Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden

William Shakespeare wrote, “Of all flowers, methinks a rose is best”.  How fitting that the lovely Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden is adjacent to the renowned and historic Raleigh Little Theatre, one of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the country. 

Today, the Raleigh Little Theatre, its 1,700-seat amphitheatre and the Raleigh Rose Garden occupy over six acres of what was formerly an expanse of land used as a race track prior to 1940.  Since then, a well established neighborhood of charming homes has grown up around what has become one gem of a garden within the city.  

Hidden below street level off of Pogue Street., you’ll find 60 rose beds boasting 56 varieties of hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures and antiques amidst stately oaks and evergreens.  Recognized as an All-America Rose Selections public rose garden, 1,200 buds are abloom from May through October (until the fall’s first frost). 

Originally landscaped by the Raleigh Little Theater and formally dedicated to the city in 1951, the Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden is open to the public every day from dawn until dusk for all to enjoy.  Relax on a park bench with a good book, picnic under a shady oak, gaze and reflect by the tranquil fountain, or stroll under the winding pergola lost in thought.  It doesn't take long to surrender your cares in this peaceful, sunken garden.     

As you can probably imagine, a setting as enchanting as this is an extremely popular location for weddings and other special events which can be arranged through the Raleigh Little Theatre Special Events Office.  The Raleigh Little Theatre is an ideal neighbor, hosting galas in the garden from time to time.

One notable event and fundraiser benefiting their year-round education and performance programs is the biennial Raleigh Big Garden Tour.  Starting at the Rose Garden, the tour offers an intimate look at some of the most creative and well manicured private gardens at homes inside the beltline.

If you have yet to discover the Rose Garden for yourself, consider a leisurely visit to smell the roses followed by taking in a production at the theatre.  Shakespeare would surely approve.

HelloRaleigh Tip:  More than simply beautiful to view, the Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden also serves as a display garden for new rose varieties that have been tested by the AARS and approved to introduce to the public.  Perhaps you’ll be inspired enough to plant something new in your own garden.

- by Angela Risko, Raleigh Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Angela Risko

Angela Risko is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Formerly in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and Manhattan specializing in the film industry, additionally, she has developed multimedia content for the retail sector. A media relations professional and freelance writer, she believes inside everyone is a story worth telling. Angela is based in Raleigh with a concentration on lifestyle, culture, and human interest profiles.