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Travel and Outdoors

Raleigh’s newest park is also its smallest

This unconventional new park isn’t too big, but it’s full of color and local artist Katie Stewart’s artistic vision.

June 12, 2023 • 
Allie Remhof
A brick building with a colorful mural of a child and a bird, surrounded by flowers. Under the mural is a bench, mushroom stools and multicolor sunflowers.

The smallest park is a colorful sight at Hillsborough and West streets

Photo provided by Dix Park Conservancy

Pack your tiniest picnic and head to Raleigh’s smallest park and art installation by artist Katie Stewart at the corner of Hillsborough and West streets.

Literally named “Raleigh’s smallest park,” the whimsical spot between Roast Grill and State of Beer was already the location of Gabriel Eng- Goetz’s “Parks for the People” mural, installed in September 2022.

The tiny park features mushroom stools and two large sunflower sun catchers — all built with recycled materials — and a bench and topiary. This collaboration by Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Dix Park Conservancy, and Artsplosure makes for a unique Raleigh oddity and photo op.

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