I’ve been hearing some mixed reviews about the newly renovated Moore Square so I was excited to participate in a morning story time there to go check it out for myself!

I personally LOVE the new square. I’ve heard complaints about all the trees being removed, but I didn’t think that was the case at all. They actually left many of the towering oak trees around the perimeter of the square and incorporated them into the space well with benches and decking around them.

Children’s Play Area

They also added a small children’s play area, although there’s not much to it. There is a slide built into a kind of stadium seating/climbing area, but the kids live going up and down! There are some small stepping stones and logs, and my kids enjoyed hopping on them to kill time. There’s also a nice deck, which is where the weekday children’s events occur. This is a great space for kids events!

Interactive Water Feature

As of April 2021 the interactive water feature is now OPEN! It’s not a full splash pad, but the kids will love splashing around in the fountain. It reminds of of the water feature at Waverly Place, with lots of jets shooting straight up into the air.

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A few things about the interactive water feature from the City of Raleigh website:

• The Interactive Water Feature will operate daily April 1–October 31. The website says the water will be on from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (weather dependent). However, we visited at 11:30am on a Saturday and it was on, so these hours are incorrect. The Moore square visitor center reports the hours as being 10am-6pm.
• The water feature is not under continuous supervision and no lifeguard is on duty. Use at your own risk.
• No pets, food, drink, or glass containers allowed.
• Water feature availability is weather dependent. You must exit with any sign of thunder, lightning, or severe weather.
• Swimsuits and/or appropriate attire must be worn at all times. My kids were wearing normal clothes and it wasn’t an issue.
• Swim diapers must be worn by children who are not potty trained. Swim diapers are available for purchase in the Moore Square Visitor Center.
• No running or rough play.
• Do not drink the water feature water.
• No skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles, scooters, or wheeled toys are permitted in the water feature area.
• Any person violating rules may be required to leave the water feature area.
• In the event of a malfunction, unsanitary condition or any other non-emergency problem, call 919-996-6484
• In the event of an emergency, call 911.

So Much Open Green Space!

What stood out to me the most was all of the open green space now available in our downtown area! My kids immediately wanted to run around and it was great to let them do that safely! This will be a perfect space for events and concerts on the lawn. It’s also right across from Marbles so it’s a convenient stop for a picnic after playing or watching an IMAX!

Onsite Restaurant – Square Burger

There’s also a new restaurant right inside the square called Square Burger (what an appropriate name!). It’s a perfect addition since it’s in the same building as the information desk and restrooms. After our story time in the small play area we were able to use the restroom and grab a bite to eat. There is lots of cute outdoor seating placed throughout the square, so it was easy to find a place to sit and eat.

I was actually extremely impressed with the burgers at Square Burger. It had awesome flavor even on the plain kids burger! I’ll say it’s a little more expensive than I usually like to pay for a kids meal at $6 per meal, but it’s not terrible and the convenience can’t be beat when you need to eat after playing at the park or Marbles. I told my husband about it and he was jealous and wants to go back for the Carolina burger!

If you’re interested in visiting Moore Square, be sure to check out their calendar of events. Since opening they have put on some great events, including a market occurring every Wednesday and the story time we participated in starting at 10am every Tuesday.

We will also be adding events to our calendar as they pop up so be sure to subscribe for updates!