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Five of Raleigh’s best-kept secrets
Think you know Raleigh? Think again. Longtime local and lover of all things quirky, Emily Price uncovers more than 80 of Oak City’s hidden treasures in Secret Raleigh: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure—some of which even born-and-bred Raleighites may have never heard of.
Having witnessed the city’s transformation since moving to the area at age 6, Price has spent years digging into the local lore and overlooked history hiding in plain sight—from unusual homes and urban legends to the city’s strangest attractions.
“There are so many really fun stories and neat things to discover,” says Price. “I’m a sucker for [that]—I love anything interesting, weird or unusual.” Here, she shares her faves with RM—some shocking, some personal and all uniquely Raleigh.
Bloomsbury Park
Step right up. Before Five Points was home to boutiques and restaurants, there stood a bustling theme park of roller coasters, live shows and all-out pizazz located on today’s Bloomsbury Park Drive. Built in 1912 by Carolina Power & Light, the park was like Raleigh’s version of Coney Island, and remnants of it are still scattered around Oak City.
Although short-lived before reportedly becoming a World War I drill site, the park’s legacy lives on in the handcarved—and still spinning—Pullen Park Carousel. Amusing, indeed.
William Sidney Wilson’s Electric Guitars
One of the first electric guitars was crafted in Raleigh—and that rocks. Deep in the archives at NC State—and far from the stage—lives one of the world’s earliest modern axes. Originally strung by engineering student William “Sid” Wilson in an era when patents weren’t exactly a priority, his name never reached household status. Instead, the invention spent years in a storage closet and was eventually credited to another creative. Talk about having an axe
to grind.
Glenwood Fire Station
Home is where the hose is. Jefferson Street’s best-kept secret is one of Raleigh’s earliest neighborhood fire stations. What looks like your average home is, upon closer inspection, the city’s former Engine Company No. 4—now a private home with almost the same exterior as the one from nearly a century ago.
“I’m mad that it’s presumably been there my entire life, and I had no idea that it existed,” emphasizes Price. Locals can get fired up and admire the slice of adaptive reuse with a drive-by of the residence—sans sirens blaring.
Six Forks Road
Fork over the history. In an era when “I live off Six Forks Road” was a breeding ground for cutlery-themed cracks, Price—who grew up near the old Tara Apartments—was all in on the laughs, while short-lived side streets boasting clever names like Six Spoons and Six Knives kept the town talking.
“I thought that was fantastic,” recalls Price. “I’ve heard that joke a million times.” Eventually, the apartment complex was wiped off the map, along with the two quirky roads—but for Price, the puns live on.
Pullen Park
Hold onto your horses. Pullen Park was a bit, well, wild in the late 1800s, with lions, minks and bears roaming the grounds as part of the state’s premiere zoological park. Although Price was, naturally, well aware of the age-old attraction, new discoveries spanned an old alligator pit now blooming with florals; Galapagos turtles donated by a U.S. Navy captain; and the park’s prized possession, Jim the buffalo—to name but a few.
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