Pullen Park has shown up on several different articles and websites of "things to do in Raleigh". Being a local, we don't really take advantage of what's in our own backyard. When we recently had family come to town, we decided to take a picnic to Pullen and check it out. What an awesome time we all had picnicking in the park, enjoying the weather, people paddle boating, riding the train, carousel and playing on the playground. The real treat was when I discovered the little café they have at the park has a variety of snacks and Loco Pops too! read more

Sunday afternoon, sun shine, visiting this park for the first time! Walking in you cross an adorable "railroad" crossing for their train ride. The park layout is absolutely beautiful. The greenery is nice and it's super peaceful. My child really loved the playground. They have plenty to do for kids and are handicap friendly which is awesome. You can check out the cool train car or get a tasty treat. The carousel is indoors which is nice! You can also do paddle boats!! The prices are great for the extra activities. We really enjoyed our short visit and will be back in the near future. The visiting hours are nice and long. You will not be disappointed! It really restored my faith that my city is fun. read more

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This park is a amazing day. It's like a little amusement park with no admission price. The train is a dollar and a half. As is the carousal just a dollar fifty. They have paddle boats and a snack bar to make a day out of it. And the restrooms are so nice you wouldn't even have to add that top layer or toilet paper before you butt hits the seat. Very family oriented things go one here. There is a drum circle on Wednesday evenings. People play and dance. Don't miss out if you haven't been here before. Best park I have seen for public use. read more

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Our best favorite park in NC. Kids can enjoy rides very reasonably, the playground is just great. Puddling a boat is so nice, too. We love their fast turning carousel, but for some people, it might be a bit too fast. Parking on weekends can be a little troublesome. read more

My sons favorite park to go to it's his second one other then Wilmington! He loves it and has a blast, loves the trail and to play on everything! read more

First time at Pullen Park and was able to enjoy the Letter Land event with my toddler. She loved going around the park getting stamps at all the letter stations. It was a great experience for the whole family. The park is reminiscent of Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom with the carousel and the red train. Tickets are cheap and cost $1 per person for the rides. They also offer military discounts as well on both tickets and cafe food which is nice to save some money.If you go to the cafe I highly recommend trying the cookies and cream pop it was so yummy and had big chunky oreo pieces in it.The playground here is huge and sectioned off for different age groups. We will definitely be coming back to this park It is so much fun and affordable for large families. read more

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I have to admit in all of my 16 years of living here In Raleigh, I had never really visited the area except for a brief visit to an arts and crafts festival a year or so ago. Ok I am not really into the great outdoors, so it wasn't at the top of my priority list. But having seen it featured a few times on house hunters, I asked hubby where is this place that appears so beautiful here in Raleigh? This past Saturday with fall like weather and an itch to get out and explore, we took our little dog to Pullen Park. I felt like I had stepped back In time to a place in my life when I was a child and had discovered the wonder of the carousel, train ride and paddle boats. We had a fantastic time people watching at the park while toting along our traffic stopping hairless dog that the children wanted to know about. Ticket prices aren't bad, food for sale and a great park for kids to play, birthday parties to have, it was certainly a lovely place to spend the afternoon and I am glad I got a chance to experience what is possibly one of the nicest highlights to our city. read more

Great family fun . Parents and children of all ages have something do and snack on here! It's a real nice gem in Raleigh

Wow. Pullen Park - I hardly recognized you. On Saturday, we decided to take my visiting friends and their two-year-old son to see the newly-renovated Pullen Park. I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised! What once was a sad, run-down park is now a lovely place to spend a weekend afternoon. I just couldn't believe the transformation. The Pullen Park sign glistened as it welcomed its visitors. Looking around, one could admire the new playground equipment. The walkways, bathrooms and concessions have all been renovated. The train was still running and now had a lovely park to circle. The carousel is enclosed in a building that preserves the antiquity of the ride. I couldn't help but look around in awe. The adults (and the toddler accompanying us) all had a fantastic time! I didn't get a chance to visit the concession stand although they now offer local foods - a welcome addition to the park! If you haven't visited the park since the renovations were completed, I would definitely recommend it. read more

i wish i was still a kid so that i wouldn't look like a complete fool trying to play in the sprinklers....oh well! Pullen Park brings back so many memories, as a kid, my parents would bring me here all the time. i would ride the train, the merry go round or play by the pond and watch the ducks. Now that i am an adult i bring my daughter here to play and experience the things i did as a child. the train is still up and running, which i love, i believe it is one of the things here that gives Pullen Park its character. The Merry go round also a childhood favorite is still making its rounds, and putting smiles on children s faces. i love how the park has been updated with new equipment and 3 smaller sized play areas for different age groups. the new water sprinkler/sprayer is pretty cool on a hot day as well as the sandcastle building station, which has a water device to help in the castle building process. the park is also has paddle boats for those who like to be on the water. there is an onsite snack building with eating area that sits not to far from an outside stage. various shelters and picnic tables on hand to hold a party and there is also an aquatic center on site. i am happy to say that the park hasn't changed much. just like i remember it. read more

Pullen Park is a great place for children and adults alike. It offers a wide variety of activities and is kept up really well. There are different trails as well as tennis courts and other fields to play sports on. On Wednesday nights, on the field near the carousel, there is a drum circle and hula hooping. I was skeptical when I first heard about it but have been many times and enjoy it. Everyone is friendly and are willing to teach. You don't even need your own hula hoop. If you're interested in learning tricks instead of just around your waist this is the place to go. There is a great playground for kids as well as an indoor carousel and a train. There are also food stands which include loco pops. This park is great for a romantic date as well as a fun time with the kids or a workout. read more

Awesome city park with lots to do for the kids. Great playground spaces, a train ride, carousel, and picnic areas. Parking can be a problem when it gets busy. Buy your ride tickets ahead of time so you don't have to walk back to the front to get them. read more

Local Food- Check Renovated Carousel- Check Shiny New Park Equipment- Check WHERE IS THE SWINGSET. WHERE DID IT GO. I am so sad, three stars. read more

Pullen Park is the most amazing city park I have ever been to! Not only do you have your regular playground with swings, slides and climbing areas, you have several for different age groups. They also have a sand play area, HUGE climbing area and teeter-totters...all for free. If that weren't enough, for only $1.00 a ride, you can buy tickets to ride the train that goes around the park (adults & kids) and the little ones can ride the kiddie boat ride. There are also boat rentals, but we didn't get a chance to do that. Not only did the kids have a blast, we had fun too because of how interactive the park is. It's well-maintained and has something for kids of all ages. Highly recommended! read more

We love the park sooooo much but I have to say I really dislike the ticket booth! It has to be the slowest ticket booth ever! There were less than 20 people and we took at least 45 mins to get the tickets. Sad.... read more

I took my nine year old son here for an afternoon outing with the dog, a sweet 8 lb. poodle-mutt. We live farther away and haven't been here much since the renovation. Got two tickets so he could ride the carousel and train (he's old enough to do both by himself) so he could do those before he played on the playground and we walked around the lake (the thing I was personally looking forward to doing). That was the plan. Couldn't walk around the lake. It was closed off. Couldn't take the dog in the playground area (there was a sign I missed and a gruff employee that confronted me). As I couldn't even have the dog on the sidewalks in the playground area (which the sign just said playground, but the law cited says the whole area I was told) I could barely watch my son get on the train let alone play in the playground. Since only one out of the four things I had intended for the outing was grief-free, I walked out of the place in a (admittedly hormonally-charged, probably) teary-eyed state, with my son trying to comfort me through his own disappointment and the dog lolling cheerfully at my side after having been admired by the other families with kids that we had passed in this pretty, yet somehow now character-less and unfriendly park. read more

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It can take awhile to find a place to park. The ticket and consession lines can take even longer to navigate. But, it's little kid-Mecca. The rides are perfect for toddlers up to probably 5-7 year olds. There's tons of open space for kids to kick around a soccer ball. They have paddle boats that you'll have to tell your kids 'no, no, no' to about a 1,000 times if you aren't in the mood to get on a boat. They have picnic areas which work very well for hosting birthday parties and those sorts of things. If you're going on a nice day, just get there early, and be prepared to keep an eye on your little one so they don't wander off among the masses. read more

I grew up going to Pullen Park and recently visited again for the first time in years, with two friends, ages 8 and 4. The park has changed since I was a kid, but in a good way! We had a good time riding the carousel, the train and the paddle boats. The rides are $1 each, with the exception of the paddle boats, at $6 for half an hour - this was their favorite activity! The pond is very pretty and would be a great area for a picnic on a nice day. They have two different play areas, one for preschoolers and one for elementary-school aged kids. The kids really enjoyed climbing the large spider-web like structure on the elementary-school aged playground! They have a separate area just for swings, with two different structures. They also have a cafe which serves sandwiches and snacks, I cannot comment on the food as we only stopped by for drinks. I was excited to see they even serve Locopops, which would be a nice treat after a morning/ afternoon of playing at the park. Definitely a fun park for kids and highly recommended! read more

It's got a carousel and a train. What more could a kid want? Oh, you're not a kid? Fine. It's still a beautiful park with plenty to do. Paddle boats, tennis, or even baseball diamonds that always seem curiously abandoned if you want to get an afternoon kickball game in. Seriously. Kickball. The aquatic center is lovely if you happen to be free on weekday afternoons for a swim, but weekends find it pretty jam packed. While the main drags in the park can get plenty of traffic on a nice day, there are still amazingly plenty of pockets out there where you can simply sit down in the shade and enjoy a beautiful park. I have no comment on the Andy Griffith plaque. read more

Pullen Park was THE park I wanted to go to growing up. The park has an excellent playground, paddleboats, a carousel (I believe left over from the 50's) and a working train that you can ride. Tickets for the carousel and train are relatively inexpensive and make for a fabulous afternoon when you're a kid (or when you're an adult for that matter). The park has a pretty large picnic area as well with large covered picnic areas you can reserve for your school group /birthday party/family reunion. read more

I only saw one kid throw a hissy fit here and that was when she had to leave, haha. I don't know of many parks with a carousel! I don't have any kids but I really wanted to get on the carousel... They also have a concession stand where you can buy food- they got me with their locopops~ They also have a nice playground. I wanted to get on the swings but it was packed with little humans. I guess I'm a kid at heart cause boy was I jealous of those little munchkins. They have a small lake you can walk around too! This park is a small and safe park that is very family oriented. I don't think my boyfriend and I fit in too well but it was fun regardless. Kids were full of laughter running around with their friends, parents were happy seeing their kids happy, and I guess their happiness got to us as well. Let your kids use up all their energy here! I'm sure they'll nap real well after they're done~ read more

Great park! We were looking for something kid friendly to do while visiting the Cary and Raleigh area. I found this park and decided to try it out because my toddler loves trains and this park has one. The park has a little train, peddle boats (seasonal), a little boat ride, and a carousel. There's also a playground and a pretty lake. The tickets are $1 each and each ride takes one ticket (6 for peddle boats). It was a great putting with enough to entertain the little one and very low cost. Well worth a visit. Only issue is shade. The park could use more trees. read more

Beautiful park. Many things to do for all ages of kids. Bring a blanket & small cooler and sit on the grass, take a nice scenic ride on the train, paddle boats, merry go round & a few others. Parking is pretty good. But I'm sure as the weather becomes more favorable, you might have to circle a couple times for a space. Bottom line....we will definitely make regular visits to this park. read more

I am mostly writing about the Pullen Aquatic Center. The area is large enough to house three pools. 1/ 8 lane competitive pool, 1/ 12 lane pool for lap swimming and a warm therapeutic pool. I can not say enough about the staff there. Friendly, and helpful. The programs that are run there are top notch for the area. Marlins of Raleigh Year round swim team holds their practices and swim meets there and it is always hopping! Good sound equipment and even some real bouncy spring boards for diving! The park itself is beautiful. I went to college down the road and I always went there to study on a nice sunny day. It's open rolling hills and shelters that you can rent, are a joy to explore. The area for kids with the swings, sand pits and even a train ride around the park, is lively! I have taken my kids there several times and even rode the old-fashioned recently renovated Carousel. Even paddle boats, cotton candy and ice cream! What a true city park full of joy and peace. read more

Pulled Park is a great, cheap place to spend a half day with kids in the Raleigh area. This May, we went for the train ride which runs every 15 minutes and lineups are minimal. The train trip is quick and pleasant. The carrousel is an old classic. There are a number of broken horses, but plenty of options for each kid with a special proclivity for "the pink horse" or "the grey cat". The sand box is hot and not shaded, but the playgrounds have some shade. The main thing missing is some kind of splash pad or water feature. I saw signs for water and sand area, but there was no water in sight. At Christmas Pullen Park is a magical wonderland of Santa and Christmas trains! You really can't miss that part. Snacks offered are usual fare of hot dogs and chips, but some better options, too. read more

Okay, parents, where are your go-to places for kids under age 6? Pullen Park should be high on that list, especially if your kid is between 3 and 5. Pullen seems like a toddler's dream playground because it has everything that age group needs. A mini diesel train with a steam-powered whistle? Check. Multiple playgrounds for kids of different sizes and ages and abilities? Check. A restored carousel with fantastic vintage calliope music that goes fast enough to not bore parents to tears? Check. Mini boats for the really little kids? Check. Pocket easy $1 fares? Check. Beautifully manicured grounds surrounding a mini-lake? Check. Food? Yes. Tons of other kids to play with? Yes. Completely free admission except for a few rides? Yes. A good amount of parking? Yup. C'mon over. It's a fantastic alternative to being stuck at home with a small person. Let 'em loose and watch 'em smile. Just make sure they don't run onto the railroad tracks. read more

It's so refreshing to find an inexpensive, relaxing, family friendly activity. I found this place on Yelp and I was hesitant to get too excited. Upon arriving, parking was limited but we found a family leaving and stalked their parking spot for a solid 10 minutes. There was a constant stream of people coming and going so it really evened out, I guess you could say. We stopped at the ticket counter where we were pleasantly surprised that we could do everything we wanted for $14. $14!!!!!! We loved just strolling around, enjoying the company of one another and watching the smiles on our kids faces. There were clean bathrooms, a concession area w/ plenty of seating and local ingredient made snacks to choose from, benches throughout park & great playgrounds for kids of all ages. We will be back for sure! What's not to love about this place!? read more

