is quickly proving that beautiful and awe-inspiring art can easily be found both inside and outside of the area's awesome museums and galleries. Slip on your walking shoes and hit the streets to find more than 30 inspiring pieces that make for perfect photo ops! 

Pictured here: "All Aboard!" by artist Sean Kernick at 122 W. Chatham St. in downtown Cary.

Artspace

Downtown Raleigh's Artspace gives 100,000 visitors per year the chance to witness creativity in action. Visitors can peruse 30,000 square feet of galleries, get an up-close-and-personal look at artists as they work, create and display masterpieces of your very own and even purchase that piece you can’t live without.

Nearby eats, drinks and activities: Oak City Meatball, Tonbo Ramen, The Pour House Music Hall & Record Shop

North Carolina Museum of Art

One of the most visited attractions in entire state (and ranked by Insider as one of the top 25 museums in the country!), the North Carolina Museum of Art and its permanent galleries are open to the public free of charge. Visitors would also be wise to stroll through the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park, with its monumental public art installations and miles of multi-use trails weaving throughout.

Downtown Cary Park

Downtown Cary Park—a seven-acre, state-of-the-art playspace for all ages—opened in the heart of downtown Cary in late 2023. 

From places for views (the elevated Skywalk) to places for brews (beer at The Bark Bar, coffee at Market 317)—plus a playground, performing arts pavilion, fire pits, a sports lawn, dog park and so much more—the park now acts as the anchor of a fast-growing, easily walkable downtown area that has become a popular destination for visitors in recent years. 

Check the park's calendar for fitness classes, movie nights, free concerts, public art walks and so much more (in addition to the year-round Cary Downtown Farmers Market, held on Saturday mornings). 

Major festivals

You can’t go wrong with a visit during any of the many festivals happening here in the Raleigh area and open to the public free of charge. Visit Raleigh to experience major events like these (free or low-cost):

• IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, Sept. 29-30
• 95th Annual Wendell Harvest Festival, Oct. 7
• Falling for Local at Dix Park, Oct. 7
• Hum Sub Diwali, Oct. 14
• N.C. State Fair, Oct. 12-22
• HollyFest, Oct. 28
• N.C. International Festival, Nov. 3-5

State Farmers Market, Raleigh

The State Farmers Market, one of the best and most modern markets in the U.S., boasts 75 acres of indoor and outdoor vendor space. Sample and shop some of the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats and gift products from across the state year-round. Also check out the specialty gifts shops, plus the ever-popular State Farmers Market Restaurant (don't miss the biscuits!).

CAM Raleigh

Smart, modern and a little unexpected, CAM Raleigh (Contemporary Art Museum) is hands down a favorite among locals and for good reason. This striking, non-collecting contemporary art museum, located in downtown Raleigh's rapidly-growing Warehouse District, displays new and emerging work by local and national living artists. Every exhibition is unique, bold, highly memorable and designed to be thought-provoking and transformative. Opened in 2011, this expansive, light-filled gallery space is now free admission.

North Carolina State Capitol

This National Historic Landmark stands as one of the best-preserved examples of a civic building in Greek Revival-style architecture. Originally, the Capitol building housed the governor’s office, cabinet offices, legislative chambers, state library and state geologist’s office. Today, you can tour all three floors of the building (guided tours are available at no cost each Sat. at 11 am and 2 pm) as well as explore the numerous statues and monuments on Union Square.

Lake Johnson Park

Located near North Carolina State University, Lake Johnson Park is a popular spot for students and professionals to get some exercise—a paved, three-mile greenway loop, plus two miles of unpaved trails, draw lots of joggers and walkers (and dogs, too!). The lake itself spans more than 150 acres and offers paddling lessons or tours during the warmer months (for a fee). Guests can launch their own non-powered boat for $5 to $7 year-round.

Neuse River Greenway Trail

The Neuse River Greenway Trail—a 27.5-mile paved, uninterrupted greenway that stretches from Falls Lake in North Raleigh to the Wake County line in southeast Raleigh—is a year-round haven for outdoor recreation. With views of historic sites as well as winding boardwalk areas and suspension bridges crossing over wetlands, the trail is open to joggers, walkers, runners, cyclists, roller-bladers and others. Many consider the Neuse River Greenway Trail to be the gem of the 100-plus-mile Capital Area Greenway System.

