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Take the Kids: Pullen Park offers up carousel crafts, historic tours to lure winter visitors

The kiddie train opened back up earlier than expected this month. And there are some new free activities that are intended to give families another reason to visit the park near downtown Raleigh right now.

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Pullen Park playground
By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
, Go Ask Mom editor
RALEIGH, N.C. — Mid-winter is a slower time of year at Raleigh's popular Pullen Park. And that's why the city schedules much of the updates and upkeep to this time of year.

But there's some good news: There's a refurbished playground. The kiddie train opened back up earlier than expected this month. And there are some new free activities that are intended to give families another reason to visit the park near downtown Raleigh right now.

Here's what's happening at Pullen:

Playground Updates

Late last year, Pullen Park's nine-year-old playground got a bit of a refresh.

In November, crews added about 3,600 square feet of new poured-in-place rubber surfacing, that squishy material that sits under the play equipment. A new rope climber, the giant climbing piece at the entrance to the playground, also was installed. Updates to the play equipment next to the rope climber also were made, Scott Mott, director of both Pullen and Chavis parks, tells me. The items needed replacement because of normal wear and tear.

The updates may be imperceptible to even regular Pullen Park visitors, but it's good news for a much-loved playground that gets a lot of traffic, especially as the weather warms up.

Kiddie Train and Kiddie Boats

As usual, the park's kiddie boats and train also closed down for rides this winter for regular maintenance, including along the train track that goes around the park's lake. The boats remain closed. Mott tells me that the boats are getting refurbished. Once they are reinstalled, state inspectors will need to sign off on them before they open back up.

But the train was making the rounds on Wednesday. It reopened earlier this month - ahead of schedule. "We got it up a little earlier this year than expected," Mott tells me about the trains.

The carousel remains open. Tickets are $1.50 to ride the carousel, train and boats (once they reopen).

Pullen Park Activities

With the cold weather and the trains and boats closed for at least part of the month, Pullen Park is offering some free activities for families.

Starting last week, the park began offering daily carousel crafts inside the carousel houses at both Pullen Park and nearby Chavis Park. The family-friendly crafts are designed for all ages. Park staff is there to help as needed.

"It's a bunch of really easy family-friendly crafts that kids can do," said Allora Spruill, program and events manager.

The crafts are offered all day, daily, while the carousels are open.

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The park also started offering historic tours of Pullen Park this week. They take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The walking tours, which run 45 minutes to an hour, take you across the park. The park, which opened in 1887, is the fifth oldest operating amusement park in the United States and the 16th oldest in the world.

"We play such a big part in our community and we really want to share what the history of the park has been and how it has transitioned from being a plot of land to the park that it is today," Spruill said.

The tours are free and designed for all ages. The first tour on Monday included a family, Spruill tells me.

"We've had all kinds of people who have been able to enjoy the tour so far," she said.

Next month, the park will host a free Cupid's Bash from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14, with Valentine's Day-themed activities for kids and couples. Crafts will be offered all day. Pullen Place Cafe will be serving up chocolate covered strawberries. There also will be a newlywed game and ballroom dancing.

"It will be fun and festive play on Valentine's Day," Spruill said.

Going forward, the park has big plans for Pi Day, St. Patrick's Day and National Puppetry Day in March.

Pullen Park is at 529 Ashe Ave., Raleigh.
Go Ask Mom’s Take the Kids series is your No. 1 resource for weekly ideas about kid-focused places to take your family in the Triangle and beyond. New articles are published every Friday.

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