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Pullen Park

4.7 (190 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

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Deja H.

We visited Pullen Park for their holiday express and I was just reminded about how great of a time we had. So this review is coming right before we get to go again this year!! It was our first year getting tickets to their holiday express, and I'd say it's probably more fulfilling for kids but we had a great time haha. We loved riding the train and looking at all the lights, going on the carousel. They had concessions, a DJ, a fire pit station with multiple fire pits to make smores with the fire department. Everything was just Christmas magic! We hope to get tickets again this year, they sell out SUPER fast.

Anissa W.

I visited for the first time on 9/17/22. It was a bright, sunny, humid day. I usually don't like being outside because the bugs tear me up, but I didn't didn't bother me much here. The scenery was beautiful. There were plenty of places within the park with different parties/events going on. It was festive and fun. It was full of happy people and the scents of yummy food grilling nearby. There were paths and hills everywhere, so if you're looking to get a good workout in, this is the place for you. There were cute paddle boats to rent and float around the lake. I didn't get to get on one this go 'round, but I will definitely do it next visit. I truly enjoyed myself. It's a great place for the kids to play, and there's a carousel. I had a good time. Next time, I'm taking my son. :)

Pullen Park Train
Elizabeth N.

Visited for the first time this while living in NC. Even in December it's beautiful! The staff is observant and aware. They suggested the back of the train for my child with autism and sensitivity. It's a very cost effective family outing! I'd say, go! Enjoy the fresh air and have fun!

Stephen C.

Fun well organized and clean park. My grandson loved the train and carousel. There are nice walking paths and lots of play equipment. They have snack shops, clean restrooms. Overall very nice facilities

Yucky burgers that went in the trash... not the fault of workers.
Staci T.

The park is amazing as always, but it's a shame they changed the menu at the café. There used to be such great healthy options and now there are burgers and just a couple other sandwiches. The burgers that they advertise are horrible unfortunately. They taste like they were frozen patties that were microwaved. There's no firmness to them. They're mushy. Just weird. I used to love coming here to eat and now I usually look at the menu and walk away. Today I came with my granddaughters and they didn't like the burgers either. Thankfully, the grilled cheese is just as good as it always was. Still giving the park a 5, but the café is a definite 2.

Rebecca M.

Pullen Park is a wonderful park to visit in Raleigh. It also has so much history. I was fortunate to be able to attend one of the history tours of the park. I learned so much of the history of the park. My tour guide was Patrick and he was very informative. Masks are recommended to be worn but not required unless on the train or carousel. There are reminders to stay 6 feet apart as well and most followed that but some did not. Pullen Park has existed since 1887. I had no idea that there used to be zoo on the property. The zoo had squirrels; rabbits; raccoons; guinea pigs; monkeys; alligators; a lion; bears and a buffalo. Visitors were not nice to the animals, poking them with sticks and giving them candy. Matches were given to the monkeys and they almost set their enclosures on fire. The zoo closed in 1938. Raleigh's first public swimming pool was also here. They transformed a cow pasture. The pool was made of wood and near the lake so that is where the water came from. The pool was not chlorinated in 1921. Only white men could bathe here at first. Then it was opened to women twice a week for just three hours but they needed a male companion. The pool was not racially integrated until 1963. Although before that date, some black males went swimming with white males and all the pools in the city were closed. So some fighting for Civil Rights occurred in Pullen Park. Lake Howell, a man made lake was created in 1935 for boating. One year the lake froze and was used for ice skating. The area now has nicer landscaping, the gazebo and pedestrian bridges. The Half Moon tree was highlighted on my tour. 500 seeds went to the moon in 1971 on Apollo14. Each of those seeds had a twin that is called a half moon seed. Pullen Park received one of those seeds. The Sycamore seed was planted near Lake Howell. A miniature train used to be on the property as well and tickets were only 5 cents. The miniature train went around a small distance unlike the current train ride that goes around the park. The current carousel was brought to the park in 1921 and was handmade. There are 23 of these handmade carousels left in the country. A Wurlitzer, a military band organ, plays the music inside the carousel building. It has Plexiglas around it so it isn't so loud. The Southern Railroad caboose was donated in 1975. There is a tribute to Andy Griffith and Opie. The fishing rods were stolen so just the bases remain. Today the park has an aquatic center; tennis courts; baseball fields; picnic shelters; an arts center and a theatre. Food is sold at the cafe and there are restrooms available. Pullen Park is understaffed at the moment so the attractions are not open on the same days. The carousel and the train run on different days of the week. I highly recommend visiting this wonderful park!!!

Bao Y H.

This park is beautiful! It is clean, lush, and has a lot to offer for everyone, especially families with children. We were visiting the area and were staying close by. Upon looking up things to do in the area, this came up. We visited on a nice day and were able to take the mini train ride around the park. We also enjoyed a ride on the indoor carousel. The tickets were easy to buy online in my opinion but there seems to be a lot of people who had trouble with the technology. You can order them online and print them out as well, which is nice. Each ride is $1.50/person. After the rides we just strolled around the park and took in some sun. It's a great place and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Parking is free and the lot was quite full but it was a summer Friday and there seemed to be a lot of large groups there.

Their train ride is accessible and accompanied my service dog
Nicole K.

This is one of the most handicap accessible parks I've been too, even there train is accessible!

Andy Griffith
Dani N.

It is so much bigger than you think it'll be! My family and I were looking for a cool, outdoor scene to walk around and maybe play some cards in. I found Pullen Park on Yelp and it looked pretty nice but had no idea it would be as "official" as it was. We pulled into the large parking lot and thought there may be a big event going on with all the cars there. As we were walking in we saw the tickets and information desk in front of us, snack stands to the right and a big blue overhead sign announcing we were entering the park. Very theme park like! We walked around exploring the grounds for an hour or two. There were tons of fish in the ponds, beautiful birds flying over and cute little snapping turtles everywhere. It was a Friday afternoon in early Fall, the leaves were not really changing yet and it was hot as an Arizona desert, but beautiful nonetheless. The peddle-boats were not open on Friday afternoon so instead we took the train around the park. It was very short but all the young kids loved it. There were also mini tug boats that went around in circles for ages, probably, 5 and below. The park had lots of beautiful scenery, pretty clean restrooms, a handful of playground areas with sand pits and jungle gyms, an old indoor carousel, and much more. It was a great place to walk around and kill some time. I highly recommend it for families looking for a free spot, outdoors to come enjoy with other play pals. It's a beautiful spot for photo ops and even a cute, free date/picnic spot. We had a nice time and would recommend.

Lisa C.

Rewind to JoJo at Unleashed in City Market who implored me to check out Pullen Park when I inquired what the must see venues are in Raleigh. I thank her a million times over. This park is epic! It's beautiful, plentiful and has every feature one could want in a park and then some. If I were planning an outdoor and / or destination wedding, I would absolutely consider this location. There's so much to do at this park. I don't even know where to start! I'll start with the train ride and the railroad that takes visitors throughout the park. The park entrance is free and the train ride costs $1.50 per person. Tickets can be purchased through a QR code and don't require any interaction. One simply purchases ticket(s) on their mobile device and shows the conductor. Talk about a great way to see all Pullen Park has to offer! This park is definitely a beautiful place to walk or run. There's a lake with paddle boats at the dock, but all with the exception of the train ride is closed compliments of Covid. The park features a 110 year old carousel (also closed) that has the most majestic animals. There are a multitude of play areas for children and I took notice of a few separate rides (currently closed). There are areas for eating and food and beverage are available for sale. Additionally, there is a humble gift shop with a small yet wonderful variety of merchandise for sale. The prices are extremely fair and the cashier who was working on the day of my visit was lovely. She had a great personality and was extremely knowledgeable about the park. I visited with a time constraint, but I look forward to returning on another visit without a curfew and wearing my running shoes.

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2 years ago

These are cool little vibe for the kids, we had a great time and it definitely kept our 4yr old busy

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2 years ago

Clean , fun for the children, nice in the summer , picnic areas ,train rides restroom

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7 years ago

What a cool park. Nice place for a family outing or reunion. They have paddle boats, a train, carousel, playground food. Very nice.

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Ask the Community - Pullen Park

Is this park Dog friendly?

Do Pullen park have splash pad?

No, they do not they have an indoor pool though

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Review Highlights - Pullen Park

The hostess made it super easy and had tickets we could use on the train, carousel, and paddle boats.

Mentioned in 96 reviews

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Frankie's

Frankie's

(274 reviews)

I came to Frankie's with a group under the impression that I was just going to get a few drinks at…read morethe bar, socialize and play some games. Well I can say that ate and played more games than drank. The food here was surprisingly really good. I ate at the Chill Lounge Bar area and the bartender provided such amazing service this night. It's too bad I cannot remember this man's name but he was awesome. My friend and I ordered chicken quesadillas, French fries, and a slice of pizza. The bartender told us the food would be really good, but of course we expect some bias. He wasn't wrong! And the portions are pretty large btw. We could have shared the quesadillas. We both took half of them home and shared the fries. Everything was fresh and hot and I will certainly return with a group. Of course the games were a blast. Had an amazing time with ALL ADULTS btw playing laser tag and go karts lol we were like big kids again. Laser tag was so much fun. As soon as they split us up into teams and let us into the area, it was like kids on a playground again. Overall, it was an awesome time. I'd even suggest team-building activities for corporate here if possible.

