Historic Yates Mill County Park offers programs covering history, nature, agricultural and recreational topics. Public programs are open for registration to the general public.
Public Programs
Register for a Public Program
IN-PARK PUBLIC PROGRAMS
PARK TALES: For all ages (best for ages 6 and under); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in.
Park Tales: Hooray for Birds!
Thursday, April 25, 10–10:45 a.m.
Join staff for a reading of this fun, rhyme-filled book that invites children to imagine themselves as colorful birds. Then, take a short walk in the book to look and listen for birds, and make fun crafts to take home! Register here.
Hands-on History: How did people live while Yates Mill was operating as a business from the mid-1700s to the mid-1900s? These drop-in programs explore different aspects of life in the past.
Hands-On History: Postcards
Friday, April 5, 1–3 p.m.
How did people live while Yates Mill was operating as a business from the mid-1700s to the mid-1900s? Join us for a drop-in hands-on activity to learn the history of postcards and make your own! This program will meet in the mill yard by Historic Yates Mill. For all ages; registration is not required, as this is a drop-in program.
Field School: Offered quarterly. For all ages (recommended for ages 7 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in.
Field School: A-Maize-ing Grains
Friday, April 12, 11–11:45 a.m.
Where does our food come from? Put on your Grain Brain and investigate the grains in your favorite foods. Find out how Yates Mill grinds grain, thresh wheat and test out your muscles on an old-fashioned mortar and pestle. Then, make a “living necklace” to take home! Register here.
Yates Mill Ponderings: This wintertime program series offers more in-depth looks into topics of scientific and historical interest. Best for adults and older teens; FREE. Registration is required.
Check back in December!
Hike with a Naturalist: For all ages (recommended for ages 8 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all participants, and children must have adult accompaniment.
Hike with a Naturalist
Monday, April 29, 9–10:30 a.m.
Join one of our naturalist staff members on a guided hike around the park to see what we can find! Come prepared to hike at least a mile by wearing closed-toe shoes and bringing a full water bottle. Register here.
Yates by Night: Offered monthly, April–November. These evening programs offer visitors a chance to experience the park in the evening. For all ages; FREE. Registration required.
Yates by Night: Sunset Hike
Saturday, April 13, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Have you ever wanted a closer look at the life that is waking up in the evening? Spring is the perfect time to get outside and experience wildlife that we only get to see at that time of day! Join park staff on a guided nature hike around Yates Mill as the sun sets to see what we can find. This hike will last at least a mile and will be on fairly flat terrain. Suggested for ages 8 & up. Registration is required for all participants, and children must have adult accompaniment. Register here.
History Hike: For all ages (recommended for ages 7 and up); FREE. Registration is required for all family members, and children must have adult accompaniment. Please arrive five minutes early for program check-in. Offered in December, January and February.
Check back in December!
The City Nature Challenge
Sunday, April 28, 9 a.m.–noon
The City Nature Challenge is a worldwide event, and we need your help to find as many species in our park as possible! Come learn about iNaturalist and the City Nature Challenge, explore the park and then explore the pond with a Pond Party activity! Bring a phone or camera, full water bottle, and dress for a hike! For all ages; FREE. Registration is required for all participants, and children must have adult accompaniment. This program is part of the NC SciFest; for more information, visit ncsciencefestival.org. Register here.
Volunteer Interest Sessions
Volunteer Interest Sessions
Thursday, April 11, 1–3 p.m. and Sunday, April 21, 9–11 a.m.
Do you want to learn more about the different ways you can volunteer at Historic Yates Mill? Join us at our drop-in Volunteer Interest Sessions! Staff will be set up outside the A.E. Finley Center (or inside, depending on the weather). Registration not required.
Register for a Virtual Program
Virtual Programs: ecoEXPLORE Registration through North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This online program is geared toward children in grades K–8 and their families, but all are welcome! You will learn about the ecoEXPLORE project during the program. FREE.
Virtual ecoEXPLORE: Botany roundup!
Monday, April 29, 3–4 p.m.
Join this free virtual program to see some of the coolest plant observations from this season, learn what new species have been found and check out what plant species are still needed from ecoEXPLORE! Registration is through the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
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 Historic Yates Mill Mobile Tour and learn about the history of the 200-year-old grist mill, as well as the lives of the people who lived and worked in the area.
Self-guided Activities for the Family!
Self-Guided Activities: For all ages (adult accompaniment is required for all children); FREE. Stop by the visitor center anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up nature journals, activity packs, coloring sheets, and more!
Exploration Station: These temporary displays are located inside the A.E. Finley Center in the exhibit hall area. Registration is not required. FREE.
Nose to the Grindstone
March 22–31, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Although we rarely notice it, milling and bread permeate our media and culture. Literature, myths, music, and even fairy tales feature milling and bread or something similar. Bread—and the milling needed to make its necessary ingredient—are integral parts of us as human beings in our search for sustenance. Come visit our Exploration Station to see for yourself! This Exploration Station will be located inside the A.E. Finley Center between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Exploration Station: Bats for Beginners
April 12–21, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Bat Appreciation Day is April 17, and there sure is a lot to appreciate about these mammals! Though bats often are viewed as scary or dirty, they are actually incredible animals that do so many important things around the world. Join us to learn more about the only flying mammal in the world, and how we can appreciate them more. This free, self-guided Exploration Station will be located inside the A.E. Finley Center between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Self-Guided StoryWalks®
Join us for this fun, self-guided activity, which will start at the parking lot kiosk near the Visitor Center and end near the mill. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. This wonderful program combines the joy of reading a story while also getting out and enjoying nature.
New to the StoryWalk® concept? Laminated pages from a children's book are attached to signs, which are installed along an outdoor path. As you stroll down the trail, you're directed to the next page in the story. 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.
StoryWalk®: "The Hidden Rainbow," March 3–31
StoryWalk®: "Rabbits & Raindrops," April 2–30
Everyone's Welcome
Historic Yates Mill 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 the park at 919-856-6675 or yatesmill@wake.gov.