Fred Fletcher Park

The City lists parking at 820 Clay Street and 805 Washington Street. Choose based on the nearest destination and event instructions rather than circling one lot: the park has entrances from St. Mary's Street and Glenwood Avenue, and concerts, weddings, school activities, and field use can change which approach works best.

Use 820 Clay Street as the primary park address. A second parking area is at 805 Washington Street, and pedestrian entrances connect from St. Mary's Street and Glenwood Avenue. For the Borden Building, amphitheater, or a permitted field event, follow the organizer's arrival instructions because the former campus has several internal paths.

Do not count on a public park restroom. Raleigh's playground directory specifically lists no restroom for Fred Fletcher Park. Event buildings may have facilities only during an approved rental or program, and office space is not a general visitor restroom. Plan before arriving, especially with children.

Use outdoor park areas from dawn to dusk unless a posted City event or confirmed rental provides different access. The Borden Building, amphitheater, Garris Building, and fields have separate program, office, school-use, rental, or event schedules and are not continuously open public buildings.

General entry, walking paths, water garden, playground, and first-come outdoor court use are free. The picnic shelter is listed at $15 per hour. Field reservations, Borden Building and amphitheater rentals, programs, and private events have separate charges and require confirmation.

The former campus has developed walking paths between many major areas, but the sand playground, grassy amphitheater, wetland edges, fields, slopes, and older-building entrances can differ. No public playground restroom is listed. Contact Raleigh Parks Inclusion Services or the rental contact for destination-specific access help.

The playground serves ages 2-12, has toddler swings, and uses a sand surface. The City lists no nearby public restroom. Playground and shelter improvements are planned as part of a 2026-2029 field project, but construction is not scheduled to begin until the later project phase; check alerts before visiting.

The park has one concrete outdoor basketball court, two unlit tennis courts without backboards, an unlit softball field, and a 300-by-195-foot multipurpose field. Courts are generally first come when not reserved; fields can be scheduled for school teams, leagues, maintenance, or paid rentals.

The planted water garden is also working stormwater infrastructure. Four deep pools capture sediment, nutrients, and pollutants before runoff reaches Pigeon House Branch, while supporting butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, ducks, and other wildlife. Stay on paths and treat the pools as habitat, not play or wading water.

Concerts and performances use the grassy amphitheater beside the Borden Building. Events have their own dates, seating guidance, parking impacts, weather decisions, and sometimes restricted setup areas. Check the specific Raleigh event listing instead of assuming the amphitheater has daily programming or permanent seating.