I got the opportunity to attend a Juneteenth event at the governor's mansion & governor Josh Stein…read morespoke & presented a proclamation to honor the day. There were also dancers, a singer, food, and vendors at the event. All of the employees that we engaged with were pleasant. We also had the opportunity to tour the first floor of the mansion while at the event. It was a great event to start my day.

Christmas time at our (North Carolinians) house. Wonderfully decorated and impressive home…read more Security, volunteers, and staff were all super friendly. The whole event was well organized with choirs, too! Kudos!

Decorated for Christmas and included live music in the rotunda!…read more Impressive building and well worth a visit. Amazing architecture. Symbols of our state and our country including the portrait of George Washington are impressive.

Was in Raleigh for work and went walking around and saw the State House. Had no clue Raleigh was…read morethe capital more knew anything about it really. As I walked by snagging some pictures I saw an inviting sign so decided to walk in. Free to the public and did the self-guided tour. It was such a nice detour and so glad I did. The old Library inside, rotunda, and old Senate chambers were especially cool to see. I tried imagine of what it was like in those halls in the mid-1800's. I would recommend stopping in and check it out.

MY FAVORITE PLACE EVER…read more Not because the campus is huge and 10 minutes away from home. But because the library is hugenormous. It is open 24 hours and only till 10 for the public. They have computers and lounges and quite rooms. Have I mentioned I love books? The fact that this place is accessible at all hours and has direct sources neighbored, I am one move away from becoming a student just because of it. They have lots of little areas with different chairs and tables to divide them. A coffee shop which is nothing but the obvious neccessity. Oh, and I like that they have these tables in which students can write on to study. Pretty cool right? I learn something new everytime. (pun intended) :)

This review is for the Howling Cow Creamery ice cream located inside the D H Hill Library…read more I love ice creams and howling cow is one of my favorites! Weekday late night ice cream cravings? This place is open until 1 am on some days since it is attached to the library. You do not have to enter the library to get ice cream. They have a window right by Hillsborough street. Locally produced by the university, this is a must try if you are visiting or living in the triangle area. My favorite flavor from there is s'mores. Also, their milkshakes are too good!

Of course there is no such thing as a BAD library, but I find the Smithfield Library particularly…read morepleasant. In addition to the books, its decor is attractive and its atmosphere cheerful and welcoming. Works by local artisans is prominently displayed, and the interior is well lit - my husband, who is visually, had no trouble navigating. In fact, if you're disabled and use a wheelchair, you'll find it delightfully accessible and very easy to navigate. The aisles are wide and there's an elevator to the upper floors. The selection of books is OUTSTANDING. Every genre is welI stocked, and I really, really appreciated the great selection of fantasy/sci-fi books. I'm an older reader who well remembers the era when public libraries paid little attention to this type of lit and reading fans had to buy their own books. ALL types of fiction are generously stocked, the biography section is outstanding and I found so many great books on sewing and crafts that were so informative I ordered my own copies of some of them. There's ample seating if you want to spend time reading onsite, and the staff is very welcoming and helpful. This library is a local reader's delight.

Best library in all of Johnston County, great events for children, teens and adults, great…read moreselection of books, dvds, audiobooks and even puzzles. The staff are wonderful, helpful and friendly people. They offer a variety of printing services, court and tax documents. They offer quiet spaces as well as a large multi-purpose meeting room, easily reservable. A great library in Johnston County!

We've just moved here from the West Coast, and family came to visit. They love historical homes and…read morehistory, but all the ones online that are so beautiful I guess are closed now, which is really sad!! So we didn't have any hopes for this one BUT ladies were there and helped us get a tour the next day!!! They were all so sweet and great!! My parents were so impressed with the facts of the tour and our tour guide that we talked about it for hours afterwards!!! So if you love history and gorgeous homes, make sure you sign up for a tour!! You can also stay in the house if you're having your wedding there!

