Gipson Play Plaza to Open at Dix Park with Public Celebration, June 6-8
Iconic Destination Features Expansive Play Areas, Community Spaces, Food & Beverage Market and More
(RALEIGH, NC) – April 29, 2025 – The City of Raleigh will open the Gipson Play Plaza, a landmark, one-of-a-kind destination attraction, at Dix Park with a series of public events over the weekend of June 6-8, including a festive ribbon cutting on June 6. Dix Park Conservancy (DPC) serves as presenting sponsor for the multi-pronged rollout.
The 18.5-acre Play Plaza features a dazzling variety of playgrounds and gathering spaces for all ages, including climbing towers, a sensory maze, a waterfall wall, welcoming areas for festivals and performances, a picnic grove, a swing terrace, and more.
The opening weekend will include:
A ribbon cutting featuring key figures in Play Plaza’s development on June 6 from 4-6pm
A grand opening weekend celebration on June 7 and 8, 9am-10pm, featuring live music, family activities, lawn games, food trucks, an immersive light experience at night, and much more.
A schedule of events can be found here. More details about the weekend’s programming will be added as they become available.
Designed by world-renowned landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the Play Plaza serves as a welcoming and enticing entrance to the 308-acre Park from Lake Wheeler Road. A recently announced grab-and-go market at the historic House of Many Porches will invite visitors to fuel up for adventure.
The Play Plaza is made possible by the 2022 Parks Bond, which more than 73 percent of Raleigh voters approved to fund projects at more than 20 parks and greenways across the city. Additionally, the Dix Park Conservancy contributed $26.5 million in private sector fundraising toward the project, including but not limited to:
A generous $10 million lead gift from Pat and Tom Gipson, who will be on hand for many of the opening events.
A $2 million gift from Truist
A $2 million gift from North State Bank
A $2 million gift from Martin Marietta
Other donations – large and small – in support of DPC’s ongoing fundraising efforts
The Play Plaza’s many features include:
Grand Plaza and waterfall – A welcoming entrance featuring a waterfall wall and a grand stairway that doubles as seating for gatherings and events.
Adventure play areas – Multi-level play gardens, towers connected by skywalks, slides, climbing structures, a sand bowl, a sensory maze, and a watermill mountain.
Picnic grove and swing terrace – Spaces equipped with picnic tables, umbrellas, grills, and swings offering views of century-old oaks and the Raleigh skyline.
The Sunflower Power Poles – Two 73’ tall utility towers transformed by nationally acclaimed Raleigh sculptor Thomas Sayre into a pair of sunflowers.
The artworks of Mark Reigelman and Johnny Lee Chapman III - Commissioned to create public art installations enhancing the Plaza's environment and reflecting its history.
Construction of the Play Plaza kicked off in October of 2022. To see photos and learn more about the Play Plaza, click here.
Master Plan in Action
The Play Plaza arose from the vision mapped out in the Dix Park Master Plan. More than 65,000 Raleigh residents contributed in some form to the Master Plan, which now provides the overall vision, guiding principles, and framework for transforming the Dix campus into an international-caliber public space. Adopted by the Raleigh City Council in 2019, the Master Plan outlines a long-term strategy while preserving the Park’s natural beauty and historic significance.
In recent years, several other projects envisioned in the Master Plan have come to life, including:
The meticulous restoration of the Park’s three stately, century-old Stone Houses by the Dix Park Conservancy, which now host a welcome center, artist in residence space, public restrooms, offices, and other amenities.
Renovations of the Greg Poole, Jr. All Faiths Chapel and the Flowers Cottage by the Dix Park Conservancy.
A public art program showcasing works from both international and local creators.
