Laurel Hills Park
Rating
Price
Free
Duration
1-3 hours
Best Ages
2-12
About
Laurel Hills Park covers 48 acres on Edwards Mill Road in west Raleigh, and while it has been around since 1975, the reason families single it out today is Sassafras All Children's Playground. Sassafras is built for accessibility so children of all abilities can play together, with wheelchair-accessible structures integrated into the main play area. That integration is the part that matters.
Plenty of parks add one accessible swing near the fence; here a child using a wheelchair and a child charging up the climber are in the same play space, which changes the whole afternoon for a family with mixed abilities or a kid who has aged out of feeling welcome on standard equipment.
The rest of the park earns its keep too. There is a pond with an overlook and instructional benches plus a nature area, which makes a nice slow loop with a preschooler who wants to look for turtles, though fishing is not permitted so do not promise a fishing trip. Athletically, the park holds two youth baseball fields with 300-foot fences, a 150 by 150 multipurpose field and two outdoor basketball courts, so older siblings have somewhere to burn off energy while the younger ones play.
Inside, Laurel Hills Community Center is a full-size facility rather than a small neighborhood building. It has a gymnasium with two full courts, each seating 300, a large meeting room for 125, a dance studio for 30 and a warming kitchen. Programs in music, dance, fitness and sports run for all ages through Raleigh's RecLink registration system, which is where you go to see what is currently offered and what it costs.
Hours matter here more than at most Raleigh parks because the building opens late. The community center runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, so an early weekday visit is a park visit, not an indoor one. The outdoor spaces follow the citywide dawn to dusk rule.
A normal family visit costs nothing. Rentals are the only line item: the gym courts, meeting room, dance studio, warming kitchen, outdoor basketball courts and picnic shelter all rent by the hour, and non-residents pay a 25 percent surcharge, so confirm current rates at raleighnc. gov or by calling (919) 996-2383.
The picnic shelter holds 75 across ten tables and includes two charcoal grills, which makes it one of the better birthday party setups in the city given what is sitting next to it.
One local warning: Edwards Mill Road runs alongside the arena and state fairgrounds. On event days, traffic in this corridor turns ugly, so check the calendar before you commit to a Saturday afternoon here. Strollers roll well on the paved approaches and around Sassafras, and nursing or changing facilities are not documented publicly, so ask at the front desk during building hours.
Age Suitability
Parent Logistics
Stroller-Friendly
Yes
Nursing / Changing
Unknown
Kid Meals
N/A
Setting
Indoor & Outdoor
Rainy Day
Great option!
Plan Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings and early afternoons are calmest at Sassafras playground. Note the community center does not open until 10 a.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, so an early visit means the park only. Avoid event days at the nearby arena and fairgrounds, when Edwards Mill Road traffic backs up.
Wait Times
No admission or entry line. Sassafras playground can feel full on a sunny Saturday midday, since it draws families from across Raleigh, but equipment turns over quickly. Indoor gym time depends on the program and rental schedule rather than a queue.
Nearby Food
No food is sold inside the park, so pack a lunch for the picnic shelter or plan to eat off site. Laurel Hills sits in the Edwards Mill and Blue Ridge Road corridor, which puts a wide range of casual and sit-down restaurants within a five to ten minute drive, including options around the arena and Crabtree area. The Mill Raleigh is the closest listed restaurant in our data. The shelter's two charcoal grills also make a cookout a realistic plan for a bigger group.
Why Kids Love It
Sassafras All Children's Playground is the reason families drive across Raleigh to get here. It is designed so kids of all abilities can play together, with wheelchair-accessible structures built into the main play area rather than tucked off to the side, which means a child using a wheelchair and a child sprinting between slides are actually in the same game. Add a pond with an overlook, a nature area and a double gym inside, and there is a plan B for every kind of weather.
Pro Tips from Parents
- Sassafras All Children's Playground is the standout: it is built for accessibility with wheelchair-accessible structures, making it one of the best inclusive play options in Raleigh for mixed-ability families and cousins
- The community center opens later than most, 10 a.m. on weekdays, so a 9 a.m. arrival means playground and park only until the building unlocks
- Fishing is not allowed in the pond, so set expectations before your kid spots the water; the overlook and instructional benches are for looking and learning, not casting
- Edwards Mill Road runs past the arena and state fairgrounds, so check for event days before you drive over or you will sit in game-day or fair traffic
- The gym has two full-size courts that book separately at different hourly rates, so if you are renting court time for a party or practice, ask which court you are getting and what the current rate is
What to Bring
- Sunscreen and hats, since Sassafras playground has limited shade in the middle of the day
- Water bottles and snacks, because there is no concession stand on site
- Non-marking indoor shoes if you are heading into the gym for a program or open play
- Charcoal and grill tools if you have reserved the picnic shelter, which has two charcoal grills
- A change of clothes for toddlers, plus wipes, since the nature area and pond edge invite muddy shoes
Cost Info
Free Admission
Estimated Cost (Family of 4)
$0 for the usual visit.
Sassafras All Children's Playground, the nature area, the pond overlook, the ball fields and parking are free, and there is no admission to the community center building during open hours.
Paid extras are optional: the gymnasium, large meeting room, dance studio, warming kitchen, picnic shelter and outdoor basketball courts all rent by the hour, and non-residents pay a 25 percent surcharge.
City classes in music, dance, fitness and sports are registered and paid through RecLink at their own published fees.
Check raleighnc.
gov for current rates.
Tips to Save
- The playground is the main event and it is free, so a great morning here costs a tank of nothing.
- If you want a birthday party without a party venue bill, the picnic shelter holds 75 across ten tables with two charcoal grills and rents by the hour, which is dramatically cheaper than a commercial party room and puts an accessible playground right next to your cake table.
- Raleigh residents pay less than non-residents on every rental line, so check your address status first.
- For classes, the center runs music, dance, fitness and sports through RecLink at city rates that undercut private studios; register at the opening of the cycle because the popular ones fill.
- And if you only need a court, the outdoor basketball courts rent for far less per hour than the indoor gym.
Hours & Contact
Contact
Have a Question?
Frequently Asked Questions
Tickets & Booking
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