JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, at 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, aims to introduce, display, and promote plants that diversify the American landscape, as well as educate visitors and provide a living laboratory for research.
The Arboretum is free to visit. Its hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Arboretum hosts many events and activities. Some are free and some have a cost associated with them. The cost for many events is low, $5, and free for Arboretum members. You can see all of the events on the calendar.
Upcoming Events
Garden Story Walk
January 4 to 12, 2025
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Free
Come out to the gardens for a Garden Story Walk. Enjoy a walk through the beautiful gardens and read a good story at the same time!
This story will be out in the gardens from Saturday, January 4 until Sunday, January 12 during garden open hours.
Not familiar with Story Walks? Story Walks are self-guided experiences where pages of a book are displayed in the garden. Information about where to find the title page is posted at the Visitor Center. Once you find the first page of the story in the garden, you’ll see the next page and be able to follow the story as you stroll through the gardens. There is no set time to start this experience and can be done at your own pace. Most stories can be experienced in about half an hour to an hour.
The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Plant-lover’s Tour: “All Bark and No Bite”
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
1 to 2 p.m.
$5 (free for members)
There is something in flower 365 days a year here at the JC Raulston Arboretum, but there are far more interesting things to see in the dead of winter, particularly amongst plant features you can’t see any other time of year. For this Plant-lover’s Tour learn about bark. Join our Director of Horticulture, Greg Paige, as he take us around the garden and show us all the flaky-peely, smooth and shiny, rough & ridgy barks in our impressive collection of trees and shrubs, and learn about the care and culture of these intriguing plants to get some inspiration for enhancing the interest of your own winter garden.
There’s a Yeti in the Garden — Winter Scavenger Hunt
January 10 to February 2, 2025
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Free
There’s a Yeti at the JCRA! Actually, two yetis! The friendly Yetis are back in the gardens this winter and they’re hoping you’ll come say ‘Hello!’ before they head back North for the spring!
Come ready to search the gardens to find their hiding spots. Each Yeti will have its own hiding spot, so you have two Yetis to find in the gardens!
There aren’t any clues or directions to follow — all you need is your sense of adventure and your eagle eyes! Once you discover the Yeti with the treasure chest, scan the nearby QR code to reveal the information on how to open the Yeti’s treasure chest. Take an item or bring an item to trade!
The Yetis will be moving around the gardens. The Yetis will move from their first spot to new locations on Fridays, January 17 and 24. Make sure to come out and find all of the hiding spots before the Yetis leave on Sunday, February 2!
The Yetis love all winter weather, so “The Hunt” is on rain, snow or shine during the JCRA’s open hours!
Winter Storytime
Friday, January 31, 2025
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
$5 per child
Suggested for ages 3 to 5
The program starts at the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center. Then, the group will take a stroll through the winter gardens to see all that is happening in the gardens, read a book and stop by the Education Yurt for a fun craft.
Please come dressed for the weather as this program will be primarily outdoors. In the case of severe cold or wet weather, the program may be rescheduled if it can’t be moved indoors. Parents/caregivers stay with children during the program.
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:
