Historic Oak View County Park offers programs covering history, nature and recreational topics. Public programs are open for registration to the general public.
Register for a Public Program
Seeds of Freedom: Juneteenth at Oak View
Join us at Oak View for a walking tour focused on the history of Juneteenth and how the transition from slavery to freedom was experienced by Oak View's enslaved community. Discover stories of how African American families celebrated their liberation and the steps they took to plant seeds of freedom for themselves and their descendants. After the tour, participants will be invited to fold their own seed packet and reflect on what freedom means to them.
Free and open to all ages, recommended for ages 4th grade and up. Registration is required for all participants.
Join us on June 4 at 2 p.m, June 14 at 10:30 a.m., June 17 at 10:30 a.m., or June 25 at 2 p.m.
Storytime at Oak View: Juneteenth for Mazie
Learn about the significance of Juneteenth and the celebration of freedom from slavery. We'll read the children's book "Juneteenth for Mazie" and visit the tenant house to learn about what freedom meant to the enslaved community at Oak View. Participants will create a take-home reminder by decorating their own Juneteenth flag.
Free and open to all ages, recommended for ages 4-8. Registration is required for all participants.
Join us on June 15 at 10 a.m., June 20 at 10 a.m., or June 24 at 10 a.m.
Juneteenth Programming
Join staff at Historic Oak View County Park throughout the month of June for special programs and events honoring Juneteenth.
Learn More
Become a Junior Park Explorer!
Do you like to explore parks and preserves? Do you like winning prizes? Our Junior Park Explorers program is for you! Learn more here.
Take a Self-Guided Mobile Tour
Check out the Oak View Mobile Tour and learn about the history of the farmland and historic structures, as well as the lives of the people who lived and worked at Oak View throughout its history.
Haga el recorrido móvil de Oak View y conozca la historia de las tierras de cultivo y las estructuras históricas, así como la vida de las personas que vivieron y trabajaron en Oak View a lo largo de su historia.
Go on a StoryWalk®
Take a StoryWalk® at Oak View! A StoryWalk® is a children’s book that is presented page by page along a trail or path. It combines the pleasures of reading a children's book while enjoying nature.
From June 1 through the 30, Oak View's brick walkways will feature the children's book "Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth" by Alice Faye Duncan (author) and Keturah A. Bobo (illustrator).
Black activist Opal Lee had a vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone. This true story celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday. Join Opal on her historic journey to recognize and celebrate "freedom for all."
StoryWalk® at Oak View is free, requires no advanced registration, and is open during the park's normal hours of operation. Check out our StoryWalk® Social Narrative to download and print before going to the park.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.
More Self-Guided Activities
Historic Oak View County Park also offers several activities for small groups or families, which can be "checked out" in the Farm History Center (our visitors' center). Ask any staff member about how to check out one of these fun activities!
The Oak View Letterbox Challenge is great for kids 4th grade and up (adults will find it fun, too!). Get to know the park and its history as you follow clues to collect stamps found in letterboxes located throughout the grounds.
The Oak View Scavenger Hunt is a great, self-guided activity for kids. Stop by the Farm History Center to pick up a scavenger hunt and then learn all about Oak View while searching for answers to the clues.
The Adventure Backpack Series are individual backpacks full of fun, self-guided programs on different topics related to Oak View. Check one out by stopping by the Farm History Center during regular business hours. Choose from the following offerings:
- The Goats at Night Backpack is a preschool-friendly activity that shows kids what the goats do at night. They will cook a meal in the Farmer's Corner, water the herb garden, and sing songs in the amphitheater.
- The Antebellum Era Backpack features interactive activities and an instructional guide to provide families with fun ways to learn about the Antebellum Era. Created for 3rd–5th graders, children will learn about architecture, slavery, education, fashions and pastimes through roleplaying, crafts, games and educational projects.
- The Civil War Era Backpack allows kids to be enlisted soldiers for the day, learning about Morse code, army movements, soldiers' games, medicine and more! Great for 3rd–5th graders.
- The America's Farmer Presidents Backpack is geared toward 3rd–5th graders and explores how farming was important to many U.S. presidents. Kids can design a campaign button, take a tour of the White House, and meet a former White House pet!
- The All About Bugs Backpack is great for elementary-aged children. Visit the buildings and gardens around the park and complete hands-on activities that teach you about insects and their friends and how they help out on the farm!
- The From Field to Fiber: The Story of Cotton Backpack invites elementary-aged kids to learn all about the history of cotton through hands-on activities such as feeling real cotton straight from the cotton field, turning cotton sliver into thread, and learning about different figures important to the history of cotton.
- The B.W.'s Kid Curator Backpack is a great way to discover what makes a museum (like Oak View) a museum, and who decides what to exhibit and how. The backpack includes lots of activities to learn how to be a curator and also includes a workbook that you keep at the end of your activity. Created for upper elementary-middle school students.
- The Watching the Weather Backpack invites kids to learn about weather tools and instruments, create their own weather forecast, and even play with a "pet" tornado! Created for kindergarten to 3rd grade students, this backpack is a great way introduce kids to the elements that make up the weather.
Everyone's Welcome
Historic Oak View County Park welcomes all visitors and affirms its commitment to offering programs and services that are accessible to everyone. We will make every effort to ensure that visitors of all abilities are fully included in all our programs and facilities. Check back regularly to see what new opportunities become available!
For questions about our accessibility resources or how we may best meet your needs in any of our programs, please contact Abby Kellerman, assistant park manager of education, at 919-212-7695 or abigail.kellerman@wake.gov.