Things to do in Raleigh

Culture · West Raleigh, off Blue Ridge Road

A free permanent collection in a daylit Thomas Phifer building, set in a 164-acre park of large-scale outdoor art and trails.

Local tip: The permanent collection is always free, which people from cities with $30 museums do not expect. The Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park behind it connects to the greenway system, so you can cycle in from downtown.

Nature · Just south of downtown

308 acres of open hilltop on the site of a former state psychiatric hospital — larger than Central Park, with the best skyline view in the city.

Local tip: It is still being built out, which means it is mostly empty grass and old brick buildings with an extraordinary view. Sunset from the big field above the Rocky Branch is the local secret, and the sunflower field in late summer is genuinely spectacular.

Food · South-west Raleigh, off I-40

A large working farmers' market open year-round, next to the restaurants that anchor Raleigh's side of the state's barbecue argument.

Local tip: Go early on a Saturday for produce, and understand what you are eating: eastern North Carolina barbecue is whole hog with a thin vinegar and pepper sauce and no tomato. Saying you prefer the Lexington version is a conversational choice, not a neutral statement.

Neighborhood · Central

A compact downtown with the State Capitol at one end, free state museums, and a converted warehouse district of bars and restaurants to the west.

Local tip: The Museum of Natural Sciences and the Museum of History are both free and the natural sciences one is the largest of its kind in the Southeast. The Warehouse District is where the evening actually happens — Fayetteville Street empties after work.

Nature · Citywide, over 100 miles

A paved trail network following creeks and the Neuse River across the whole city, connecting parks, campuses and neighbourhoods.

Local tip: The Neuse River Trail alone runs 27 miles and links to the American Tobacco Trail toward Durham. Locals use it to commute by bike, which is realistic in a way that Raleigh's road network is not — check whether a neighbourhood connects to it before you rent.

Nature · Between Raleigh, Cary and RTP

5,600 acres of hardwood forest, three lakes and 22 miles of trail, sitting in the gap between the city, the airport and the research park.

Local tip: Almost every newcomer is sent to Falls Lake or Jordan Lake instead, an hour away. Umstead is genuinely inside the metro — you can hear planes from Reedy Creek — and on a weekday morning you will have a mile of trail to yourself. The old CCC-built lake and dam at Sycamore are the quiet end.