Local tip: Read up on what you need to know about the Neuse River Greenway Trail with this handy guide.

The Pope House Museum

As the only African-American house museum in the state, the Pope House Museum offers a look into the life of one of Raleigh’s prominent African-American citizens, Dr. Manassa Thomas Pope. Dr. Pope was a graduate of the Leonard School of Medicine, an officer during the Spanish-American War and the only African-American man to run for mayor of a Southern capital in the Jim Crow Era. Built in 1901, the Pope House was built in the once thriving African-American enclave known as the Third Ward, which included the 500 block of S. Wilmington St. Today, visitors can tour the home complete with original furnishings, artifacts and documents dating back to 1851. Admission is free.

Garner Veterans Memorial

The Garner Veterans Memorial features pillars with the names of 67 Garner-area veterans who died serving their country as well as a historical narrative about the wars and conflicts in which the nation has been involved. Dedicated in 2013, the memorial is located at Lake Benson Park, which features trails, playgrounds, picnic shelters and open space areas.

Also recommended: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Gardens, Fallen Firefighters Memorial at Nash Square Park, Veterans Freedom Park

Historic Oakwood

Tour Historic Oakwood for a wonderful array of late 19th- and early 20th-century Victorian-inspired homes featuring a diversity of architectural styles. The homes, some with the most beautiful gardens, have been lovingly restored to exude old-world charm and splendor. You can explore this 30-block neighborhood by car or on foot. For a self-guided tour brochure, visit the Raleigh, N.C., Visitor Information Center.

Note: The Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour is one of the Raleigh area's favorite annual events. The 2024 event is scheduled for Dec. 14 and 15. It does required paid tickets.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences delights, entertains and educates nearly a million visitors per year with fascinating exhibits, both featured and permanent, about the natural world. The museum’s four floors are divided into two parts—the Nature Exploration Center (where you’ll find the Terror of the South, pictured below) and the Nature Research Center, an unmistakable architectural icon that opened to much fanfare a decade ago. Exhibits range from detailed dioramas to actual ecosystems with living animals—all of which can be explored through various self-guided tours.

The museum also hosts lectures, discussions, classes, live scientific programs and more. Visitors can enjoy family-friendly, educational movies inside the SECU Daily Planet—a 70-foot diameter globe that doubles as a three-story theater—and immerse themselves in 3D movie showings in the WRAL 3D Theater located in the Nature Exploration Center.

JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University

Stroll through 10 acres of floral beauty at this nationally-acclaimed garden with one of the largest and most diverse collections of landscape plants. With more than 5,000 plants collected from all over the world on display, you catch blooms any time of the year. Nearly 20 different gardens can be explored, each with a unique theme and space—a Japanese garden, a butterfly garden, a rooftop terrace filled with heat-tolerant plants and more. 

Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden

Speaking of blooms, there’s the Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden—a landmark at the center of the Raleigh Little Theatre campus. Tucked away behind Hillsborough St., the garden sports thousands of flowers which boom each spring, including more than 60 varieties of roses. It’s a serene, relaxing atmosphere accessed freely from sunrise to sunset. In the summer months, a free outdoor movie series is a local-favorite activity.

Note: See upcoming shows produced by Raleigh Little Theatre here.

First Friday

Art lovers rejoice! First Friday draws thousands downtown for a free, self-guided tour of cutting-edge cultural hot spots—local art galleries, art studios, alternative art venues and museums. Tour stops can feature music, a variety of creative works, wine samples, hors d’oeuvres and more.

Local tip: Look for the First Friday flags to easily locate participating venues. You can also pick up a detailed map/guide at each stop.

City of Raleigh Museum (COR Museum)

The COR Museum examines and interprets the city’s history with the goal of “preserving Raleigh’s past for its future.” Past and present exhibits include an exploration of Raleigh’s journey toward Civil Rights, an examination of local democracy as well as a survey of Raleigh’s music scene from 1976 to 1985. 

Dorothea Dix Park

At a whopping 308 acres in the heart of downtown Raleigh, Dorothea Dix Park offers beautiful rolling hills, huge shade trees and stunning views of the downtown skyline. Open to the public from dawn to dusk, the park plays host to a range of outdoor activities—sunset watching, bike riding, soccer matches, picnics, yoga and more.

