JC Raulston Arboretum

This was a perfect (free) place to walk around and see some pretty flowers and trees while my husband and I were vacationing in the area.
We had to kill some time and took a relaxing stroll here.
Definitely worth the stop. We were there in April but I imagine as it gets warmer it’s an even better attraction with a lot more to see.

This is a true oasis in the middle of West Raleigh. If you live in Raleigh and you have not been here then you are missing out. My favorite is the Japanese garden but there are so many wonder plants flowers and trees. Hurry up and see all the natural beauty the arboretum offers. You will be 100% glad you did.

Such a wonderful place to roam, walk, enjoy landscape and plants of all kinds, and relax. I thoroughly enjoyed coming here and walking around with my husband. If you enjoy walking around and identifying all sorts of trees, flowers and everything in between, this is the place for you!

Beautiful display of flowers, trees and shrubs. Very knowledgable and friendly staff. 10 acres of well maintained landscaping. Shady areas and bathrooms well located. Zen garden was well maintained and peaceful. Lots of butterflies around. Terrace café had nice view on top.

Love this place! Great getaway filled with excellent flowers, trees, plants, and pollinators. Extra bonus for the extensive selection of Asian plants and trees.
Plan for an hour or so of peaceful walking and leave feeling rejuvenated.

Just a beautiful park and a wonderful way to enjoy Mother’s Day afternoon today. J, C. Raulston Arboretum is over near the fairgrounds and affiliated with NC State University. Admission is free, although a donation is appreciated, and the park is open seven days a week, including holidays. Join one of the free guided tours each Sunday at 2pm from March through October. We didn’t have enough time to join in on this today, unfortunately, but we did see the guide and appreciated her enthusiasm with the group.
Anyone with a passion for plants, flowers, animals, the nature will appreciate this park. It is named for its late director and founder, Dr. J.C. Raulston, renowned plantsman and professor of horticulture at NC State. We were surprised to learn that the park originates from the 1970’s. It’s very well organized and got a variety of things to see from a Japanese Garden and Asian Valley to the A.E. Finley Rooftop Terrace and the Klein-​Pringle White Garden and Finley-​Nottingham Rose Garden.
The park isn’t huge, but it’s intricate in its design and development. Sadly, it’s so close to 440 and Hillsborough St. that you can hear the traffic, but it’s not so bad that you can’t tune it out. We saw couples and families having picnics, people with an eye for photography taking shots, and other casual explorers like ourselves. Can’t wait to go back when we have more time!

Awesome place to stroll around and enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds… Very quiet here surprisingly considering its «central» location around the college and proximity to other major attractions.
Parking is the only issue but other then that not much left to be desired… The arboretum has it all… Must visit:)

If you like public gardens, this is an important one. The horticulture folks at NC State University run it, and it’s evident they’re REALLY good at what they do, and they REALLY enjoy it!
Become a member for $ 50 per year, and you’ll get invited to all sorts of opportunities to learn and grow some of the tried-​and-​true plants that do well in our area, as well as non-​natives from around the world that will also thrive in our climate.

Such a great place for a walk or to explore the huge plant collection.

I visited in October and there wasn’t much blooming besides some small delilahs and watermelon. The white garden only had one white flower bush. The Japanese garden is not as impressive as at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens and overall this arboretum is on a small side. There were two weddings there the day we visited.

Gorgeous and peaceful place. Great for families & picnics :) it’s kept up really well.

Weird, I’ve been to JC Raulston Arboretum a bunch of times but never reviewed them! This oasis right off of Hillsborough Ave is a great place to catch some sun, smell and photograph flowers and basically just chill out on a nice day! They’ve got a small lot out front but sometimes you may have to park on Hillsborough and walk it in.
Inside they’ve got a mix of paved and dirt walking trails with all sorts of bushes, shrubs, trees and flowering plants. Small signs tell you what you’re looking at and they’ve got several areas that are designed to showcase a particular terrain or plant type: desert shrubs, roses, and more. There are even some spots that are probably good for wedding pics if you’re at that point in your life.
All I can say is JC Raulston is a pleasant spot to check out plant and flower life in the area. And you can’t beat the price since it’s free entertainment!

If you need a sweet spot for a picnic or a stroll this is the spot. I’ve been here for years and always made the trek to Duke Gardens. Wow. How do people not know about this place?! Put the phone down and get into the nature. ASAP!