Community events such as the annual sunflower blooms and the acclaimed Dreamville music festival
Quotes
“Dix Park strives to be a world-class destination and welcoming environment for all, and Gipson Play Plaza is a fantastic and important step towards meeting that goal. There is nothing in our area quite like Gipson Play Plaza, and we look forward to welcoming people from places near and far, who will then go on to discover other amazing Dix Park features. For all this, we thank Pat and Tom Gipson, the City of Raleigh and the many others who have or will contribute to realizing the Park’s full potential.” - Ruffin Hall, President and CEO, Dix Park Conservancy
“Gipson Play Plaza is a generational addition to all the things that make Raleigh a great place to live, work and certainly play. On behalf of the entire city, I thank everyone who supported the 2022 Parks Bond, which helped make the Play Plaza and many more projects around Raleigh possible. I also offer a heartfelt thanks to the Dix Park Conservancy, Pat and Tom Gipson, Martin Marietta, North State Bank, Truist Bank, other donors and supporters and everyone who contributed to the Master Plan or in some other manner along the way, and to the City staff for the ongoing operational support for the Plaza. We look forward to seeing even more great things at Dix Park.” - Janet Cowell, Mayor, City of Raleigh and former President and CEO of DPC
“We are thrilled to play a role in bringing an iconic new space to vibrant life in Raleigh. The Gipson Play Plaza will attract visitors from near and far, becoming a signature attraction of North Carolina’s capital city. We look forward to making memories here with our children and grandchildren, and watching as so many others do the same.” - Pat and Tom Gipson, whose $10 million gift made the attraction possible
“Great parks make great cities, and ‘Greatness in the making’ has long been our Dix Park tagline. Today, with the opening of Gipson Play Plaza, we can say with wide smiles and brimming optimism that, through the work of many hands, we have achieved a significant piece of the greatness we’ve all imagined possible here. There’s much more to do. And many more ways for people of all stripes to pitch in. So today, as we celebrate this achievement, we also cast our eyes to the future with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm.” - Bill Ross, Chair, Dix Park Conservancy board
“Gipson Play Plaza represents years of patient work – from listening to all corners of our community to developing a comprehensive Master Plan, from rallying the support of donors and volunteers to meticulously and creatively turning our collective vision into a thrilling reality. Gipson Play Plaza will be transformative for Dix Park and a welcoming asset for the city. For all this, we offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our entire community.” - Kate Pearce, Executive Director, Dix Park, City of Raleigh
"The opening of Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park is a transformative addition to Raleigh’s parks system, creating an exciting new space for families and visitors while reinforcing our vision for a central park. This project, alongside recent and future investments at John Chavis Memorial Park and our award-winning greenway system, showcases our commitment to vibrant, inclusive public spaces and public health. These investments are shaping the future of our city, offering new opportunities for play, connection, and community. We are proud to see Raleigh’s parks evolve as places where everyone can gather, explore, and thrive." - Stephen Bentley, Director, Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
"In designing the Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park we sought to create an imaginative space that draws inspiration from the regional landscapes, Raleigh’s gardening tradition, notable landmarks, and the site’s history. By crafting a space that combines playfulness with civic elements, we imagine Gipson Play Plaza will invite exploration and connection for residents of all ages and abilities. The project would not have been possible without the dedication of the City of Raleigh, the generosity of donors like Pat and Tom Gipson, and the insightful input from locals, and should stand for generations as an invitation to the larger park and a community gathering space for the city and the region.” - Matthew Urbanski, Partner, MVVA and project principal designer
“All of the world’s greatest cities have great parks and we hope Gipson Play Plaza becomes one of them. As someone with family in the Triangle and being a collaborator on the Dix Park Master Plan, it is gratifying to be part of such a unique and promising project. The mood is FUN, building upon all the exciting experiences already happening here while creating something unforgettable and unexpected for Raleigh.” - Hillary Archer, Senior Associate, MVVA and Prime Consultant Project Manager
About Dix Park Conservancy and the City of Raleigh
The City of Raleigh owns and operates Dorothea Dix Park. Dix Park Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to support the City in its efforts, serve as its philanthropic and community engagement partner, and ensure the creation and long-term success of Dix Park as a place for everyone – a transformative public space for community, health, and celebration that will enrich the quality of life in North Carolina.