History meets fresh air, so bring your kids and the dog and kick back and relax.

Located a few blocks south of downtown Raleigh, this quiet neighborhood is home to the oldest house in Raleigh on its original foundation. The Mordecai Historic Park is a collection of historic buildings including the birthplace of Andrew Johnson. Each building has a unique story with featured items from their time period and depending on when you attend, reenactments of the 18th-century lifestyle by volunteers.

One of the main attractions to the park is the historic Joel Lane House, built in 1769, it has been fully restored and moved from rural Piedmont North Carolina. The house features a full museum and was home to Colonel Joel Lane who was also known as “The Father of Raleigh” when he named it the capital city of North Carolina in 1792.

I love this park because you can choose to take the official one hour tour or simply roam it as a regular park and bring your dog or pack a picnic on several open green spaces or just play on the small playground.

If choosing to enjoy the area as a park, facilitators still encourage you to explore the several historic buildings on your own.