PLEASE NOTE: Other dates in 2024 will be posted as we get closer to the fall. The only times that I have run this tour previously were in October of 2022 and 2023 So if you did not come on a tour of Oakwood at those times, then this tour should be brand new to you! Even though we are starting at the same location, we will be seeing different parts of the neighborhood!
This tour is pay-what-you-want ! If you enjoy the tour, please compensate your guide appropriately! CASH ONLY please! Usually, the guide receives $15 to $20 per adult, but you are free to give more or less than that, depending on how you feel about your tour. As you can imagine, the tour guide has to work hard to earn your appreciation!
Tours have always been pay-what-you-want, but advance registration is now REQUIRED. If need a way to communicate with you if the tour needs to be cancelled for any reason -- the weather, etc.
I do not run tours of Oakwood often, so be sure to sign up early! These tours will sell out!
The historic Oakwood neighborhood is the oldest neighborhood in Raleigh at least partially outside of the downtown. On this tour, you will learn how much of the Oakwood neighborhood was almost destroyed in the 1970s.
In addition to seeing the major architectural styles in the neighborhood, this route will also introduce you to some of the minor architectural styles that are found in Oakwood. We will see several gorgeous Second Empire homes, and we will even take a look at three houses that may have been purchased from the Sears Catalog in 1912. We will also explore the small area of commercial buildings located on N. Bloodworth St.
PLEASE NOTE: This tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, but may be slightly longer depending on the size and speed of the group.
We will start on the sidewalk outside of the North Carolina Medical Society building at the corner of N. Person St. and E. Lane St. The closest mappable address is 222 N. Person St. The tour will end approximately 3 blocks away from the starting point.
Plenty of free street parking is available in the Oakwood neighborhood on weekends. Several of the streets in Oakwood are one-way (including both Person St. and Lane St.), so please keep that in mind when you are looking for parking. A great place to park would be in the 400 or 500 blocks of E. Lane St. because that will put you right in between the starting and ending points of the tour!
This event is a walking tour! We will NOT be entering any of the homes on the tour; we will be viewing the exteriors only. In addition, there will not be any restroom breaks or stops for food/drinks.