Note: Each July, thousands of sunflowers in bloom create the Raleigh area's sunniest summer attraction.

North Carolina Executive Mansion

Franklin Delano Roosevelt once described the North Carolina Executive Mansion as having “the most beautiful governor’s residence interior in America.” Home to 30 N.C. governors since 1891, the Victorian-style mansion is filled with fine 18th and 19th-century furnishings and art. Guided, 30-minute tours of the mansion, available on Wednesdays and Thursdays this fall between Sept. 13 and Nov. 9, must be booked two weeks in advance for groups containing minimum of 5 guests.

James B. Hunt Jr. Library

Said by some to be one of the most advanced libraries in the world, the James B. Hunt Library—opened in 2013—was built to reflect North Carolina State University’s status as a preeminent technological research university. Bold and iconic, the library’s architectural design strikes a unique presence with its intriguing design of glass and zigzagging, solar fins. Inside, be dazzled by technological wonders like curved digital display screens, touchscreen kiosks and bookBot—a subterranean robot programmed to fetch books from the 1.5 million housed in an underground storage facility.

Disc golf

Top-level courses from Apex to Zebulon make the Raleigh area one of the nation’s top destinations for disc golf. So, grab your discs and try your hand at free courses like Cedar Hills Park, Buckhorn, Zebulon Community Park and Diavolo at New Hope (ranked as one of the top courses in the country!).

Historic Yates Mill County Park

At 174 acres, this wildlife refuge and environmental research center has it all—hiking trails, a 24-acre pond and Historic Yates Mill, Wake County’s last remaining gristmill (fully restored and operable!). Tour the mill to learn about the “farm-to-fork” process, witness the corn grinding process and purchase bags of ground yellow and white cornmeal. Admission is free, but the mill tour (available to the public March through Nov.) will cost $3-5.

Joel Lane Museum House

Plantation owner and early settler Joel Lane sold 1,000 acres of his plantation to the state of North Carolina for the establishment of a capital city in 1792. The oldest home in Wake County, Lane's 18th-century manor house is widely known as the birthplace of Raleigh. Guided tours are provided by costumed docents, with offerings that vary by season. See website for current details. 

Lake Crabtree County Park

Perfect for hikers, kayakers and mountain bikers, this county park (which was the first county park established in the Raleigh area) welcomes all to the shores of the 520-acre Lake Crabtree in Morrisville. With nature trails, seasonal boat rentals, playgrounds, picnic facilities, a fishing pier and more, there are tons of recreational activities to take part in at little to no cost (including free rentals of kayaks, sailboats and more!).

Pullen Park

Looking for affordable family entertainment while visiting Raleigh? Then Pullen Park is the place to visit! Entertaining families since 1887, Pullen Park—nestled between downtown Raleigh and the main campus of North Carolina State University—was established as N.C.'s first state park (and it's the fifth oldest amusement park in the U.S.). Admission and access to the playgrounds, grassy and tree-shaded areas, picnic shelters, grills and tables are all free. Families can also enjoy amusement rides, including a historic carousel first built in 1911, for a small fee.

Wake Forest Historical Museum

Discover the rich past of Wake Forest, one of 11 municipalities in the Raleigh area and the birthplace of Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.). The Wake Forest Historical Museum houses a vast collection of photographs, books and artifacts, while offering an even deeper dive into history with guest speaker lectures. Also check out the restored home of Dr. Calvin Jones, physician and founder of the N.C. Medical Society and one-time mayor of Raleigh.

The best dog parks

Stretch your legs and soak up the warm Carolina sun at one of many dog parks in the Raleigh area. A local favorite is Millbrook Exchange Off-Leash Dog Park, recently renovated after winning a nationwide contest sponsored by Purina. In addition to fun agility elements, dig pits and water fountains, the park also features separate play spaces for large and small breeds.

Other great parks to check out include Jack Smith Dog Park in Cary, Apex Nature Dog Park and the Dix Park Dog Park, a newly relocated off-leash play area for pups in one of the city's most popular outdoor hangouts. 

^{Photo credits: N.C. State Fair, Justin Kase Conder; Pullen Park, Chris Richman; Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden, Brian Magee; COR Museum, Keenan Hairston; Lake Crabtree County Park, Chris Richman; Wake Forest Historical Museum, Keenan Hairston}