Dorothea Dix Park, 2105 Umstead Drive, Raleigh, is hosting a number of diverse activities, for both adults and kids. Many of the events are free. Also, most require pre-registration. Read on to learn all about Dorothea Dix Park, and then to see the upcoming events. Follow the links to register.
All of the events and activities are free! Read on for more information about Dix Park, or jump to the list of programs and classes.
In most cases, registration opens for events two weeks ahead of time, so keep checking back! Many fill up quickly.
Getting to Dix Park
Dix Park is between Western Boulevard, Lake Wheeler Road, Biggs Drive and Barbour Drive. Umstead Drive goes right though the park.
This map shows the different entrances and areas. There are several entrances on Hunt Drive at Western Boulevard, Umstead Drive at Lake Wheeler Road, and Goode Street at Lake Wheeler Road.
The NC Dept. of Health and Human Services is on the Dix Park campus, so parking is limited during the week. On weekend you can park in any of the parking areas that are striped green.
Dorothea Dix Park’s hours are dawn to dusk every day.
Daffodils and Sunflowers at Dorothea Dix Park
In the spring and summer, Dix Park becomes a destination for its big fields of flowers. Please don’t pick the flowers!
Daffodils
Over 40,000 daffodils are planted every year at Dix Park. The daffodils are planted in Flowers Field, off of Umstead Drive, behind the Flower Cottage. They bloom from February to March. They’re great early-spring photo ops.
Sunflowers
The Dix Sunflower Field is located off Hunt Drive, near the old soccer fields and the historic cemetery. The sunflowers start to bloom in July.
Dog Park at Dorothea Dix Park
The Dix Park Dog Park is open. It includes shade structures and a water station, with a separate area for small dogs. The dog park is near the Williams Building.
Gipson Play Plaza
The Gipson Play Plaza features 18.5 acres of playgrounds, gathering spaces, gardens, art and skyline views. The grand opening weekend is June 6 to 8, 2025. Learn about Gipson Play Plaza.
Programs and Classes at Dorothea Dix Park
You need to register for each program. Space is limited. Follow this link to register for any program at
Dix Park, or follow the links below.
Birdwatching
Saturday, May 24, 2025, 8 to 10 a.m.
Saturday, July 26, 2025, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 30, 2025, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Flowers Cottage
2105 Umstead Drive, Raleigh, NC
Free
Learn about the resident and migrant birds of Dix Park and sharpen your bird identification skills as we practice birding by sight and by ear this fall. Get ready to learn tips for identifying sparrows, woodpeckers, hawks and more. Contribute to real science data as we monitor how the diversity of birds changes in the park from month to month.
Find all upcoming events at dorotheadixpark.org/calendar.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Events
Check out our list of free and cheap events in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle this weekend, or our full event calendar in the Triangle, or just look at few upcoming events here:
