What a huge playground and play plaza! I came here with my niece and some family, and we all had a great time. There's something here for kids of all ages, and the place is so big we didn't even get to try everything. We played at the water structure, along with tons of slides, climbing structures, and rope activities. The bathrooms were clean, parking was free, and there were plenty of shaded areas to cool off in. I especially loved all the water features for kids to beat the summer heat. We spotted a splash pad and a waterfall on our way out too. read more

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When my brother-in-law and his children came to visit from St. Louis, there was one destination I knew had to make our itinerary: Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park. With temperatures soaring, it felt like the perfect place to spend the afternoon, especially knowing the kids could cool off in the park's interactive water features. From the moment we arrived, it was clear why Gipson Play Plaza has quickly become one of Raleigh's most beloved public spaces. Spanning 18.5 acres, it's the largest adventure playground in the Southeast, thoughtfully designed with climbing towers, imaginative play spaces, gardens, public art, and sweeping views of the Raleigh skyline. Parking was plentiful, making it easy to start exploring. Our first stop was the beautifully restored House of Many Porches Market, where you'll find snacks, cold drinks, indoor restrooms, and a welcome escape from the summer heat before heading back outside for more adventure. The children loved moving from one area to the next: running through the water play features, climbing, exploring, and discovering something new around nearly every corner. One of the most memorable moments of our visit was feeding the fish, a quiet pause that became an unexpected highlight amid all the excitement. One thing to note is that on especially hot days, some of the metal slides may be temporarily closed for safety. While completely understandable, it can be a little disappointing for children eager to experience every part of the playground. If I could change one thing, it would simply be adding more traditional swings on the playground. That's purely personal preference, though, and certainly didn't take away from what is an incredibly well-designed space. Gipson Play Plaza is more than just a playground: it's a place where families can comfortably spend an entire afternoon. Between the thoughtful amenities, imaginative design, and variety of activities, it's easy to understand why it's become a destination for both locals and visitors alike. Despite the summer heat, we had a wonderful time, and I can already picture how beautiful it will be to return on a crisp fall morning. read more

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This playground is clean and spacious, which we appreciated. However, I wasn't a fan of the layout. There aren't many gates or enclosed areas, so it can be easy for younger kids to wander off. The splash pad is also on the smaller side, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, it's a nice park, but I think a few design improvements would make it even better. read more

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Free parking, water play, clean bathrooms and a huge play structure. There is literally something here for everyone even the adults! The kiddos had so much fun exploring this park. We even had a family picnic and enjoyed our food at the tables. read more

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This Play Plaza is beautiful and has lots of fun features. Make sure the kids have bathing suits to take full advantage of the waterfall. The walking paths are lined with lots of flowers and the playground is multi-level with enough space for kids and adults alike. Climbing, sliding, swinging, it has it all. There were a couple of food trucks on our visit, one was icees and lemonade and that was truly refreshing. The other had churros and gyros. Clean, new parks and spacious picnic areas with LOTS of shade trees. Will be back. read more

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It was a great experience but not accessible for people who can't walk far . This was the last week to see them so it was great to see them all again . I hope to see you again trolls . read more

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It was great experience to see how well this area has been developed. It was HOT HOT HOT day to say the least. But there are a lot of splash areas for kids and adults to cool down and have fun. They have ample seating in and ohtside shade to cool down or just have a picnic. There seems to be a ton of parking available and the surrounding parks are pretty neat too. If you have little ones you wanna entertain, this is a must visit place for anyone close to raleigh. read more

Great place for families of all age groups... picnic area with grills ... plenty. Of play options with bridges... slides.. tunnels.. sand... water... sensory... and the list goes on and beautiful set up. read more

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Amazing park!! Wish it was more bike fiendly but I understand. Water area is epic for the kids read more