Whimsical it doesnt feel anything like 10 acers once you start walking the grounds the asaian valley, and the White Garden are both places I want to have my wedding: D totally dreamy…

J.C. Raulston Arboretum is awesome. It is – obviously – an arboretum with lots of plants. But what you don’t realize is its size! I’d been to UNC’s Coker Arboretum, which is nice but small, so I figured that NC State’s would be a similar 15 minute walk through some trees and flowers. Wrong! J.C. Raulston is huge – with all sorts of different areas and displays. If you’re into plants, you could easily spend hours and hours here, all for free! Everything is well-​labeled and mapped, which makes visiting a pleasure.
The only downside is parking. It’s sort of hidden back behind Hillsborough St. and the street parking isn’t clearly labeled.

Simply the best.
The hours: 365 days each year, 8am-​8pm Apr. –Oct, 8am-​5pm the rest months; oh, for every four years it opens 366 days a year;
The plant search engine («Current Plantings»): can search by common and/​or scientific names, and the result returns plant names (botanical and common), photos (for almost every kind of plants), locations which are mapped for each and every one in the garden, size of plants, etc. This search engine is simply best; with that being said, I imply that even the mighty Google can take a page from its functionality;
Gardens with different themes: winter garden, white garden, xeric garden, rose garden, weeping plants, etc. etc.; and of course, the «spring» garden, as from early spring to early summer, the ground is filled with so many different colors, shapes, heights, sizes, smells, and you’d likely be overwhelmed, or even stunned by so many beauties so densely, yet so naturally coming together;
Plants: «arboretum,» by definition, or at least in a narrow sense, is a collection of trees only. But this place is far more than just trees. For example, the rose garden probably has more than 30 cultivars of David Austin Roses. You have to come again and again, with a spirit of exploration to appreciate what I really mean here;
The fees: $ 0 to visit, $ 0 to park; which is not so unique, but really nice;
and more …

My family visited the J.C. Raulston Arboretum for the first time last month. It’s incredible. We chose a mild Sunday afternoon in mid-​September and wandered the grounds for a few hours, loving every nook – except one garden that was reserved for a wedding reception. There are many different types of gardens, from formal rose or Japanese style, to a huge field of annuals being tested, to xeric and scree gardens, all with many lovely places to sit and relax. Plantings change in some areas throughout the year, and I plan to return many times to enjoy the changing seasons – especially can’t wait for spring bulbs and flowering trees!
I include many MANY photos here, here, here:
It’s also free!

On a trip back to the mainland, my boyfriend and I had a free day — free from obligations with friends and family. We decided to explore the Raleigh area since we planned to meet a friend in Cary during the evening. We got our day warmed up at this FREE arboretum associated with NC State. I had been to the also FREE Duke Gardens, but never this one. What a treat! This nature spot/​haven is tucked away in the middle of civilization. We spent only a brief time at the arboretum because of our schedule, so we didn’t see all of the arboretum. But what we saw was beautiful. Great for macro shots of the flowers! My weakness! A great place to wander around and explore!

Please do not tell anyone that if you go here at 2 on a Tuesday there is no one around. Except, like, a lady and her baby. And they a’ight.
I hide out in a green cove, read Walden, and communicate with birds. Then I stroll around in weeping willows, smell roses, poke some bees, and meditate. It’s the absolute best way to spend an afternoon. Even as late as late September, there are still many flowers blooming and many butterflies flyin.

A Beautiful «Nationally Acclaimed» Garden
The J C Raulston Arboretum is a 10-​acre garden located close to Meredith College, NC State University, and the Hillsborough Street exit off of 440. The arboretum is part of the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University. In the back of the main gardens, there is an area with rows of flowerbeds that is distinctly a working research and teaching garden. The garden has many different areas that focus on specific floral or landscapes. I particularly like the Japanese Garden and Asian Valley. You feel like you are transported into another region of the world. There is a Xeric Garden that is very unique. And a garden wouldn’t be complete without roses. There are over 200 roses in the Finley-​Nottingham Rose Gardens.
I am studying photography and flowers are my favorite subjects. So I visit the Raulston Arboretum often to practice and hopefully improve my skills. I often run into other photographers in the mornings or in the evenings. Also the arboretum is a lovely backdrop for a family or bridal photo. The admittance to the garden and the parking are free. The parking lot is small and in the mornings it is often difficult to find a parking space.
There are small, private niches that are great for a romantic picnic. There are large open fields to play frisbee or lounge on a blanket and catch a few rays while reading a book. My husband and I often take our visiting family and friends to the garden for a nice stroll and to showcase such a beautiful botanical garden.