Things to do with kids in Raleigh: Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park, Pullen Park, free splash pads, Marbles, the free science museum and library story times.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts come from Dix Park, the City of Raleigh, Marbles Kids Museum, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and Wake County Public Libraries, linked below. Hours change with the seasons; check before you go.

Raleigh’s biggest free draw for families is Gipson Play Plaza at Dorothea Dix Park, which Dix Park calls the largest adventure playground in the Southeast. Downtown has a free science museum and a children’s museum, and the county libraries run free story times at their branches.

Who to call

  • Dix Park staff: 919-996-3255
  • Pullen Park amusements: 919-996-6468
  • Marbles Kids Museum: 919-834-4040
  • N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences: 919-707-9800
  • Emergency: 911

Playgrounds and parks

Gipson Play Plaza, 715 Biggs Drive at Dix Park, covers 18.5 acres with Slide Valley, Watermill Mountain, a sand bowl, a sensory maze and a 91-foot mega-swing, according to Dix Park. It is free seven days a week and parking is free.

  • Playground: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Watermill Mountain, the waterfall and the splash pad start at 10 a.m.
  • The House of Many Porches Market sells food, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Restroom cabanas have baby changing tables, and there is an outdoor shower by the sand bowl.
  • Drop off at Lot G; free park-and-ride shuttles run to the plaza.

Pets are not allowed on the playgrounds or in the water play areas, Dix Park says. For the giant trolls hidden around the park, see our free things to do page.

Pullen Park, 520 Ashe Ave., opened in 1887 and has a carousel, a miniature train, pedal boats and kiddie boats. The park is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (Pullen Park). Ride hours line: 919-996-6472. Tickets for the 2026 Holiday Express train go on sale at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15; see our holiday lights page.

Splash pads

Three free city splash pads run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily from April to October, weather permitting, with no lifeguard (splash pad page):

  • John Chavis Memorial Park, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
  • Moore Square, 225 E. Martin St.
  • Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park, 715 Biggs Drive

An adult must supervise, and swim diapers are required for children who are not potty trained. For pools and summer camps, see our summer camps and pools page.

Rainy-day picks

N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, downtown at 11 W. Jones St. (Nature Exploration Center) and 121 W. Jones St. (Nature Research Center). General admission is free, and the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday (museum visit page). It has live animals, an arthropod zoo and a living conservatory. Its Prairie Ridge Ecostation closed to drop-in visits on April 1, 2026, and expects to reopen in 2027.

Marbles Kids Museum, 201 E. Hargett St., calls itself “North Carolina’s ultimate play destination for kids ages 0-10,” with two floors of hands-on exhibits, from a kid-size town to an indoor camping trail and a maker space, plus an IMAX theater (Marbles). Admission is paid: book an entry time online, then play all day. The museum’s calendar lists closed days.

Story times

Wake County Public Libraries hold free story times at branches across the county, with books, music, rhymes and movement:

  • Baby story time, birth to crawling. At Oberlin Regional Library, 1930 Clark Ave., space is limited and free tickets are handed out at the Youth Services desk 30 minutes before (sample listing).
  • Toddler and preschool story times, the preschool ones for ages 3 to 5; arrive early for tickets (sample listing).
  • Family story times on Saturday mornings at several branches.
  • Storytime Anytime: recorded baby, toddler and preschool story times online (Storytime Anytime).

Find the times at your branch on the county’s events calendar.

What this means for you

  • Free and outdoors: Gipson Play Plaza and the splash pads, through October.
  • Free and indoors: the Natural Sciences museum, closed Mondays.
  • Story times fill up; arrive early for a ticket.

More: parks and trails, things to do this month and our schools guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gipson Play Plaza free?

Yes. Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park, 715 Biggs Drive, is free seven days a week and parking is free. The playground is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Is the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences free?

Yes. General admission is free. The downtown museum, 11 W. Jones St., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

What ages is Marbles Kids Museum for?

Marbles, 201 E. Hargett St., describes itself as a play destination for kids ages 0 to 10. Visitors book an entry time and can play all day; it also has an IMAX theater.

Where are the free splash pads in Raleigh?

John Chavis Memorial Park, Moore Square and Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park. The city splash pads run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily from April to October, weather permitting.

Are there free story times at Raleigh libraries?

Yes. Wake County Public Libraries hold free baby, toddler, preschool and family story times at branches across the county, and post recorded ones online.