Dix Park

Visiting the Park

• Dix Park is open to visit seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
• Gipson Play Plaza features 18.5 acres of amazing playgrounds, gathering spaces, gardens, art, and sweeping skyline views.
• Park in paved or gravel lots only. No parking on the side of the road or in the grass. Dix Park Visitor Map.
• Indoor restrooms are located at Gipson Play Plaza, House of Many Porches Market, and Stone Houses. Portable restrooms are also located throughout the park.
• The Dix Park Dog Park provides a large grass-covered off-leash facility with areas for large and small dogs.
• Check out the Dix Park Program and Event Calendar for a variety of free classes, cultural events, and community festivals throughout the year.

Park Planning

At 308-acres, the creation of Dix Park is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an amazing new public space in the heart of Raleigh. Creating a park of this size and bold vision doesn’t happen overnight.  It will take careful planning and great partners to turn the already beautiful Dix Park campus into the park of our future.

Rocky Branch Enhancement

By far the most complex aspiration in the Master Plan, the Rocky Branch Enhancement project aims to create a nature escape in the heart of the city and restore a healthy stream ecosystem. The City is currently studying the site conditions and feasibility of restoring and enhancing the Rocky Branch along the northern edge of the park.  This work will provide the information needed to inform the restoration and potential realignment of the approximately 5,400 linear feet of impaired waterway within the park boundary, recommendations for reuse of the adjacent Landfill area and design scenarios for pedestrian crossing over Western Boulevard.

Plans and Studies

In addition to large-scale projects, a set of supporting plans and studies are needed to address issues identified but not resolved in the Master Plan process and build a sustainable foundation for the future. These types of studies will not only enable future projects but also establish baseline data to measure future progress. Visit the Dix Park Planning Page for more details.

Background

On July 24, 2015, the City of Raleigh acquired 308 acres of the Dorothea Dix Campus from the State of North Carolina. The purpose of the City’s acquisition of the property is to plan and develop a new destination park – Dix Park. The City leased back large portions of the Dix Campus to the State for its administrative operations of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

In 2017, the City of Raleigh, in partnership with Dix Park Conservancy, embarked on the incredible effort to create America’s next great public park through an innovative and extensive master planning process. The Master Plan process was governed by a community-led, multi-tier structure. Ultimately, the Raleigh City Council gave final approval of the Master Plan for Dix Park.

In February 2019, the Raleigh City Council unanimously approved the Dix Park Master Plan for the long-term vision of the park. Along with master plan adoption, City staff were directed by Council to develop an implementation plan for Phase 1 projects.

Access presentations, meeting records, and documents from the master plan process in the Dix Park Planning Database. If you would like additional information, please contact info@dixpark.org.