Cullen Park is great for kids the are between 3 and 6 years old. There are tons of places to run around, a kids train, paddle boats, a carousel and kiddie boats. Great for 1 to 3 hours and very affordable!!! read more

Pullen Park - Cullen Park Carousel - Playgrounds Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

One of our FAVORITE places. Atmosphere is great, lots of fun stuff for the kids, we love watching the train, and really love bringing a boxed picnic and just hanging out. It can get crowded at times but find non-peak times and it's perfect. read more

This is a beautiful park. There is a play ground with a sandbox. There is a concession stand. There are pic nic tables. There are ducks walking around and swimming in the water. There are rides but they aren't expensive. The paddle boat is $6 for 30 min for 2-4 people. The train is pretty fast and it's $1 per person. Carousel is $1 per person and it's inside so it's clean and shaded. And there is a kiddy boat ride for toddlers which is also $1. There are trees and bridges so it's pretty to walk around. Only negatives in my opinion are parking and bathrooms. I drove around the parking lot 3 times before someone pulled out and you might have to park far and walk if you aren't as lucky as I was. The bathrooms look nice from the outside but on the inside aren't as nice and clean but not terrible. read more

Easy to find..fun place for families..reasonable price for rides..my family of 3 loved this place! We rode the train which was $1 per person and it takes you around the park. Don't feed the ducks but do enjoy watching them in the lake where you can also paddle boat. My daughter enjoyed the carousel ..also $1. The Loco pops were a cool hit on a hot day as well as the spray fountain near the playground. This place is big enough to hold your own bday party or family reunion..can't wait to come back with visitors. read more

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My daughter and I have taken her now 2 year old to Pullen Park twice now. The first visit was about 2 months ago. He loves it and so do we! It's clean and very reasonably priced! Free to get in, which gives access to the playgrounds and plenty of space to wander. There is one playground for the little ones, with slides, swings, rocking type rides. There is also a carousel, a train, and kiddy boats. We haven't tried the boats because of his age, but the carousel and train are great and just $1 per person! Only problem is parking, which can be impossible unless you want to walk 10 minutes or more. If parking was better, I'd give it 5 stars! read more

Great place to spend time with your husband walking around the park boat ride an the carousel ride.

Central Park meets southern charm park in Raleigh, NC! Yes there are times when you're walking through this park that with the nearly 200 year old oaks, you'll think you're in the middle of Central Park! This is a gem of a park located near downtown Raleigh. There's a 100+ year old carousel here to ride, a very nice train to take you around the perimeter of the park, paddle boats on a large lake, and a kiddie motorized boat ride! The very neat part of all these rides, it only costs a dollar per ticket per ride! Very affordable day at the park for a family, especially considering that there are a ton of typical park activities for free! It's just a absolutely gorgeous park with tons of tables and shelters for rent! read more

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Absolutely gorgeous place! There's so much to do for people of all ages! There are many gorgeous places around the park where photographers such as myself can do photo shoots! It's a safe, fun, and free way to take advantage of a beautiful summer day. read more

Beautiful area hidden in between nothing around it. Free park to play at during business hours. Cheap tickets for carousel, train ride, mini boats and pedal boats. They also offer some healthier snack options than you'd find in such an area. read more

Pullen Park is without question the quintessential Raleigh park. You won't find many native Raleigh-ites who haven't visited this little slice of heaven a few times over the years. It's one of the more kid-friendly parks in the area, with a great playground (including the famous train caboose), carousel, paddle boats, a concession stand, and of course SWINGS! It's not uncommon to walk through the park on a warm evening and see people of all ages enjoying the swingsets or just taking in nature on one of the grassy knolls that fill this conveniently-placed nirvana. There's also the Pullen Aquatic Center with an Olympic pool and all sorts of aquatic classes and courses. I've never actually used the center, so I can't really speak to that. Many people don't even realize the center is there, in fact - the park is usually the main attraction. read more

Oh, so... fun and clean! I have never seen a park so creatively engineered with love and care! So, who ever designed this place thought about it and made their dream come to life! It will definitely put a smile on all kids and parents places. $1 rides and $6 paddle boats... Outside playgrounds are free. Great place to let your kids let loose & burn some energy. I would say the carousel ride was not that great. $1 for 3 mins ride... Very short. Overall, great experience read more

This place is great for the family! We took our 17 month old daughter here and she had an absolutely blast. We rode the train and the carousel and played on the playground for hours. Can't wait to come back and visit! read more

Great park! Lots of fun activities for the kiddies to get into! Train ride, swings, indoor carousel etc. beautiful park for a freelance photographer too! read more

Pullen Park - Indoor carousel - Playgrounds Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina