Take the Kids: See the trains come and go at Raleigh's new train station
Unless you're headed out on a trip, Raleigh's new Union Station might not seem like the obvious place to take the family for a morning out. But, if you have little ones who love big vehicles, it might just be the perfect destination for a little bit of free fun.
The new train station opened in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District at 510 W. Martin St. back in mid-July. The new station is much bigger than the previous one on Cabarrus Street a few blocks away. Visitors will find a much larger waiting room and, eventually, shops and restaurants. At the moment, just a coffee and snack kiosk is open, but city officials could announce new tenants in the retail spaces very soon, I'm told.
But, for kids, the thrills are on the outside of the building on observation decks designed to provide an easy view of trains' comings and goings.
The main observation deck overlooks the new station's boarding platform and can be found at the front of the train station. You can get up to it by a ramp or stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, you'll see this sign pointing up to the deck.
The deck isn't huge, and there is no shade. But, if you get to the station at the right time, as we did, you'll see one or more trains pulling in.
Here's the deck and the view from the deck:
But that's not the end of the visit. Once you've seen the main observation platform, go inside the station and up the stairs inside to find another deck, which provides a view of a different set of train tracks. The public is welcome to access this deck as well, according to my contact at the N.C. Department of Transportation.
My girls are older now - and not as thrilled about seeing trains. But my older daughter, a fan of modern design, loved the sprawling, industrial look of the building's interior. It's a great space.
If you go, here are some details:
When to go
You'll want to time your trip to the station when trains are actually scheduled to pull in. We went at 10 a.m. and caught both the Carolinian, which travels from Charlotte to New York, and the Piedmont, which travels from Raleigh to Charlotte. NC By Train's website has the Raleigh schedule so you can time your visit just right.
Parking
There's just a little bit of parking right next to the station, but you'll find plenty of parking nearby in parking decks and on the street. On street parking is $1 per hour with a two-hour maximum. The parking deck at The Dillon, 223 S. West St., which is right across the street from the station, also has spaces. We had no trouble finding an on-street parking space when we visited.
Bathrooms
You'll find plenty of them inside the station.
Snacks
There's a small kiosk inside, but eventually there are plans for shops and restaurants inside the train station.
Location
510 W. Martin St., downtown Raleigh.
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