This park has such beautiful, well-kept grounds with nice walking trails and plenty of outdoor…read moreart/sculptures to keep you entertained and amazed. There is also a flower garden, a mini lake, a picnic area, and plenty of parking available. We came on a Monday afternoon with the intention of going to the museum that is within the park, however, since it was closed we decided to walk around the park instead. We thought it would be 30 minutes and we would have walked the entire thing. We were wrong. The place is huge! We tried to say within the shaded spots but ended up walking through the parts without shade. There were so cute things like a little hut I dubbed the hobbit house because it kind of looked like one. There was an interactive art installation area with musical swings (apologies if these aren't the correct terminology) but you swing yourself and it triggers some musical notes. Way cool! Another installation were these bars you pull or push around which also triggers musical notes. We had a great time checking out some outdoor arts and taking in the scenery during our stroll. This park had so many interesting things to look at or in my case, take photos at with my long lost sister. Next time I am in the area, I am definitely coming here again. What a beautiful place!

I love this park. We typically come during the day to enjoy the paths but we came today early in…read morethe morning with our run club. The trails within the park were closed (not sure why), so we went running around the park. It's especially hilly in this area and connects to the greenway. It's great for endurance training. We also love to come here for picnics, photo shoots, and bike rides.

I drove in from Charlotte area to attend a 'First Friday' event hosted by my daughter-in-law. Her…read moreand my Son live in New Hampshire so she came into town to for the entire month of July to paint and get prepared for the 8/1/25 event. Molly is a talented and experienced artist, primarily in oil and acrylic. They had invited about a dozen or so people from around CLT Region who came into town to see her and James since they live in NH. It was an interesting evening because it started raining hard just about 7p as the event was getting in gear. I'm sure it deterred quite a few from attending. There are two floors with other 'artist in residence' so it was a lively and diverse Friday crowd. I did make it 'upstairs' to meet Caitlin Cary, a local artist who has a studio there. Some may know here as vocalist/violin player with Ryan Adams formerly of the band Whiskeytown.

A great eclectic collection of local artists. Friendly front desk receptionist. Fun to see some…read moreartists currently working in their studios. Inspiring experience.

While this venue appears to be gorgeous, LGBTQ couples BEWARE. After noticing several religious…read moreitems in their pictures, I emailed to ask if they were open to working with queer couples and got the following in response: "This venue is located at our Christian home. We personally have gay friends but we believe their behavior is a sin. I am a sinner and I believe we should love the sinner and hate the sin. The current law allows gay couples to marry. I think gay couples should respect the beliefs of others just as they want to be respected. " Clearly, they don't want to come right out and say we are not welcome, but they made it clear. Nowhere in my initial email was I disrespectful to them, so I'm not sure whey they felt the need to point out that we needed to respect their beliefs. A simple, "We can not accommodate your request at this time," would have been fine. We were not asking them to officiate our wedding. We were asking them if they would do their jobs as business owners, take our money, host our event, and keep their personal opinions to themselves. How their religious beliefs impact their business I don't really understand. It is really too bad, because as I mentioned, this venue looks absolutely gorgeous. However after the rude and frankly condescending email back, I will be taking my business elsewhere. I suggest those who support marriage equality do not support this highly unprofessional business.

The venue is absolutely beautiful! The owners are fantastic and will go out of their way to make…read moresure your special day is everything you dreamed of! It's so calming and the views are stunning. Guests will have an unforgettable experience and the pictures are all fantastic here due to the breathtaking natural beauty. Five stars!!

There's a giant cat prowling car dealership parking lots in Zebulon NC. I managed to find it! Two…read morestories tall, it's currently mounted on a trailer. Considering that the cougar is nearly 50 years old, it's in amazingly good shape. Originally part of a promotional stunt for the Mercury Cougar automobile, it's worth a stop to check it out and get a unique selfie. Thanks to Atlas Obscura for this one. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mercury-cougar [Review 11744 overall, 1526 of 2019.]

Where can you find a well-concealed sculpture garden in the woods of the Duke campus? Hidden behind…read morethe college of law! The parking lot required a pass of some kind that I did not possess. But, I can't be stopped! I parked out on the street and just walked to the back of the building and found my way! The labeled sculptures are found along a circular path that meanders in a vague circle through the woods. Each is definitely unique and worth seeing! Life is good with a unique sculpture garden in the woods!

Can you find these three public art exhibits in Durham? We did! They were designed by artist Mary…read moreCarter Taub after she was chosen from 27 applicants for a city sponsored art project. It's a blend of Art Deco and Pop Art inspired by Rice Krispies! Parking was a major challenge to take pictures at each location but we didn't get any tickets! Just be bold and be safe! The locations are at the corner of Blackwell and Vivian, near the Marriott City Center and The Bull Statue, and at the Durham Central Park on Foster Street. Life is good with unique local art!

This is not named after the rice crispy treats. This is the snap crackle and pop public art…read moredisplay. We are walking around and I came across this and thought it was pretty cool.

I've visited JC Raulston Arboretum many times. Sometimes I come for a stroll on my lunch break, but…read morethis occasion was for a friend's 40th Birthday celebration. She hosted a Harry Potter themed tea party at the White Garden. It was unseasonably hot for September, but thankfully there was plenty of shade at the location. It's a beautiful natural backdrop with trees and flowers. The white gazebo is quite lovely also. It's a beautiful place to walk around and it's also free entry. I haven't been to their Moonlight in the Garden event yet, but I'll keep trying to make it eventually.

Beautiful gardens with plenty of shade to explore. Loved what I could see of the rose gardens…read more Great spot for this wanting to get married there. Terrain wasn't too rough for anything who wants a casual stroll.

Located in the museum park, off one of the trails and in a corner where you're probably not going…read moreto just stumble upon it is this extremely interesting artwork. It took me about 90 minutes of walking and wandering until I finally found it. Difficult because it's not on one of the paved trails and some of the woods trails are marked off. But I did eventually get there. The Cloud Chamber is a "camera obscura" that uses a pinhole in the roof to project a mirror image of the lit area onto the walls. After you step inside and close the door, once your eyes adjust, you'll see trees and clouds and blue sky projected across the white cement walls. It's very clever! Thank you to artist Chris Drury who installed this stone, wood and turf structure in 2003. And thank you as well to Atlas Obscura for the entry: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cloud-chamber-for-the-trees-and-sky GPS coordinates: 35.805927805555555, -78.69912752777778 [Review 11689 overall, 1471 of 2019.]

Very interesting for all ages. Great use of the natural landscape for animal enclosures and…read morehabitats. My personal favorite was the butterfly house. Especially loved the pollinator garden outside the insect building. Climbing feature was well loved by the little in our group. The digging for artifacts and fossils was appreciated by the teen in our group. Red wolf exhibit was awesome once we spotted the mom dad and baby on video. Also appreciated the sensory room.

Amazing place to visit with your family. Lots of place for the kids to get busy and roam around…read more The place isn't that hot on a sunny day since it is surrounded by tall trees.