Pullen Park

We were visiting from out of state and needed a park for the kids to run around. This is one of the most beautifaul parks wer have been too!

Fun place to go for kids and families. Not so big but is neat. The train ride is only $ 1.

I took my nine year old son here for an afternoon outing with the dog, a sweet 8 lb. poodle-​mutt. We live farther away and haven’t been here much since the renovation. Got two tickets so he could ride the carousel and train (he’s old enough to do both by himself) so he could do those before he played on the playground and we walked around the lake (the thing I was personally looking forward to doing). That was the plan.
Couldn’t walk around the lake. It was closed off. Couldn’t take the dog in the playground area (there was a sign I missed and a gruff employee that confronted me). As I couldn’t even have the dog on the sidewalks in the playground area (which the sign just said playground, but the law cited says the whole area I was told) I could barely watch my son get on the train let alone play in the playground.
Since only one out of the four things I had intended for the outing was grief-​free, I walked out of the place in a (admittedly hormonally-​charged, probably) teary-​eyed state, with my son trying to comfort me through his own disappointment and the dog lolling cheerfully at my side after having been admired by the other families with kids that we had passed in this pretty, yet somehow now character-​less and unfriendly park.

A fantastic public space built for families, outdoor spaces well manicured as well as great play areas for children. They have food and beverages available as well as restrooms. A great small train for kids and families. Easy parking as well as a clean overall space. Fantastic fun for the kids with age appropriate play spaces. Great fun!

My daughter and I have taken her now 2 year old to Pullen Park twice now. The first visit was about 2 months ago. He loves it and so do we! It’s clean and very reasonably priced! Free to get in, which gives access to the playgrounds and plenty of space to wander. There is one playground for the little ones, with slides, swings, rocking type rides. There is also a carousel, a train, and kiddy boats. We haven’t tried the boats because of his age, but the carousel and train are great and just $ 1 per person!
Only problem is parking, which can be impossible unless you want to walk 10 minutes or more. If parking was better, I’d give it 5 stars!

It can take awhile to find a place to park. The ticket and consession lines can take even longer to navigate.
But, it’s little kid-​Mecca.
The rides are perfect for toddlers up to probably 5 – 7 year olds. There’s tons of open space for kids to kick around a soccer ball. They have paddle boats that you’ll have to tell your kids ‘no, no, no’ to about a 1,000 times if you aren’t in the mood to get on a boat.
They have picnic areas which work very well for hosting birthday parties and those sorts of things.
If you’re going on a nice day, just get there early, and be prepared to keep an eye on your little one so they don’t wander off among the masses.

We visited NC for a really short time, and since it was so nice, we decided to spend the day outside, instead of inside at the children’s museum. I was skeptical about whether a park could keep the kids busy all day, but boy — was I wrong! Between the 2 playgrounds (both new and very nice), the boats and the train, we were all exhausted!
This park is gorgeous and I wish we had similar train and boat rides here (we do have Swan Boats, but these are better for the little ones, I think)…
We found a table with a nice view to eat lunch and treated ourselves to food from the café. I love that it’s all fresh and local! My friend and I split the autumn salad (fresh, local greens with dried cranberries and cheese) and the special panini (butternut squash with what we think was fried kale); my husband got the chicken BLT (I think) and both kids got hot dogs — one with popcorn and one with carrots. The salad and sandwiches were great; the hot dogs were standard (the older kid didn’t like hers, but I thought they were fine).
All-​in-​all, a fantastic way to spend a nice day outside! I can see why this is our friends’ daughter’s «favorite park EVER!!»

Love this park. Today was like other visits with one exception. Donald an older «gentleman» was very puzzling. First he told us the train was only running every 30 minutes. When I asked why he said that’s the way it is. Rather rude and brusque. We rode 30 min later ate lunch and returned to the train And it left at an odd time. When we asked he said now it was running more often so when I reminded him of what he told me he said «well it’s running now.» The other elderly «gentleman» added, «look lady get on the train». I have never had such blatantly rude customer service here. All moms have to try to plan with little ones. So it was confusing. Then add the surly attitudes and it was uncomfortable. The carousel attendants were unhappy but silent. At least they did not make rude remarks. I still give 4 stars because all the other visits have been great. Lots of natural shade, fun playground sections, nice carousel, cute train and plenty of green space makes this old park a fun place to visit.

What an incredible park for the little ones! We had to catch a flight so we were limited on time but we were still able to ride the train, carousel, and our daughter sat in a kiddie boat for a few minutes until deciding to get off. Everything is easily accessible with restrooms located in the center of the park. There is a playground area and paved walking paths. Rides are 1 ticket ($ 1) each! My only regret is that I wish we were able to stay longer and enjoy all that the park has to offer.

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? This park is perfect. My daughter and I love it here. It’s clean, affordable and most importantly lots of activities for the kiddos.
There’s a sand play area, multiple playgrounds swings, carousel, paddle boats, train, climbing dome thingy, concession stands with locally made Popsicles. It’s just the best place to spend time with your kids.
And there’s no entry fee. The train, carousel and paddle boats do cost money though, but will only set you back a buck or so. Buy your tickets in bulk because they don’t expire.

