Wake Forest: History, Trails and Events

Discover Wake Forest through several themes: the history of the town and Wake Forest University, a house museum, trails in the park, a walkable downtown and community events. When planning your stay, consider whether you’d rather spend your time exploring historical collections, enjoying the outdoors or attending an event. Saturday mornings have their own connection to the Farmers' Market.

History from two different perspectives

The Wake Forest College Birthplace collects, preserves and presents the history of the town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest University. Visitors can see photographs, books, university publications, furniture and documents. The collection also includes writings by professors, as well as medical, legal and athletic memorabilia. It brings together written and physical artifacts that reflect the history of both the university and the town. If you enjoy exploring different kinds of memorabilia, it offers a distinct focus for your stay.

Another historical landmark is the Calvin Jones House, which dates to around 1820. Today, it is a house museum operated by the adjacent Wake Forest Historical Museum. A ramp provides access to the house, and self-guided tours using a web-based app are available Tuesday through Sunday. Here, the focus is on a single historic house and a self-guided visit, while the Wake Forest College Birthplace presents the history of the town and university through a range of objects. The two sites therefore offer different historical perspectives.

Downtown, the market and outdoor trails

Wake Forest’s downtown is described as charming and walkable. The Dunn Creek Greenway provides easy access to downtown. If you want to plan around this area, it’s a useful point of reference. E. Carroll Joyner Park offers a different setting for getting active: it has three miles of paved trails for walking, biking and inline skating. The distance, surface and intended activities are all clearly specified. When planning your day, you can choose between spending time downtown and enjoying the park trails without treating them as the same experience.

The Wake Forest Farmers' Market is a Saturday morning community event offering fresh, farm-grown produce. Saturday morning is the relevant time to visit the market; if you’re planning for a specific date, check the latest information. The market adds a community event to the historical themes and gives you a clear time frame to consider when planning your trip.

Events with different themes

The events also offer distinct highlights. Lighting of Wake Forest is listed as a holiday event and features musical performances by local groups, the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree and Santa’s arrival. Forest Fest celebrates the heart and history of the Wake Forest community and is held annually. Spirits of Wake Forest is a walking tour of downtown’s haunted history. The formats are quite different: music and tree lighting, community history, and a themed walking tour.

Choose a hotel for your stay

This information can help you organize your own plans; it doesn’t describe the amenities of any particular hotel. Compare the location of a specific listing with the places and dates that matter for your stay. This way, your hotel choice can reflect your plans, while the attractions and events provide the context for your time in Wake Forest.

Explore more destinations

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For the higher-level travel overview: Wake.