Gipson Play Plaza - Playgrounds Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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You've never seen a playground like this. Raleigh flew in German engineers to design this play plaza! New to Raleigh? Come see what we are about here! This place has a man made creek that suns into a sand pit where water meets the beach! There's a slide that goes underground! A market that sells coffee, ice cream, sandwiches and beer. Enjoy an adjacent hammock with your friends. Free parking welcomes you as you pull up to this children's wonderland. Bring a cooler and grill out! Don't forget sunblock! Need a potty break? Access multiple single stall restrooms with changing tables. Oh! Bring a bathing suit. This place is water friendly aka they have a grotto! read more

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I had the pleasure of attending the Gipson Play Plaza opening weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina. The park is beautiful and has something for everyone. I really loved the sensory maze--kids enjoyed the mirrors and spinning toys, and it really kept them engaged. The waterfall and water park were wonderful additions, and they were perfect for keeping everyone cool in the hot summer sun. The kids especially enjoyed the waterfall and the water spouts. The decor was so cool; we loved looking up at the big blow-up flowers and ladybugs in the trees. The food trucks all had such yummy food, and we especially loved the Dole Whip vendor. We had easy access to the numerous bathrooms in the plaza. You can tell the organizers wanted to keep the bathrooms easily accessible while making sure that they didn't feel removed from the experience. You can tell the city has put a lot of thought into this creatively playful plaza, and I will definitely be back! read more

IT'S FINALLY HERE AND IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT YA'LL! We were lucky enough to be amongst the first there this past Friday, during their grand opening event. It's absolutely stunning! Truly, truly, stunning... You can just tell they've put so much thought and care into every detail in this project. It's such a gift to the area... - Lots of free parking and getting in was a breeze. We walked from the parking on Biggs but they were running free shuttles from the lots of Umstead and Hunt also. Staff were friendly and helpful directing us on where to go. - The kids cooled off in the waterfall splash pad and loved the swings and slides. There are lots of fun little interactive experiences nestled into this Plaza... doubt we saw them all to be honest! - There were lots of places to sit and hang out... lush green grass, park benches, picnic tables, and seats next to the play areas etc. - We loved the House of Many porches as a hang out too... We didn't realize they had a cafe / store on the property, so that was a nice little surprise. We got a latte and a matcha, as it was early, but they also were selling beer/wine too. - They were doing all kinds of fun stuff for the grand opening event. They had live music performances on a stage opposite the fountain plaza waterfall, large inflatables in the trees, food trucks, and had everything lit up beautifully at night. Not sure what is just for the event vs. there all the time but it was really well put together and we had a blast. We will be spending tons of time at Gipson Play Plaza. Thank you for creating such a wonderful place for our community! read more

We came with our 3 year old and had a great time. A lot of the play area had signs for 5 years old and up. So I would recommend it more for at least that age, as the slides are pretty crazy (awesome) looking but way too steep for a little toddler. He still had a wonderful time. There was a water park area and an area to play in the sand. Wear crocks/sandals (parents too). They even had an outdoor sunscreen dispenser going. The bathrooms were spacious and really nice. I'm normally dreading taking my kid to a public bathroom but they were clean and you had your own "private bathroom" but many bathrooms so you're not waiting. There were many tables with umbrellas to provide shade. We went on a busy weekend and there were still plenty of tables with shade. Although in this NC summer heat I don't know that you can really escape the sun. But it certainly helped! The parking was about a 6 minute walk. They do provide shuttles. I recommend looking at the map on their website before going to determine which parking lot is best. Overall it was a great time. If you have younger toddlers I recommend Pullen park across the street and if you have older kids I recommend this one. However, both are awesome and you have to experience either at least once! read more

Love the concept, super cute, great for all ages. Parking is a massive con and the biggest is no shade. The majority of benches and tables are in the sun as well. Very hard to find a place under cover unless you are in the underground kids play area. They actually DO have very expensive shades randomly thought the park they are just put up incorrectly and offer no shade in the locations set. If they fixed that and parking wasn't atrocious/closed down a lot for tiny events , it would be perfect read more

Great fun and lots of options for kids up to 12 (or older!) plenty of water play options for hot weather, climbing and jumping, sensory options-- best playground option around. read more

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