Frankie's Review - 3/5…read more While in town, we decided to visit Frankie's after it was recommended to me by my boss, and this time I had my husband and 12-year-old son with me. Overall, it was a nice way to spend time together as a family and gave us something fun to do during our visit. Frankie's offers a good variety of attractions, and my son especially enjoyed the rides, including the claw, roller coaster, and zero gravity experience. We also played putt-putt golf, which was enjoyable, though I personally found the course a bit less challenging than similar places I've visited before. The road course was also on the shorter side, but still fun for what it offered. One thing I would note is that the pricing felt a bit high, particularly for the arcade games and rides, especially considering some of the experiences are fairly brief. We also found the pizza to be a little overpriced, so we chose other food options as well as their burger and Philly cheesesteak. Unfortunately, one part of the experience that stood out in a less positive way was the customer service around some of the attractions. Several of the attendants seemed very nonchalant and disengaged, almost as if they were not very happy to be there. That kind of energy can affect the overall atmosphere and, for me, made it less likely that I would return or recommend it. We also had to wait for attendants to assist with some of the more interactive 3D-style games, which interrupted the flow of the experience. That being said, one of my personal favorites ended up being the carnival 3D shooting game, even though we did have to wait for an attendant before we could play. Once we got on, it was definitely one of the more enjoyable parts of the visit for me. On the positive side, it was not crowded during our visit, which made the experience much more relaxed and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed spending time in the arcade with my family, and that ended up being one of the highlights of our visit. I also want to mention our experience in the bar area with Olivia Jackson, who provided such warm and pleasant service. She was courteous, attentive, and truly showed genuine Southern hospitality. Her kindness and professionalism made us want to stay longer, and we ended up enjoying our food and family time even more because of her. She was definitely one of the bright spots of our visit. Overall, while I have visited similar entertainment venues that I personally enjoyed more, Frankie's still provided a decent family outing and a different experience while we were in town. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park - Ball pit

Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park

(30 reviews)

Everything is fun here at Urban Air. I'm not lying. I'm not being paid somehow to write a decent…read morereview. Nope. I am going out of my chaotically busy day to leave this review, because I mean every word and I am not a "cheerleading" parent. I generally don't care for places like this because I have to sit in a hard chair and wait until he's finished playing. I want to play WITH him! This place, UA, has so much going on! My child and this mama (me) had an amazingly fantastic time! It was fun wading through the clear bubble pit. It seriously is a good workout, plus, walking the plank is a bonus. The trampolines are just as fun as all the other trampolines BUT it wasn't nearly as crowded; no accidents means even more fun (for me)! Then, I saw the go carts and realized that MAMAS COULD DRIVE- not just kids and people running the exhibit!!!! Since my little monkey isn't big enough to reach the pedals, I got to be the driver. It was so much fun that we went probably 5 times before UA closed. My kid thought it was the greatest thing ever when another mama entered the track and we locked eyes as way of greeting, we both knew what needed to be done: a race so epic that the camera couldn't keep up to take a picture. The photo of us smiling is after the go carts. Genuinely smiles = really excellent memories. It is NOT cheap. It is substantially more than places like Safari Nation, literally any of the museums (the one in Raleigh is probably the closest in price) and of the other places for kids that I am blanking on. To be a parent/member and get to also use the go-karts, each kid is roughly $110 for 6 months of prepaid unlimited play. It's $60 for an annual membership for parents and allows them to use any of the exhibits that they wish, including go karts! So for $170-180 you are able to go as many times as you want for 6 months. If you pay full price for 6 months and add it all up, you come up with There isn't much of a discount for paying in full for 12 months.

This place is neither clean nor safe! Most of the play structures didn't have any supervision. The…read moremat slides didn't have any supervision and a kid kept taking my kid's mat after she had to drag it all the way to the top. The high jump trampoline which is supposed to be one jumper/trampoline had 5 kids jumping at a time with no supervision. The Zipline had no rules! Sometimes they let kids who didn't meet the hight go up, sometimes not and they said " the manager is watching". If you are going to take your child there, make sure you are watching them the whole time

Sassafras All Children's Playground

Sassafras All Children's Playground

(4 reviews)

Best playground I have ever visited!! So many great things. Clean and a lot of running…read moreopportunities. Climbing areas. Zip swings. Sun spots and shade spots. Absolutely loved it here for my little guy.

This playground really deserves its own listing. I am always searching for playgrounds on Yelp and…read moresometimes parks have playgrounds but not always. I tried searching for playgrounds and this one never came up. It can be time consuming to search parks and the read through reviews to see if there is a playground or not. This one is located right next to Laurel Hills Park, but it has its own name and it is large enough that I am deeming it necessary to have its own page so voila! Here we go. This playground has several tables surrounding it where you can bring a picnic lunch and watch the kids play. Some are shaded but not all. The play equipment is highly accessible since there are ramps and walkways that are wide enough for strollers and wheelchairs. There are multiple swing sets including the full body chair swings. There are a few zipline-type rides, one that zips down and is designed to return you to the starting platform. There is a sandy area that you can use with beach toys. There is also a basketball half or quarter court with an adjustable height basket. There is plenty of equipment for kids to play on so it could easily keep kids busy for more than an hour. There is a community center that neighbors the playground as well. Rock on, Sassafrass!

Pullen Park - playgrounds - Updated May 2026

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