My son and I love this place! It’s a clean and safe environment for kids to play in. It can get a little crowded on the weekends, but that’s understandable because who wouldn’t want to come here?! If you can make it here on a weekday afternoon, there are hardly any people around and it can be very relaxing. Makes for a great impromptu date spot.
The rides/​attractions (paddle boats, carousel, train and aquatic center) add a wow factor that attracts kids and adults alike. The best park in Raleigh as far as I’m concerned!

Great park! Lots of fun activities for the kiddies to get into! Train ride, swings, indoor carousel etc. beautiful park for a freelance photographer too!

Really great park. Lots of things to do and tickets for rides are so cheap ($ 1). There’s a really great train ride around the park, a carousel and paddle boats. There’s also an area for parties and cookouts.
The play area for kids is nice and has a padded ground, instead of being just concrete.
Around the holidays, they really decorate it cute for Holiday Express, although that can get super crowded, so make sure you get tickets in advance. They’ll had games in a tent, while you wait for your turn with Santa.

Easy to find. fun place for families. reasonable price for rides. my family of 3 loved this place! We rode the train which was $ 1 per person and it takes you around the park. Don’t feed the ducks but do enjoy watching them in the lake where you can also paddle boat. My daughter enjoyed the carousel .also $ 1. The Loco pops were a cool hit on a hot day as well as the spray fountain near the playground. This place is big enough to hold your own bday party or family reunion. can’t wait to come back with visitors.

Oh, so… fun and clean! I have never seen a park so creatively engineered with love and care! So, who ever designed this place thought about it and made their dream come to life! It will definitely put a smile on all kids and parents places.
$ 1 rides and $ 6 paddle boats… Outside playgrounds are free. Great place to let your kids let loose & burn some energy.
I would say the carousel ride was not that great. $ 1 for 3 mins ride… Very short.
Overall, great experience

Great place for kids. My niece and her class had an amazing time here. The staff was friendly and there was plenty of things to keep us busy!

Great park! We were looking for something kid friendly to do while visiting the Cary and Raleigh area. I found this park and decided to try it out because my toddler loves trains and this park has one.
The park has a little train, peddle boats (seasonal), a little boat ride, and a carousel. There’s also a playground and a pretty lake. The tickets are $ 1 each and each ride takes one ticket (6 for peddle boats). It was a great putting with enough to entertain the little one and very low cost. Well worth a visit.
Only issue is shade. The park could use more trees.

I only saw one kid throw a hissy fit here and that was when she had to leave, haha.
I don’t know of many parks with a carousel!
I don’t have any kids but I really wanted to get on the carousel…
They also have a concession stand where you can buy food– they got me with their locopops~
They also have a nice playground. I wanted to get on the swings but it was packed with little humans.
I guess I’m a kid at heart cause boy was I jealous of those little munchkins.
They have a small lake you can walk around too!
This park is a small and safe park that is very family oriented. I don’t think my boyfriend and I fit in too well but it was fun regardless.
Kids were full of laughter running around with their friends, parents were happy seeing their kids happy, and I guess their happiness got to us as well.
Let your kids use up all their energy here! I’m sure they’ll nap real well after they’re done~

My goddaughter and I stopped by this park during the 4^th of July holiday and it was packed with people barbecuing and enjoying the beautiful weather. The park was huge and I was pissed that I didn’t know anyone to go and get a piece of BBQ chicken or hamburger, LOL. They have these huge areas with BBQ grills and tents to cover you from the sun. We saw a cute railroad train that looked like it went around the park that we meant to get on but we were making several stops after this park visit.
We did take a ride on the pedal boat for $ 5 for 1 hour I believe. The pedal boat was hilarious because it took dang near half the time to figure out how to maneuver the direction of the boat. However, the pond was cool and serene even with lots of other people around. We stopped in and saw the large carousel pavilion and there was a long line for the kiddies to get on. The park was clean and definitely a cool spot to come and chill with family and friends.

I grew up going to Pullen Park and recently visited again for the first time in years, with two friends, ages 8 and 4.
The park has changed since I was a kid, but in a good way! We had a good time riding the carousel, the train and the paddle boats. The rides are $ 1 each, with the exception of the paddle boats, at $ 6 for half an hour — this was their favorite activity!
The pond is very pretty and would be a great area for a picnic on a nice day. They have two different play areas, one for preschoolers and one for elementary-​school aged kids. The kids really enjoyed climbing the large spider-​web like structure on the elementary-​school aged playground!
They have a separate area just for swings, with two different structures. They also have a café which serves sandwiches and snacks, I cannot comment on the food as we only stopped by for drinks. I was excited to see they even serve Locopops, which would be a nice treat after a morning/​afternoon of playing at the park.
Definitely a fun park for kids and highly recommended!