Mordecai Historic Park

Site Tours and Visitor Center

Visitor Center and Parking

Please begin your trip to Mordecai Historic Park at the Visitor Center. Here you will find tour tickets and park information, as well as the gift shop and meeting space. The permanent exhibit, "The Mordecai Story: Faith, Family, and Community in Raleigh" will be installed in June 2016.

Please Note: Public tours are not offered when field trip groups are on-site in the morning. Please call 919-996-4364 to check on tour availability.

The Visitor Center is a short walk from the parking area which lines Mimosa Street. Simply follow the walking signs through the park to the Visitor Center which stands on the corner of Cedar Street and Wake Forest Road.

Please note that handicap parking spaces are available in the parking lot on Mimosa Street, as well as in front of the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center and the first floor of the Mordecai House are wheelchair accessible.

Admission

• Tickets for the guided tour may be purchased at the Visitor Center.
• Tours of the Mordecai House and outbuildings are offered at the top of the hour. Tours begin at 10 a.m. and the last tour begins at 3 p.m. Each tour is approximately 50 minutes.
• Pricing: Adults - $7, Senior - $4, Youth - $4. Children 6 and under are free.
• Public Tours are not offered when school groups are on site.
• Please call 919-996-4364 Tuesday – Sunday to check on tour availability.

Historic Structures and Landscape

• Mordecai House ca. 1785/1826
• Cure barn ca. 1840
• Plantation Office ca. 1840
• Ellen Mordecai Garden ca. 1842
• Mordecai Spring
• Allen Kitchen ca. 1842
• Andrew Johnson Birthplace ca. 1800
• Badger Iredell Law Office ca. 1810
• St. Mark's Chapel ca. 1847
• Bouchall-Danielson House ca. 1917

Historical Information

• Mordecai Historic Park was once the site of the largest plantation in Wake County.
• The recreated 19th-century kitchen garden is based on the documentation left by Ellen Mordecai in her memoir and letters.
• Maintains a collection of more than 5,000 artifacts.
• Read about the Mordecai Plantation, the enslaved workers, and the family that lived in the Mordecai House from 1785-1964

Digital Discoveries

Check out Mordecai Historic Park's Digital Discoveries! You'll find fun activities, historic info, & even a printable board game. 

Stay tuned for more content for all ages on the way!

Duke’s Dean: Samuel Fox Mordecai and the Early Years of Duke Law
Saturday, July 16, 2022
2 p.m.-3 p.m.

Join Duke Law's fifteenth Dean, Kerry Abrams, to hear the story of how Samuel Fox Mordecai shaped the legal profession and transformed Trinity College (now Duke University) into one of the first law schools in the South!

Jewish History Trolley Tour
Sunday, July 17, 2022
1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

Learn more about Raleigh’s Jewish heritage and history on this special trolley tour!

Indigenous Peoples Lecture
Mordecai Historic Park
Saturday, July 30, 2022
2 p.m.-3 p.m.

Check back for more details soon!

School Field Trips

Admission

• School and educational tours are held on Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• The maximum student capacity is 81 students.
• Mordecai offers two program package options comprised of three, 45-minute programs:
  • Option 1: Mordecai Historic Park Field Trip
    • Mordecai House and Artifact Program (inside the Mordecai house)
    • Slavery and Archaeology Program (on the park grounds and inside the Allen Kitchen)
    • Andrew Johnson and 19th Century Politics Program (inside the Andrew Johnson birthplace and St. Mark's Chapel. Both structures are located on-site)
    • Cost: FREE
  • Option 2: Mordecai Historic Park and Raleigh Trolley Field Trip
    • Mordecai House and Artifact Program (inside the Mordecai house)
    • Slavery and Archaeology Program (on the park grounds and inside the Allen Kitchen)
    • Historic Raleigh Trolley Tour Program (a guided trolley tour highlighting Raleigh's history)
    • Cost: $50 for the first trolley and $40 per additional trolley runs

To request a field trip, please fill out the form at the following link or call the Mordecai Visitor Center at (919) 996-4364 and we will reach out to confirm your visit as soon as possible: Mordecai Historic Park Education Program Interest Form

Mordecai House and Artifact Program

• Students will learn how daily life has changed over time and about how different families lived in early Raleigh.
• Students will use their reasoning skills to determine the use of artifacts found within the home.

Slavery and Archaeology Program

• Students will learn about the day-to-day lives and experiences of the enslaved people at Mordecai in the 19th century and how we uncover and tell their stories.
• Students get the chance to dig for artifacts on a mini-archeology dig.

