You are missing out if you haven't taken a tour with Raleigh Walking Tours. Raleigh Walking Tours…read moreare provided by Tricia who is a very personable tour guide. Her dedication shows in all the research and details provided on the tours. Raleigh Walking Tours started with tours of Oakwood, so I discovered the company as I love seeing the historic houses and the different styles of architecture. Oakwood has Queen Annes, Second Empires, Neoclassical, mid-Victorian Venacular, Shotgun, and Craftsman. I get them all confused but Tricia can tell you about each of them and why they have a certain porch or roof, window and door placement and other features. I've taken the tour enough times I should remember but my mind just appreciates looking at them. The Oakwood tours now are offered a few times in the spring and in the fall when the houses are decorated for Halloween. The spring tours is different from the fall tour so you will see and learn about other houses. The Halloween House and the Nightmare on Elm Street houses are part of the fall tour. Besides the Oakwood tour, Raleigh Walking Tour has many other tours. The tours all have different starting points, and you are provided with detailed information as to where to park beforehand. The True Crimes and Curious Tales is my favorite tour. You get to learn about different crimes that happened in Raleigh and some strange happenings. I also enjoy art and street art has been something I look for so there are mural and public art tours as well. Raleigh has a lot of it, and I wouldn't have discovered as much as I did without the tour. But just seeing it is one thing and on the tour you get to learn more about it. A new tour is at Raleigh Iron Works. I did not know of the history of RIW before the tour. I just knew of the mixed use development that opened. But it had been a steel company with a fascinating history, and in WWI was a munitions and artillery shell plant. The buildings are neat to learn about then there is art to see on this tour too. Then there are Haunted History, Ghost Tours, Women's History Tours. I feel like I am forgetting a few others. But there are a variety of offerings. If you want to take a tour, just register on the website. Tours are pay what you think the tour was worth. If you are visiting from out of town or a local, you will learn something new on these tours.

I really enjoyed my 1st Raleigh Walking Tour Downtown for the Fall Historic Oakwood Tour. Historic…read moreOakwood is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Raleigh to gaze in amazement at many Victorian and Queen Anne dream homes. The neighborhood is a National Register of Historic Places and is North Carolina's largest, intact 19th Century residential neighborhood. These dream homes belong to many wealthy and artistic homeowners. Each home makes you feel like you've stepped back into time centuries ago never losing the beauty of the house's true age. During the holidays you can expect for each home to be all decked out. Oakwood is home to Jesse Jones and the famous " Halloween Oakwood House". A true spooky sight to see each year in October. The Walking Tours are an excellent way to learn about the area and get your steps in. Tricia was our tour guide and she was wonderful. She was organized and provided lots of details prior to the event. Parking is plentiful in Oakwood and we started the tour at the NC Medical Society. Tricia has a talent for what she does and shared amazing facts and history on each home and business. Her knowledge on architecture was impressive. We walked the blocks of Elm, Lane, Oakwood, Person and Linden learning the history of homeowners like Annie Brantley. You make a donation at the end of the tour and pay what you see fit. I plan to attend a candlelight Oakwood Tour soon and look forward to attending another local walking tour.

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.

An unexpected gem in the heart of Raleigh. I got told that the museum was planning to start…read morerenovations soon by the end of the month given that the house has seen some wear and tear and when the person running the museum turned on the sink, the water looked off like an orange color which most likely contains lead. Otherwise, the museum didn't take a lot of time to go through and admission was free and was somewhat interesting.

The Manassa T. Pope House Museum is located on what was once the Color Line in Raleigh (Wilmington…read moreStreet). Dr. Pope built his house in the Third Ward on that line to make a point and push boundaries. The house was built in 1901 and the inside has furnishings that were his family's and some additional artifacts of the time. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places. The land at the time cost $300. When you first enter the house, the first thing you see is the petal stained glass window. I loved all the attention to the details of the house from the moldings to the staircase. The piano in the living room bought from Sears also cost $300. The house is two-story gable brick house and both levels can be toured but you will need a climb a flight of stairs to get to the second floor. The house had the latest technology at the time with electricity and gas fixtures; a full bathroom; running water; telephone and a servant call bell as they had a maid. My group had the pleasure of taking a guided tour with Andy. He was full of energy in sharing the history of the house and had a sense of humor that brought the history of the house alive. Dr. Pope was born a free man attended Shaw University and was one of the first African Americans to be a licensed doctor in NC after attending a four year medical school (other medical schools were just two years at the time). After medical school, he worked as a postmaster in Henderson, NC. He was an officer in the Spanish-American War in 1911. He launched a drug company in Charlotte, NC. He also ran for the Raleigh Mayor in 1919, during the Jim Crow Era with a goal or getting voters registered. 1600 black males were eligible to vote but only 7 were allowed to vote with the Jim Crow restrictions. He provided healthcare to those without access to care in segregated Raleigh. The museum is free to visit but they do appreciate donations. The museum doesn't have a gift shop but there are items for sale at the at the City of Raleigh Museum, a few blocks away. The museum does not have its own parking lot but street parking is free on the weekends and there are paid lots on both side of the museum.

