This marker stands at an intersection in Pullen Park and points out the nearby presence of the…read moreNorth Carolina State School for the Blind. It is a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker but it is not numbered and is not in the search. The marker reads, "Established 1845 under leadership of Governor John Motley Morehead." The marker was erected in 1952 by the Archives, Conservation and Highway Departments. The North Carolina State School for the Blind was established in 1845 as the North Carolina Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. It was one of the first state-supported educational programs for children with disabilities in the South. The initiative was spearheaded by Governor John Motley Morehead, who was a strong advocate for education and the disabled. The school initially opened in Raleigh with four teachers and 23 deaf students between the ages of 8 and 32. By 1851, blind students began enrolling, and the institution expanded to include vocational classes such as shoemaking and sewing. The school remained open during the Civil War, although it faced challenges due to a lack of supplies. Over the years, the school underwent several changes, including desegregation in the 1960s and a name change to Governor Morehead School in 1964. Today, it continues to serve as a K-12 public school for the blind, providing education and support to students with visual impairments. There isn't a good spot to stop to read the marker unless you park in Pullen Park and walk over. [Review 2459 of 2024 - 3914 in North Carolina - 23471 overall]

This 115 foot monument is on the campus of North Carolina State University and it's darned hard to…read moremiss. Towering over the area in the daytime and well lit up at night, the bell tower was completed in 1937 and the class of 1938 donated the clock (it seems to keep pretty good time) and the class of 1939 donated the floodlights. The formal dedication was held on November 11 (Armistice Day) 1949. The memorial plaque lists 34 alumni who died in the war and according to the website I found, a 35 name who was wrongly reported as KIA and wasy included by mistake. The university decided to alter the name and change it to George E. Jefferson, a symbol of unknown soldiers from NC State and elsewhere. Sometimes, the tower is lit up in red. This is to honor veterans such as Memorial Day and Veterans' Day. At the moment, the tower contains speakers and a sound system that play chimes, rather than an actual bell.

NC State's Bell Tower is a campus icon…read more If you look closely at the tower you can see the color differences where work on the tower was halted for events of the 20th century. There are special circumstances where the tower is lit red at night. Go Pack! https://www.ncsu.edu/belltower/

The Mordecai House was opened this past weekend for the annual Holiday Open House. With COVID, it…read morewas a little different than usual. Names and phone numbers were taken as well as a temperature check and the typical questions asked about being ill and travel. Masks were required and hand sanitizer was available. The chapel and visitor's center were open too so they provided a wrist band after you were checked so you didn't need to be checked again. I was very impressed how well planned they were for this. The number in the house and each room were limited too. Volunteers were inside in each room to provide some history. The rooms were also decorated for different periods of time over 235 years from Victorian to the Civil War to The house is the oldest house in Raleigh on its original foundation. A lot of the original items are still in the home. Besides the house, the park has a garden, law office, kitchen, chapel so there is plenty to see or have a picnic in the park.

Quaint area in downtown Raleigh with historic homes and buildings that have been preserved in their…read moreoriginal state. Unfortunately we arrived too late in the day to partake in the guided tour, but it was still interesting to walk around and read about the buildings. I would not make a special trip for just the Mordecai Historic Park, but it's definitely worth adding to your Itinerary if you're planning a trip to Raleigh.

Beautifully illuminated at night and I've seen it then but today I was here when I was visiting the…read moreNorth Carolina Museum of Art and walking on their greenway to find a specific artwork. It is apparently the longest pedestrian bridge in the state. Bringing the House Creek Greenway Trail over Interstate 440 and joining the Museum of Art with Meredith College. From the Museum parking lot, follow the blue trail and continue south and east until you get to the bridge. You can also listen for the sounds of traffic. Note that the trail is not lighted at night. [Review 11687 overall, 1469 of 2019.]

Decorated for Christmas and included live music in the rotunda!…read more Impressive building and well worth a visit. Amazing architecture. Symbols of our state and our country including the portrait of George Washington are impressive.

Quite an unremarkable building. Surprisinglybdisappointing actually. Lots of construction and muddy…read moregrounds. Parking a challenge too.

The historic Raleigh Water Tower is located in Downtown Raleigh on West Morgan Street. Built in…read more1887, it stands 85 feet tall. It held 100,000 gallons of water. At the time, it was Raleigh's tallest building. The water tower marked the beginning of water quality concerns and the move away from private wells and cisterns. Fires were another big concern. Walnut Creek water was the water source, and the tower used steam pumps and sand filters. The vertical design ensured adequate water pressure for everyone in Raleigh. Structurally, the iron water tank sat atop a massive octagonal red brick tower supported by a five-foot-thick, locally quarried granite base that transitioned seamlessly to a matching two-story office building. The city took over the infrastructure in 1913, but by 1924 it could no longer meet the area's needs because of population growth. They dismantled the tank, and the building sat neglected for 15 years. It was set to be demolished until Raleigh architect William Henley Deitrick bought the property and made it his office. He preserved a rare example of Romanesque Revival industrial architecture in downtown Raleigh. It was the first time a historic property got an adaptive reuse. He built four floors inside the tower's cavity, with a spiral staircase winding along the brick walls. He preserved the pine framing beams visible at the roof's apex. He worked on the blueprints for mid-century modern structures like the E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant, Dorton Arena, Halifax Court, Chavis Heights, and a modernization of the News & Observer Building. In 1963, Deitrick deeded the historic building and its covenants to the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which used the building for almost 50 years before outgrowing it in 2010. In 1971, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a preserved piece of Raleigh's history. It is currently home to Tower Escapes, a premier multi-level Raleigh escape room that lets visitors climb through Deitrick's historic spiral layout to solve immersive puzzles. It is a must-stop for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts alike!

I wasn't sure what this odd tower was all about and after some poking around, now I know. And now…read moreyou know, too. Constructed in 1887, this was the main water tower for the city of Raleigh for 37 years. Before the tower was here, most of the water in the city came from private wells and such. But in the 1880's, a municipal system was built that drew water from nearby Walnut Creek and was carried to a nearby pumping station. The water was forced through sand filters and then into the 100,000 gallon water tank sat on top of the tower. But this point, this was the supply for the enter city and it wasn't keeping up. So in 1913, the city built a larger facility and built a larger dam upstream and this facility was decommissioned in 1924 and the steel tank was removed. Since then, the facility was converted into offices for an architectural firm and on to become a headquarters for a fast food company and lately, it's just a Historic Landmark for the city with an Tower Escapes company having two escape rooms inside. [Review 11585 overall, 1365 of 2019.]

I got the opportunity to attend a Juneteenth event at the governor's mansion & governor Josh Stein…read morespoke & presented a proclamation to honor the day. There were also dancers, a singer, food, and vendors at the event. All of the employees that we engaged with were pleasant. We also had the opportunity to tour the first floor of the mansion while at the event. It was a great event to start my day.

Christmas time at our (North Carolinians) house. Wonderfully decorated and impressive home…read more Security, volunteers, and staff were all super friendly. The whole event was well organized with choirs, too! Kudos!

I had never been to the Joel Lane House Museum so the Fourth of July Celebration was the perfect…read moretime. The museum offers free parking on St. Mary's Street and more parking in front of the house on West Hargett. Admission is usually charged but was free for this event as we were not given the official tour but received $4 off coupons to return for a tour. They provided Howling Cow ice cream and free lemonade too. So who was Joel Lane? Joel Lane is considering a Founding Father of North Carolina and Raleigh. He sold 1,000 acres of land to make Raleigh the State Capital. The Joel Lane Museum House is the oldest house in Raleigh and is older than Wake County. The decision to move North Carolina's Capital to Raleigh happened in the Joel Lane House. As they say "it was the room that it happened". Joel Lane was a slave holder of 43 adults and children. They are the ones who built the house and maintained the plantation, raising the livestock, cooking and caring for the Lane family. The museum provides a way for us to see how life would have been back then from the candles to the necessary to the toys they had to how they made yarn for clothing. The herb garden provided a method for medicine. The holiday event provided an overview but I am planning to return for a tour to learn more of the history and see all of the property.

I stumbled upon this gem of a history lesson by accident while walking to downtown from our Airbnb…read more Catherine gave my son and I a great tour and history of Raleigh. I'm a history buff and she was able to keep me interested in an area of the country I know little of. Always fun to learn local history. It's free and enjoyable.

We've just moved here from the West Coast, and family came to visit. They love historical homes and…read morehistory, but all the ones online that are so beautiful I guess are closed now, which is really sad!! So we didn't have any hopes for this one BUT ladies were there and helped us get a tour the next day!!! They were all so sweet and great!! My parents were so impressed with the facts of the tour and our tour guide that we talked about it for hours afterwards!!! So if you love history and gorgeous homes, make sure you sign up for a tour!! You can also stay in the house if you're having your wedding there!

I got married at Haywood Hall & Gardens on 11/04/2017. We found Haywood Hall in July 2016 and…read moreimmediately fell in love! Greg, Haywood Hall's curator, is so helpful and can answer any question you might have about holding your wedding at the location. The grounds are beautiful and the house as the backdrop to the ceremony is unique. We spent about 16 months planning our wedding. Greg has lots of recommendations for outside vendors, as you need to bring everything, from tables and chairs, alcohol, food, cake, etc. in as none of this is provided by the venue. This gives you a lot of flexibility to plan your own wedding, but does require a lot of time and effort. Both the ceremony and reception sites are outdoor, so be wary of that because there is no flexible rain plan. It might not be the great choice for summer or winter, but mid-April through early June and mid-September through mid-November are perfect for holding a wedding. I've seen the springs blooms and we had peak fall colors the first week of November. Just an all-around unique piece of Raleigh that in my opinion is a great place to have your special day.

My sister and I came in just to look because the inside looks so cool. They're super strict on…read moreCOVID rules just because of how tiny a shop it is. A lady sprayed our hands with alcohol and told us if we touched any crystals we need to let them know so they can sanitize it. (Which is amazing because crystals are touched so much and it's gross) I bought some chime candles and two books. Everyone was super cool and nice! They even have a large goddess altar, which was awesome to see! Definitely will come here when I'm in Raleigh and need herbs (they have a huge collection).

I had a reading with Magda at Holy Rose and left feeling extremely uncomfortable. The session…read morequickly turned negative, and I was told I had a curse that needed to be removed. I was then pressured to pay $200 for a "curse removal." As a single mom barely making it, this felt insensitive and exploitative. Instead of feeling supported or spiritually guided, I felt targeted and pressured to spend money out of fear. I believe spiritual services should empower people, not scare them into paying for expensive add-ons. This experience did not feel ethical or supportive, and I would not recommend to anyone. On a side note I had to go else where to be cleansed because ever since I was in contact with her my life has been in shambles.