Moore Square
200 S Blount St
Raleigh, NC
A four-acre green at the heart of downtown Raleigh, laid out in the city's original 1792 plan, shaded by oaks two centuries old and watched over by the city's beloved giant copper acorn.
Moore Square is a piece of Raleigh that has been a public green for more than two centuries. When surveyor William Christmas laid out the new state capital in 1792, he set aside five squares for public use, and Moore Square, four acres at the eastern edge of the grid, is one of only two that survive as parkland today. Through all the changes around it, from a quiet churchyard neighborhood to a bustling market and arts district, the square has stayed a place for the city to gather.
Its signature is its trees. Grand oaks line the square, some of them as old as the park itself and others planted in beautification drives in the late 1800s, giving Raleigh its nickname as the City of Oaks a living meaning right downtown. At the south edge sits the park's other beloved feature, a giant copper acorn that has become a symbol of the city and the star of its New Year's Eve celebration.
What Guests Love
- Grand oak trees, some as old as the park itself, shading a genuine downtown green
- The giant copper acorn, a quirky city symbol dropped from the sky each New Year's Eve
- A civic plaza with a fountain, splash feature, playground, and cafe pavilion
- A central, walkable spot for people-watching, festivals, and outdoor concerts
Worth Knowing
- The square was fully renovated and reopened in recent years, so it is a polished, modern park rather than an untouched historic relic
- It is a lively event space, so festivals, markets, and concerts can fill it on weekends; check ahead if you want it quiet
- It is in the heart of downtown, so use nearby garages or street parking rather than looking for a lot on site
- Shade is plentiful under the oaks, but the open plaza can be hot midday in summer
Details
Raleigh, NC
Learn about Moore Square
One of Raleigh's original squares
Raleigh was a planned city from the start, laid out on paper in 1792 to be North Carolina's permanent capital. William Christmas's plan centered on the capitol and reserved five public squares around the grid, and Moore Square was one of them. For a time it was known as Baptist Grove for the churches that stood nearby, and it served the surrounding residential blocks as a shady common.
As Raleigh grew, the neighborhood around Moore Square shifted from homes to commerce, and the square found itself at the edge of the City Market district, a hub of shops and trade. Through every change the four acres stayed public, one of the rare early American town squares still doing the job it was designed for more than two hundred years ago.
The City of Oaks and the giant acorn
The oaks are the soul of Moore Square. Some of the perimeter trees date back close to the park's founding, and the city added more in beautification efforts in 1871 and again in 1899, laying out diagonal walkways beneath them. Those towering canopies, echoed across the old town, are why Raleigh calls itself the City of Oaks, and Moore Square is the best place to stand among them.
At the square's southern edge sits its most photographed feature: a giant copper acorn, about ten feet tall, first made for the city's bicentennial. Every New Year's Eve the acorn is lowered from above at the stroke of midnight, a Raleigh tradition that draws thousands downtown, so the humble oak seed has become a full-fledged city symbol.
A historic green made new
In recent years Moore Square went through a major renovation that carefully preserved the historic oaks while reinventing the rest of the park for modern city life. The redesign opened up sightlines, added a civic plaza at the center with a shade trellis, an interactive water feature, and a children's play area, and tucked in a small building with restrooms and a food-and-drink pavilion. The result is a park that honors its two-century history while working hard as a daily gathering place.
Today the square hosts festivals, markets, and outdoor concerts, and on an ordinary day it fills with downtown workers at lunch, families at the splash feature, and visitors resting under the oaks between the museums and the restaurants of the City Market blocks. It is an easy, rewarding stop for anyone exploring downtown Raleigh on foot, a living link between the city's founding and its present.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Raleigh
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
About 0.6 miles
The Southeast's largest natural history museum, free to enter, with dinosaur skeletons, live animals, and a whale skeleton hall.
North Carolina Museum of History
About 0.6 miles
A free state museum tracing North Carolina from its native peoples through the present, next to the natural sciences museum.
North Carolina State Capitol
About 0.5 miles
A National Historic Landmark 1840 Greek Revival capitol on a shaded square, open to visitors in the heart of downtown.
Pullen Park
About 2 miles
One of the country's oldest public parks, with a historic carousel, a train, and pedal boats on a small lake.