Andrew Johnson Program

• Students tour the birthplace of Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States.
• Students learn about Johnson’s early life in Raleigh while living in poverty and his term as President of the United States.
• Students learn about impeachment and have a chance to participate in their own impeachment trial.

Historic Raleigh Trolley Tours

• Students will step aboard the Historic Raleigh Trolley to learn about Raleigh and its past.
• Students will learn about the founding of Raleigh, see historic sites and landmarks throughout downtown, and learn about important historical figures that influenced Raleigh’s development and culture.

Historic Raleigh Trolley

919-996-4364 | email

Tours

• Trolley tours do not operate in January or February.
• Leaves from Mordecai Historic Park on Saturdays, March through December, at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m.
• Enclosed and air-conditioned.
• Tours begin and end at Mordecai Historic Park and last approximately one hour.
• Admission: $10 adults, $6 youth (7-17), Free for children (6 years and under)
• For tickets, please go to RecLink to select a date/time under the ‘Tickets and Tours’ section or call (919) 996-4364. Tickets are available one month in advance online, over the phone, or at the Mordecai Visitor Center.
• Receipts are required to board the trolley. Receipts will be emailed to you when purchased online or over the phone. Printed receipts will also be accepted. If you need assistance or have any questions, please call (919) 996-4364.
•  Rented charter tours are available year-round.
• More information on trolley tours,  rentals, and more

Site Rentals

Request your rental online using RecLink or by reaching out to the Rental Manager.

Take note: Requests will be subject to staff approval. Upon approval, payment will be required to confirm the reservation. Your reservation is not finalized until you receive confirmation of your payment.

Visitor Center

• The Visitor Center (can include the exhibit gallery and classroom spaces).
• Visitor Center classroom space is available from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Exhibit Gallery is available from 4-11 p.m.
• Classroom (Weekdays): Residents - $75/hr, Non-residents - $125/hr.
• Classroom (Weekends): Resident - $100/hr, Non-residents $150/hr
• Exhibit Gallery w/ Classroom: Residents - $150/hr, Non-residents - $200/hr
• All rentals have a 2-hour minimum and a maximum of 8 hours. Please inquire for discounted pricing for rentals of 4 or more hours.
• Additional fees: $15 application fee, $250 refundable damage deposit fee, $100 alcohol permit fee (if applicable), $80 Visitor Center cleaning fee (if applicable)
• Please note: all music and alcohol service must end by 10 p.m. in all rented spaces. All people must vacate all rented spaces by 11 p.m. The time between 9:30-11 p.m. is meant to be used to clean up and gather all belongings.

Park Grounds

• Mordecai Historic Park grounds (includes St. Mark's Chapel, a small changing room, and the park grounds).
• St. Mark's Chapel and the park grounds are available from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
• St. Mark's Chapel and park grounds: Residents - $100/hr, Non-residents, $150/hr (min - 2hrs, max 8hrs)
• Additional fees: $15 application fee, $100 refundable damage deposit fee, $100 alcohol permit fee (if applicable), $80 Visitor Center cleaning fee (if applicable)
• Please note: all music and alcohol service must end by 10 p.m. in all rented spaces. All people must vacate all rented spaces by 11 p.m. The time between 9:30-11 p.m. is meant to be used to clean up and gather all belongings.

Volunteers and Members

919-996-4364

Volunteers

• Docent Program – This program offers training in local and site-specific history. Volunteers then conduct guided tours of the Mordecai House and outbuildings
• School Field Trips – Almost 10,000 students visit Mordecai Historic Park every year. Join us in our mission to educate students about how life has changed over time
• Special Events – Several large events are held each year that highlight the history and offerings of Mordecai. Haunted Mordecai and Santa's Trolley are two of our most popular events. Volunteers are needed to assist with a range of activities including special guided tours, crafts, and games
• Grounds Beautification – There are always projects that need to be done on the grounds and gardens. Volunteers help keep Mordecai looking its best

Contact Celeste Purvis

Membership

• Free admission to Mordecai Historic Park and City of Raleigh Museum
• Free admission to select site events, museum events, tours and lectures
• 10% gift shop discount at Mordecai and City Museum
• 10% discount on all site rentals
• The Raleigh Register Program Newsletter
• Join the Mordecai Square Association! Your donation will help revitalize and preserve one of North Carolina’s most significant historic sites.
• As a member you also enjoy cross program perks at the City of Raleigh Museum, The Raleigh Trolley, Mordecai Historic Park, Borden, Tucker, and Pope House Museum.
• Membership Form