I was a little hesitant to book another tour based on my prior experience. But I follow Heather…read moreLeah, and her Raleigh Hidden History tour sounded right up my alley. I lucked out and found a parking spot at Tap Room. It is a small lot, so it may fill up quickly. There is another lot behind the building to the side or street parking is available. There was a street market, so it was harder to find. I did double-check that I could park at the bar when I checked in for the tour. Restrooms are available inside, and food and beverages can be brought on the trolley with a few exceptions. I liked this tour as we got a history lesson while the trolley was moving, and then we got to get off at different stops for a new perspective and not just looking out the windows. I still enjoyed looking out the windows and took some photos from there that weren't part of the tour. St. Agnes Hospital was our first stop. The stone hospital was rebuilt and opened in June 1909. It was during the Jim Crow Era for black citizens, as they were not allowed in white hospitals. We also stopped at the Heck-Andrews House. We learned of a secret tunnel and that there used to be a baseball stadium where a parking lot sits today. Devereaux Meadow was a minor league baseball stadium. I never knew a grand "Castle" (the original Meredith College) once stood near the Executive Mansion. It was a hotel and state office buildings at one point, too. It's wild that it's just a parking lot now! We got to see one of the trolley stops of the Glenwood line. It took people to Bloomsbury Park. It had electric lights at the trolley park. There was even a roller coaster, carousel, and a dance pavilion. Heather was an amazing tour guide and shared her knowledge and love of the city with us. I look forward to taking more tours with her.

Darci our tour guide for the ghosts trolley tour was very good. She was funny and informative. The…read moredriver was also excellent and very safe.

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.

Was in Raleigh for work and went walking around and saw the State House. Had no clue Raleigh was…read morethe capital more knew anything about it really. As I walked by snagging some pictures I saw an inviting sign so decided to walk in. Free to the public and did the self-guided tour. It was such a nice detour and so glad I did. The old Library inside, rotunda, and old Senate chambers were especially cool to see. I tried imagine of what it was like in those halls in the mid-1800's. I would recommend stopping in and check it out.

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.

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.

Can we just first start with our tour guide, Andrew Nason? This ebullient man exudes passion for…read morehistory in the triangle and it is evident in the first minute he begins. My mother and I scheduled a walking tour of Cary (I'm new in town) and were delighted with the experience. Andrew is great with questions and helped explain so much of the history that helped build Cary and helped explain its significance in North Carolina. Did YOU know that Cary was the location of the FIRST public high school in North Carolina. I didn't! I really appreciated Andrew's enthusiasm throughout the entire hour. If you're a local, book your tour now! If you're a transplant, book your tour yesterday! I can't wait for my next tour with Andrew or one of his associates. He has truly built something special. He also has a book coming out, which I can't wait to get my hands on. Thank you Triangle Walking Tours! (Remember, when you're in Cary, think Queen Anne and not Victorian!)

Very interesting tour! Yes, a bit confused about the meeting location, but it was our first time…read moreon Durham and a quick call to Andrew straightened us out. The stories were compelling and Andrew is great at telling them. Would love to do the other tours with you! Thank you for a memorable experience!

I visited for a Juneteenth event. I thought the event was organized well. I enjoy educational…read moreevents geared towards Juneteenth. I'm glad I could attend the event. The staff here for the event were welcoming and pleasant.

Such a great local museum and located right in downtown area where other cool places can be seen…read moreand visited! The museum gives a great snapshot of Raleigh's historical beginnings and significance. And it's free! But donations are welcomed. Friendly and helpful staff at the reception area. And they have a gift shop with cute merchandise

My wife and I booked the walking tour of Downtown Raleigh. I made a reservation with Brad…read more We spent a delightful couple of Hours walking the streets of this very interesting City. Brad was very knowledgeable, interesting and informative. We enjoyed learning the history of Raleigh and North Carolina. It's amazing how much you can learn in just a few hours. We were very impressed. Arne and Lynn

We loved our ghost tour/pub crawl on Saturday night. It was a mixture of ghost stories, history of…read moreRaleigh and visiting bars and drinking. It was so fun. Our tour guide Brad was very knowledgeable and fun to be with. Our group was small and we got to know each other during the tour. We walked quite a bit but got to sit down often, so it wasn't very taxing. I would love to take another tour as we really enjoyed it.

Last summer, 2022, I rented three bikes for myself, my sister, and a friend to explore Fred G…read more Bond, Metro Park. Lori was so helpful. She even brought us one electric bike, which I loved. Lori was there when we pulled up and when we returned. The transaction from beginning to end was easy and required no extra energy to retrieve the bikes for our Sunday bike ride. Lori even added bottled water to our bikes for hydrating. I recommend Going My Way Greenway Bikes mobile rental for quality bikes and services.

I wanted to participate in a ride but my bike was unavailable. I called a shop in Raleigh that said…read morethey rented but when I arrived, they gave me two different responses. First person said they didn't rent at all. The second person said they had to give all their bikes to an event happening that day. Luckily I found Lori's rental service. Her service was fantastic! She met me at a designated location with a nice hybrid, including helmet, lock, and flat repair kit. She was informative of the vast trails to ride in the area. She was so great that I look forward to my bike being unavailable again so I can rent one from Lori at Going my way, Greenway rentals.