I got married at Haywood Hall & Gardens on 11/04/2017. We found Haywood Hall in July 2016 and…read moreimmediately fell in love! Greg, Haywood Hall's curator, is so helpful and can answer any question you might have about holding your wedding at the location. The grounds are beautiful and the house as the backdrop to the ceremony is unique. We spent about 16 months planning our wedding. Greg has lots of recommendations for outside vendors, as you need to bring everything, from tables and chairs, alcohol, food, cake, etc. in as none of this is provided by the venue. This gives you a lot of flexibility to plan your own wedding, but does require a lot of time and effort. Both the ceremony and reception sites are outdoor, so be wary of that because there is no flexible rain plan. It might not be the great choice for summer or winter, but mid-April through early June and mid-September through mid-November are perfect for holding a wedding. I've seen the springs blooms and we had peak fall colors the first week of November. Just an all-around unique piece of Raleigh that in my opinion is a great place to have your special day.

This is the repository for most of North Carolina's historical governmental records. If you are a…read morehistorian or genealogist this is a wonderful research facility. North Carolina is virtually unique in the US for the level of centralization in records management. In addition to all of the state government's records, virtually all of the older county and municipal records are here as well. The facility was recently remodeled, so everything has a new shine to it. It would have been nice, though, if they had added more power outlets for laptops while they were doing the remodeling. The staff is always very helpful and answers questions patiently.

Maybe my home counties of Cleveland and Rutherford are unique in having excellent sets of historic…read moreresources at the deeds offices and libraries, but the state archives office was incredibly disappointing for me. I found nothing I hadn't already seen in researching branches of my family. One employee was somewhat helpful, but the rest didn't provide helpful assistance whatsoever. I was disappointed the archives require an appointment for viewing any photos whatsoever. I didn't know that ahead of time and live three and a half hours away. Also be prepared if you'd like Civil War records that you'll likely be referred to the national archives and told they don't manage much. I basically went through a whole security registration, pass-obtaining process and all just to learn within one minute that nothing would be useful to me. And I was disappointed they don't allow freedom to research without being hounded by staff members. I couldn't go anywhere without being immediately approached by someone demanding to know exactly what I was looking for. I do my best family research when I'm free to explore resources and find what's helpful. I don't see myself coming back here or ever offering the state any of the many family historical documents I have in any will or trust. They simply wouldn't be accessible or valuable if they were managed by this office. When I left empty-handed, the staff members looked at me like I didn't know what I was looking for in the first place. I got the same treatment the day before when I left the family history library on the floor below. And both days, my wife and I were talked down to by the officer on security duty at the front desk. Just very unimpressed with the whole process and resource.

I'm SO GLAD the libraries have their "books on the go" program up and running during the pandemic…read more The library staff work hard to get books into the hands of community members in a safe way. The pick up system has worked flawlessly and kept our house full of books for my kiddo (and saving me from buying tons of books for my avid reader!). Being connected to the rest of the library system allows for access to so many books, and they seem to arrive at the chosen branch more quickly now that "books on the go" has been up and running for a while. My kiddo and I are excited to get to pop back in and browse once it's safe to do so again. She's excited to have the opportunity to check out lots of the books on the shelves and find new favorites on her own. This is a great branch to do just that without feeling overwhelmed by too many choices.

they have a shitty library guard, they don't care for any students there. Had a HORRIBLE experience…read morethere and front desk ladies did NOTHING to help. I hope whoever this security guard that did a horrible thing got fired and I hope this library never lets this kinda thing happen ever again. And it's always noisy in there to the point where you can't concentrate. yea i would never go to this library again !

Beautifully illuminated at night and I've seen it then but today I was here when I was visiting the…read moreNorth Carolina Museum of Art and walking on their greenway to find a specific artwork. It is apparently the longest pedestrian bridge in the state. Bringing the House Creek Greenway Trail over Interstate 440 and joining the Museum of Art with Meredith College. From the Museum parking lot, follow the blue trail and continue south and east until you get to the bridge. You can also listen for the sounds of traffic. Note that the trail is not lighted at night. [Review 11687 overall, 1469 of 2019.]