This summer vacation the kids and I have committed ourselves to playing local tourists by exploring one new-to-us park each week in the Raleigh and surrounding area. So far we have visited Green Hill County Park (park created on a landfill mound; breathtaking views) and Lassiter Mills Park (secret beach with a lovely trail). Hope you got to read about it in my previous posts.
This week’s choice is John Chavis Memorial Park. According to the Raleigh Parks and Rec website:
Home to the No. 2, Special Three Abreast, Allan Herschell Carousel since 1937. In April 2016, John Chavis Memorial Park was added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. The park also includes a half-mile section of the Capital Area Greenway Trail.

Years ago, after getting tired of the crowds at Pullen Park, we decided to come to Chavis, and technically never looked back. Chavis park closed for renovations about a year ago, and so visiting it now seemed like seeing a brand new park! The facelift is out of this world! I don’t think a better park exists in Raleigh.

The kids are doing a week-long camp at Chavis this week and have been raving about all the shiny new things inside and out. They love it so much that after spending 8-hours at camp, they still insist to play some more when I pick them up. The splash pad in this heat has been such a fantastic addition. Not to mention, the playground which has some very cool equipment!
The community center itself is so beautiful, with a fitness room that looks like it belongs in a fancy resort. There is also an indoor track. [The carousel and the fitness room are still closed due to COVID at the moment].
You know, we loved Chavis park before even without the fancy bits, but now – now it’s just the most fantastic park we can ask for! Hope you get to visit it soon.




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