A gathering place, brought back to life
completed August 2026
One of the oldest buildings on the Dix Park campus is now one of its most welcoming. The Flowers Cottage opened August 20 as Cottage Coffee & Park Bar, a place to pause over coffee in the morning and a drink in the evening.
The Conservancy led the renovation that made the café and bar possible, working in partnership with the City of Raleigh to bring a new gathering place on the western side of the park.
Renovation highlights
Run by a local team
Cottage Coffee and Park Bar are operated by the team behind Person Street Bar and Natural Science, bringing a neighborhood feel to one of the park's most recognizable spots.
A working café and bar
The interior was fitted out to serve as a daily coffee shop and park bar to bring food and drink service to the Cottage.
An expanded deck and porch
The deck was extended and stepped with tiered seating, giving visitors room to sit with a coffee or a drink and take in the park.
Grounds that invite you to stay
The landscape around the Cottage was reshaped with new stonework, native plantings, and warm evening lighting, along with a small playground so visitors have a reason to linger.
This project was made possible by private philanthropy raised by the Conservancy, and a portion of every sale supports the park's future.
The Story so Far
Before the coffee, a rescue
Built around 1910, Flowers Cottage is one of the oldest structures on the former Dorothea Dix Hospital campus. In 2018, it became the first building the Conservancy brought back to life at Dix Park, restored from a dilapidated structure into a usable, welcoming space, an early sign of what the park could become.
That first renovation gave the Cottage its character, its porch, and its deck, and turned a forgotten building into a place the Conservancy and the community could use. It set a pattern the park has followed ever since, from the Chapel to the Stone Houses: take what history left behind, and make it useful again.
Upon its completion, the Conservancy dedicated the restored Cottage to Greg Poole Jr. in recognition of his vision and leadership for Dix Park.
