Pullen Park is a very nice size for a park within a city, and contains paddle boats, a carosel, a mini-train, tennis courts, baseball fields, an aquatic center, and a playground. The playground is a slightly older playground, meaning they still have awesome toys like monkey bars and the "bounce on" spaceships and animals. The swingsets are nice but can "pop up" a little when teens or adults swing on them.
There are several open fields great for frisbee or picnics. The park has many shelters for cookouts; they require a reservation if you want to be guaranteed the spot. The reservations must be made for a pre-determined block of six+ hours and are rather pricey. A friend wanted an outdoor bridal shower and we couldn't do it there because if we wanted the 2-4 PM block we would have to pay over $50 to rent the shelter for the whole day.
I do not and would not walk alone in Pullen Park. Period. I know some people just advise to avoid being alone at dusk, but that's too risky in my opinion. Ladies, have a guy with you. My friends and I, even in groups of six or eight girls, have been harassed by guys on numerous occassions. We now only go to the park if we are accompanied by as many guys as we have girls going. It's a shame Raleigh doesn't police the park enough to prevent harassment such as this.
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