Dix Park

Dorothea Dix Park

Dorothea Dix Park is a public park located southwest of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. The park occupies approximately 308 acres of land formerly used as the Dorothea Dix Hospital campus and is one of the largest public parks in the City of Raleigh. The site offers expansive views of the downtown skyline and serves as a major open-space and civic amenity.^[1]

The park is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh and has been developed through a multi-phase planning and public engagement process following the closure of the hospital and transfer of the property from the State of North Carolina to the city.

Site history

Dorothea Dix Hospital

The land that now comprises Dorothea Dix Park was established in the mid-nineteenth century as the site of the North Carolina Insane Asylum, later known as Dorothea Dix Hospital. The hospital opened in 1856 and was named for Dorothea Dix, a mental health reformer whose advocacy contributed to the creation of public institutions for the care of people with mental illness.^[2]

Over more than a century, the campus expanded to include numerous buildings, roadways, and utility systems and functioned as a major state psychiatric facility. The hospital played a significant role in North Carolina’s mental health system but was also associated with changing approaches to institutional care over time.^[3]

Closure and state ownership

In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, North Carolina shifted away from large institutional psychiatric hospitals toward community-based mental health care. As part of this transition, Dorothea Dix Hospital gradually reduced operations and officially closed in 2012.^[4]

Following the closure, the State of North Carolina retained ownership of the campus while considering future uses for the property.

Transfer to the City of Raleigh

In 2015, the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh reached an agreement transferring ownership of the Dorothea Dix campus to the city. The transfer was structured as a purchase by the city for approximately $52 million, with funding supported by local bonds and other financing mechanisms.^[5]

City leaders identified the site as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a large public park close to downtown Raleigh, consistent with long-standing community interest in preserving the land as open space.

Park planning and public engagement

Early visioning and planning

Following acquisition of the property, the City of Raleigh initiated an extensive planning process to determine the future of Dorothea Dix Park. This process included public meetings, surveys, workshops, and engagement with community stakeholders.^[6]

In 2019, the City adopted the Dorothea Dix Park Master Plan, which established a long-term vision for the park’s development. The master plan emphasizes open space, flexible programming, environmental stewardship, and preservation of the site’s historic and cultural resources.^[7]

Governance and advisory structure

To support planning and oversight, the City created the Dix Park Inter-Departmental Team and a public advisory committee. The park’s development is coordinated across city departments, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Planning and Development, and Transportation.^[8]

Development and phased implementation

Development of Dorothea Dix Park is planned to occur over multiple phases, reflecting the site’s size, infrastructure needs, and funding availability.

Key components identified in the master plan include:

Large open lawns and meadows
Tree preservation and landscape restoration
Adaptive reuse or removal of former hospital structures
Cultural programming and event spaces
Pedestrian and bicycle connections to surrounding neighborhoods

Initial improvements focused on safety, access, and interim uses, such as temporary event spaces, sunflower fields, and seasonal programming.^[9]

Major capital investments are expected to occur over decades, with project sequencing informed by infrastructure constraints and community priorities.

Relationship to city planning

Dorothea Dix Park is referenced in the City’s long-range planning documents, including the Raleigh 2030 Comprehensive Plan, as a key civic and recreational asset. The park is also considered in transportation, greenway, and cultural planning initiatives due to its proximity to downtown and regional trail networks.^[10]

Public use and programming

The park hosts a variety of public events and activities, including festivals, fitness programming, educational events, and informal recreation. Portions of the site remain under development, and public access continues to expand as improvements are completed.^[11]

References

[1] ttps://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park

[2] ttps://www.ncpedia.org/dorothea-dix-hospital

[3] ttps://www.ncpedia.org/mental-health-care-north-carolina

[4] ttps://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/department-initiatives/dorothea-dix-campus

[5] ttps://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-history

[6] ttps://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-planning

[7] ttps://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR22/DixParkMasterPlan.pdf

[8] ttps://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dix-park-advisory-committee

[9] ttps://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park-events

[10] ttps://raleighnc.gov/planning/services/2030-comprehensive-plan

[11] ttps://raleighnc.gov/parks-and-recreation/services/dorothea-dix-park

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