Take the Kids: Take a quick road trip to Wilson to explore its Whirligig Park

My family needed to not just get out of the house the other week, but get out of town for a bit. Like many Go Ask Mom readers, our lives have been pretty stationary in the last many months.

As it turns out, all we needed was an hour-long road trip to get a break from the same-old routine. We headed to Wilson and its Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park.

The park, which stretches across a city block in downtown Wilson, opened in November 2017 and pays homage to Simpson, a talented artist who created these massive whirligigs on his family farm in Wilson County.

Today, his pieces can be found across the country. But the biggest collection is at the park in his native Wilson County.

The whirligigs are massive, standing 50-feet tall or more. And they are so much fun to look at. Colorful and whimsical, you'll see airplanes, people, animals and more, all moving or spinning or tilting back and forth with the wind.

As we walked through the strip of whirligigs that run along Goldsboro Street, I got the feeling that I was on a fair midway as the bright carnival-like whirligigs above me whirred and clanged with the breeze.

Signs that dot the park explain the history of it and some descriptions of what you're seeing. Young children will especially have fun pointing out all of the colors and shapes they spy as you walk through the park.

Before the pandemic, the park hosted public events and live music from its lawn amphitheater. Those are on hold for now. But the grassy amphitheater offers some space for kids to run for a bit or to sit down and have a picnic.

My family spent about 30 minutes at the park before we walked around downtown Wilson and spied one more whirligig on a street corner.

There is plenty of public parking in downtown Wilson, including on Goldsboro Street just past the park and along Douglas Street.

The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight and free to visit. Bathrooms are available nearby from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. And there are several restaurants nearby, including Casita Brewing Company across the street, which regularly brings in food trucks: Ruckus & Redemption for burgers; and Treat Yo' Self Bakery just down the street with all kinds of yummy treats.

The park is at 301 S. Goldsboro St., Wilson. Check its website for more information.