Richard Stanhope Pullen
Pullen Park entrance
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| Location | Raleigh, NC |
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| Coordinates | 35°46′49″N 78°39′50″W / 35.78036°N 78.66383°WCoordinates: 35°46′49″N 78°39′50″W / 35.78036°N 78.66383°W |
| Owner | City of Raleigh |
| Opened | March 22, 1887 |
| Website | Official website |
Pullen Park is a 66.33 acres (26.8 ha)public park in Raleigh, North Carolina west of downtown, adjacent to the campus of North Carolina State University, between Western Boulevard and Hillsborough Street. The park features picnic areas, a concessions stand along with several small rides including the Pullen Park Carousel, train, and kiddie boats. Pedal boats are also available for rent seasonally on the park's large pond. The Pullen Aquatic Center, Pullen Arts Center and Theatre In the Park are also located on the park grounds. It is one of the most famous and known parks around the Raleigh/Durham area.
The East Coast Greenway, a 3,000 mile long system of trails connecting Maine to Florida, runs through Pullen Park.
Pullen Park was founded on March 22, 1887 when Richard Stanhope Pullen donated farmland to the City of Raleigh expressly to be used as a space for recreational enjoyment of citizens and visitors to Raleigh, NC. This land became Pullen Park, the first public park in North Carolina, although its founder, always shying from thanks and publicity, opposed giving it his name. A "Committee on Public Parks" was formed to oversee the transformation from farm land to landscaped park and a Park Keeper was hired in 1888 to oversee these modifications. Pullen continued his own involvement by taking part in the planning and financing of bridges, roads and paths throughout the park as well as the planting of trees and general landscaping in the park and the neighboring NC State University which was built on land also donated by him. Pullen's landscape architecture design was in keeping with the times. He also financed a round pavilion for outdoor entertainment and a fountain, located near the city's first swimming pool (for men only) in 1891. A congressman from another county donated fifty Japanese carp for the fountain which shows the significance of the park even outside of Raleigh. In 1895 modifications to the structure and use of the pool allowed for female usage. The pool remained in the same place until it was replaced by the Pullen Aquatic Center in 1992 (see: Aquatic Center).
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Wikipedia