Raleigh, N.C., is off to a memorable start with a blend of classic experiences and exciting new adventures. With something special for everyone, from award-winning eats to buzzing craft breweries and scenic parks to innovative art installations, the City of Oaks calls visitors to dive into its vibrant energy in 2025.

Here's the ultimate guide to what's new in Raleigh:

• Dorothea Dix Park, a park for everyone, built by everyone. This 308-acre land parcel full of historic architecture and rich landscapes on the edge of downtown Raleigh is transforming into America's most exciting urban park project. Opening in Spring 2025, Gipson Play Plaza's expansive 18 acres promises to be an inviting and inspiring multigenerational public space with custom-built play structures (including a life-size mill drawing from N.C.'s history, wheelchair-accessible "slide valley" and a sensory maze), civic plaza, waterfall and gardens.
• Scott Crawford, five-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast and 2025 semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur, expanded his restaurant empire by opening three new concepts in 2024. Brodeto, a dreamy date-night outpost inspired by the Adriatic coast opened in Raleigh Iron Works in March. Crawford Brothers Steakhouse opened in Cary in December, featuring Prime Black Angus and Wagyu beef, plus more than 700 wines to choose from. If you don't make it to these new spots, you can also now try Crawford's cuisine at his upscale bar and grill in RDU International Airport, Crawford's Genuine.
• The most recent chef de cuisine of Poole's Diner, David Ellis, opened his first restaurant in Raleigh last year. Figulina is a pasta-centric concept emphasizing fresh, hand-made pasta, utilizing local ingredients that add a Southern flair. The restaurant was named a semifinalist for 2025 Best New Restaurant in the prestigious James Beard Awards.
• An ode to modern Indian cuisine, Tamasha Modern Indian Kitchen's extravagant and upscale Indian concept in North Hills has lived up to both the pre-opening hype and the name (Tamasha can translate to "grand performance" in Hindi). Now recognized as a 2025 James Beard Awards semifinalist for Emerging Chef, Chef Bhavin Chhatwani elevates the city's vibrant culinary landscape by bringing bold, innovative Indian cuisine to Raleigh.
• Christopher Prieto, a champion pitmaster, self-proclaimed "barbecue nerd" and the mastermind behind Prime Barbecue, brings together the flavors of Texas, North Carolina and Kansas City barbecue. A 2025 James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, Prieto's award-winning brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausages, banana pudding and more can be found on the menu at this trip-worthy dining stop in Knightdale.
• Now with five locations (including the newly opened Bend Bar and the second location of State of Beer opening last month), the Trophy Brewing + Pizza Morgan Street location is best known for its delicious and funky pizzas and beer, sprawling patio, private event space and Trophy's beloved craft beers.
• Triangle Rock Club – Salvage Yard is the newest Triangle Rock Club facility, which opened in late 2024, making it the largest climbing gym in North Carolina. The gym boasts more than just excellent rock climbing – the Salvage Yard location has a yoga studio, functional fitness and strength training area, a gear shop, bouldering space and more.
• RH, also known as Restoration Hardware, has reimagined itself to become the leading brand in luxury home furnishings, offering the most comprehensive and compelling collection of furniture, lighting, textiles and decor in the world. Reflecting the brand's continued commitment to hospitality, the stunning new RH Raleigh features a dramatic, glass-encased Rooftop Restaurant offering a thoughtfully curated menu of enduring classics.
• As the largest natural science museum in the Southeast, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences features four floors of exhibits, interactive features, gift shops and two cafés, along with the Nature Research Center—a dynamic space that serves as a visitor destination, research hub and hands-on student laboratory. In 2024, the museum debuted the highly anticipated Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit, the world's first open-air paleontology lab showcasing some of the most complete skeletons ever discovered of a Triceratops and Tyrannosaur.
• Paving their way towards the Stanley Cup, you can experience the loudest house in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes at the Lenovo Center from late September through early April. The new era of Canes hockey has made one thing clear: Raleigh is a hockey town.

Whether you're a first-time visitor, in town visiting friends and family or a longtime local, these 10 must-do experiences promise to make 2025 an unforgettable year in Raleigh.

Media and Trade Contact:
Visit Raleigh
Jessica Holt
Director of Public Relations and International Tourism
919.645.2654
jholt@visitRaleigh.com