John Chavis Memorial Park — Attraction in Raleigh

AMAZING park and community center with an incredible history! My photos are limited but, hopefully my description is informative.

From the moment I turned into the parking lot, I was blown away by how beautiful the building and grounds were. I would strongly encourage everyone to learn about the history of John Chavis and his connection to Raleigh / Wake County, NC, and his service to our country. In short, which does not do him any justice, he was the first African American to earn a college degree in the United States of America, a revolutionary war veteran, a preacher, and he owned over 300 acres across Wake Co. The centers' historical background and strong connection to our community are represented by the stunningly beautiful glass mural on the side of the main building. There is so much to do, see, and learn here - including a giant splash pad to the whole family to play in during the hot summer days! The City of Raleigh's Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department has plans to expand the amenities, too! The plans include building an indoor / outdoor aquatic center! In addition to all of the above, the park had numerous gathering spaces for events and meetings at VERY reasonable rates compared to other comparable locations. There is even an indoor walking / jogging track above the basketball where you can watch a local game line and in person while you exercise. I really can not say enough about John Chavis Memorial Park. You really should add a visit to your list of must-see Raleigh...

I wrote a 5 star review last year but I shortly thereafter had a very negative experience. I went there one afternoon to utilize the shower because my place didn't have hot water temporarily. I went into the family restroom and turned on the water, but before I had even undressed, a man pounded on the door and announced that I had better come out and that he had called the police. Now, I am not so naive as to believe that he was telling the truth. In fact, I think he got a kick out it. I knew I had done nothing illegal but I apologized anyway. He said there were shower times posted but I had not seen them. As I exited I apologized to the other member of staff working the front desk. She looked at me disgusted and said, why did you do that? It's not shower-time! And I kept calmly assuring her that it was my mistake and will never happen again. I don't know if I imagined it or not but I thought I heard them laugh about it.

I went to Worthdale Community Center where they were very kind, and did not have restrictions on hours beside the courtesy of arriving at least one hour before closing.

I am surprised the people at Chavis were so childish and spiteful. People make mistakes and if it is a service that is associated with the homeless, I would hope the staff would be trained to have a little compassion. Isn't it a shame that some people do not see any value in compassion, yet they choose to work somewhere that is supposed to be an affordable resource for the...

John Chavis Park is named after John Chavis, a free Black educator, Presbyterian minister, and American Revolutionary War veteran. In 1808, he opened his first school, the site of which was located near the grounds of modern-day Chavis Park. There is rich black history here at this park. If you visit the community center on its grounds you can see the black and white photos adorning the walls of the center dating back to the 60's featuring the people of this African American community.

This is a beautiful park that is home to the main attraction its early 20th-century carousel. Allan Herschell Carousel, showcases a Wurlitzer 146A band organ, oil paintings of waterfalls and other natural scenes, and thirty-six jumping, hand-carved, hand-painted horses. There are several indoor and outdoor spaces available to the public and for rent. In addition a playground, tennis courts, and a pool, the park offers a community center, picnic shelters, a gymnasium, a lit, outdoor track, a fitness center, and a game room. A half-mile of Raleigh's Capital Area Greenway traverses the park via Little Rock Trail. During the week my daughter attends city basketball practice here and we love the view of the city skyline from the community center.

This is by far my favorite...