Heading to Raleigh for the art? Add a few of these 10 destinations
1. The Hunt Library at NCSU is longer than a football field and nearly eight stories tall – but what’s really impressive are the big ideas inside. Opened in 2013, the building has been featured on the PBS TV show “Cool Spaces” and cited as an inspiration for New York Public Library’s renovation plans. Visitors can see an enormous Bookbot working in 50-foot-high glass-enclosed stacks, and stop by the Visualization Lab for a demo of 3-D video-audio equipment that is sophisticated enough for naval personnel to practice steering and docking ships. In the Creativity Studio, you might witness a crime scene re-creation or flash back to a historic event. Group tours of the library are offered Wednesdays, Fridays and every other Saturday. Self-guided tours are available for individual visitors. www.lib.ncsu.edu/visit.
2. Take an excursion to City Market in the center of downtown Raleigh, where farmers sold produce from 1914 until the mid-1940s. Today the brick-lined streets and cozy storefronts host an array of shops, restaurants and businesses – including Triangle Glides, which specializes in electric bike and Segway tours. If you’re hungry for traditional Southern fare, stop in at Big Ed’s, where the hot cakes and saucy waitresses have been drawing crowds for more than 20 years. Be sure to walk through Art Space galleries for a glimpse of art – and the artists at work. Then snap a few photos at the Big Acorn in Moore Square Park, adjacent to City Market. The iconic symbol of Raleigh, “the City of Oaks,” is dropped from a crane at midnight every year during the First Night Festival on New Year’s Eve.
3. Enjoy a day hike at Falls Lake State Recreation Area, technically just north of Raleigh’s city limits. Woodland trails skirt the lake, offering occasional vistas and hikes of varying lengths – from half a mile to 5 miles – and they connect to a 35-mile section of the statewide Mountains to Sea Trail. There are also picnic areas, beaches and overnight camping sites, in case you have a longer stay in mind. Fishing for crappie is popular on the lake, as are canoeing and kayaking. The atmosphere is peaceful with no motorized boats allowed. Rent a kayak or canoe for the day from Paddle Creek outfitters. (paddlecreeknc.com). If you want more outdoor time, ask about the four-hour floats down the tranquil Neuse River starting at Falls Lake Dam.
4. It’s hard to outshine Sunday brunch at the Iris, the restaurant inside the impressive N.C. Museum of Art at 2110 Blue Ridge Road. Enjoy locally sourced blueberry arugula salad or the Oak City Benedict with fresh eggs, rosemary-cured ham and fried green tomatoes. Diners enjoy garden views through floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a massive indoor sculpture made from branches to reinforce the connection between interior and exterior spaces. After dining, if the weather is nice, stroll through the Museum Park. The 160-plus acres (free admission) offer scenic paths and engaging works of art with names like Wind Machine and Cloud Chamber.
5. Take a nighttime visit to the city’s oldest graveyard: Oakwood Cemetery. You’ll need a flashlight to join the 7 p.m. tour that winds its way through burial sites and statues honoring North Carolinians, famous and infamous. Founded in 1869, Oakwood’s 102 acres is the final resting place of Confederate generals, N.C. governors and modern headline-makers such as basketball coach Jim Valvano, Sen. Jesse Helms and Elizabeth and Wade Edwards – wife and son of former presidential candidate John Edwards. You might even see the ghost of Rhett Butler near the grave of Berrian Kinnard Upshaw, who allegedly inspired Margaret Mitchell’s scalawag character in the classic “Gone with the Wind.” To find out dates and times for tours, contact the cemetery through email at info@historicoakwood.com or call 919-832-6077. If your timing isn’t right for the flashlight tour, a daytime self-guided tour of the parklike grounds is available. (Tours are $5.)
6. Check out the Arthropod Zoo at the N.C. Museum of Sciences, featuring the most common type of animals on earth – bugs! More than 20 living exhibits showcase large collections of arachnids, crustaceans, millipedes, centipedes, and native and exotic species. If you are really hooked, come back for the Bug Fest, held each fall, for a plethora of bug-related activities and exhibits, including a real flea circus and the ever-popular Café Insecta, serving up bug-infused dishes created by area chefs. Beyond bugs, there are seven floors of science exhibits to explore at the museum, plus a nifty gift shop with many locally made items.
7. Enjoy a Greek spin on your visit to Raleigh with a stop at Taverna Agora, a longtime locals’ favorite, offering traditional fare as well as Greek dishes. This lively dining experience is accompanied by Greek music, dancing and occasional cries of “opa” from the bar. The rooftop patio offers views of the downtown skyline. The restaurant’s new downtown location at 326 Hillsborough St. is adjacent to the trendy Glenwood South district, a former warehouse district turned nightlife hub. After dinner, it’s an easy walk to Noir for cocktails and a lively party scene or the Raleigh Beer Garden, where you’ll find 365 beers on tap.
8. Find a friend or set out on your own to visit Raleigh’s Municipal Rose Garden. Blooming from May to September, the 6.5-acre sunken garden near Hillsborough Street displays more than 50 rose varieties. But even in the off-season, the Rose Garden is magic, with plants, a fountain, stone shelter, vine-covered arbor and more. The garden was launched in 1948, when 3,000 rose bushes were planted to fill in the muddy pit of a former racetrack. In warmer months, you can see the roses’ wash of color and often hear music or catch glimpses of performances in the adjacent amphitheater. The garden is on the grounds of Raleigh Little Theatre, established in 1936.
9. Go treasure hunting at Father and Sons, an antique store with a modern edge. Specializing in midcentury items from kitschy ceramic ashtrays to classic Eames furniture, Father and Sons is a great place to explore. The main showroom houses a broad collection of furniture, books, records, clothes, musical instruments and more. Upstairs, a maze of rooms filled by consignors further expands the offerings. Don’t expect to find everything neatly arranged and shelved – half the fun is forging a path through the enormous cache of items. Father and Sons is downtown at 107 W. Hargett St.
10. The North Carolina State Farmers Market in Raleigh is more than a place to buy fresh produce. The sprawling market off Lake Wheeler Road features crafts, baked goods, N.C. wines, candies, soaps and more. Open-air stalls are filled with in-season vegetables and fruits, along with fresh flowers, cider and jams, while indoor vendors peddle grain-fed beef, fresh seafood and locally made cheese. For unexpected finds, visit Market Imports, specializing in architectural remnants, ironwork and furniture from around the world. Enjoy Calabash-style seafood served on paper plates at the uber-casual N.C. Seafood Restaurant – or simply graze the outdoor fruit and vegetable bins, where taste-testing is encouraged. Then walk it off by climbing nearby Dix Hill to soak in awesome views of the city skyline. The former grounds of Dorothea Dix mental hospital were recently acquired by the city for use as a future park. If you visit now, you can beat the crowds.
This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Heading to Raleigh for the art? Add a few of these 10 destinations."