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
Please make sure to follow the links for more information, and to register if required.
Garden Story Walk
February 1 to 9, 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!
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: “Evergreen Shrubs”
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
1 to 2 p.m.
$5 (free for members)
Ready for a fun, relaxed stroll through the garden? Join us for our Plant-lover’s Tour as we dive into the year-round beauty of evergreen shrubs! Led by our Director of Horticulture, Greg Paige, we’ll explore a vibrant selection of evergreen shrubs that bring color, texture, and life to your garden, no matter the season. You’ll get expert tips on how to care for these resilient plants and how to use them in your landscape to keep your garden looking stunning all year long!
Dear Garden, Love Letters to the Garden
February 11 to 14, 2025
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Free
This February, you’re invited to write “love letters” to the gardens. This activity encourages you to reflect on your gratitude for the beauty, joy and peace that the gardens provides for your family. Come have fun being creative and sharing with us your favorite part of the JCRA — a towering tree, a breeze ruffling the leaves, a bee buzzing around the flowers or even a playful squirrel.
What has the JCRA meant to you and your family? Did you discover something new here? Make a special memory? Find a new interest? See something unexpected? We’d love to hear your story!
Craft your anonymous love letter and then wander through the garden to drop it in our special mailbox at the Education Yurt. Each note will be read and shared with others, perhaps even featured on the JCRA’s social media pages for Valentine’s Day!
Supplies will be available at the Education Yurt to create your letters.
Intro to Gardening in the South
Saturday, February 22, 2025
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Free
Available in person or on Zoom
Are you new to the Raleigh area or just starting your gardening journey? Join us for Intro to Gardening in the South, a valuable morning lecture series designed to help new gardeners thrive in North Carolina’s unique climate!
Gardening in Raleigh, NC, and the surrounding Southeastern U.S. presents both challenges and opportunities. With our hot summers, diverse soil types, and unique pest problems, gardening here requires a bit of local knowledge. This event will provide you with practical, expert advice on how to start a garden that flourishes in our growing conditions, while also offering insights that apply to gardeners across the Southeast.
What to Expect: This informative event will feature engaging talks on gardening in the South, covering everything from soil preparation to pest control to plant selection and maintenance. You’ll also have the chance to have your gardening questions answered during a Q&A session with expert speakers who understand the unique conditions of our area.
Why Attend: Whether you’re new to Raleigh or new to gardening in general, this event is designed to help you get started with confidence. You’ll learn valuable tips on how to navigate the climate, understand our ecology, and choose the right plants for your garden. Attendees will walk away with the knowledge needed to create and maintain a thriving garden in the charming place we call home.
This event is perfect for gardeners of all levels, but we encourage experienced local gardeners to join us online via Zoom to ensure there’s ample space for beginners and all our new neighbors. For those unable to attend live, a recording of the session will be available on our YouTube channel shortly after the event.
Winter Storytime
Friday, February 28, 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:
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