Kids' activities in Apex: playgrounds, story times, rainy days

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts come from the Town of Apex parks and Halle pages, and Wake County Public Libraries. Check each page before you go.

Apex families have a dozen town parks, a free splash pad, a cultural arts center with Saturday-morning children’s programs, a community center with open gym, and a Wake County regional library in town. Questions about town programs go to Apex Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources at 919-249-3402.

Quick picks

• Big playground: Enchanted Forest, Pleasant Park, 3400 Pleasant Plains Road
• Story time: Eva Perry Regional Library, 2100 Shepherd’s Vineyard Drive, 919-387-2100
• Saturday morning: SuperFun Saturday at The Halle, 237 N. Salem St., 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Summer: Splashlantis splash pad, Pleasant Park (late May to September)

Playgrounds

From the town’s parks pages:

• Pleasant Park, 3400 Pleasant Plains Road: the 1.5-acre Enchanted Forest playground with inclusive play villages for all ages and abilities. Open 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Apex Community Park, 2200 Laura Duncan Road: playgrounds by the lake, the Elevate fitness course and street hockey rinks. The town is designing a more accessible playground near the ball fields.
• Kelly Road Park: the KidsTowne playground, plus a trailhead for the Beaver Creek Greenway.
• Apex Jaycee Park, Seagroves Farm Park, Clairmont Park, West Street Park, Kelly Glen Park and Sue Helton Park all have playgrounds. Our parks and trails guide lists what else each one has.

The town code bans exercising pets on playgrounds.

Splash pad

Splashlantis, inside Pleasant Park, is free for all ages and abilities. In 2026 it opened weekends from May 23, daily from June 15 through Labor Day and weekends through September, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are attendants but no lifeguards, so adults supervise; swim diapers are required for children who are not toilet trained. Details are on the town’s page and in our summer guide.

Story times and the library

Eva Perry Regional Library, 2100 Shepherd’s Vineyard Drive, 919-387-2100, has a program and story time room. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday (library page). It runs baby, toddler and family story times; the week of Oct. 12, 2026, toddler story time was 9:30 a.m. and family story time 10:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday. The full schedule is on the Eva Perry events list. Wake County also runs Middle Creek Community Library, 111 Middle Creek Park Ave., Apex.

The Halle for kids

The town’s Halle Cultural Arts Center, 237 N. Salem St., 919-249-1120, runs SuperFun Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on many Saturdays; upcoming dates include Oct. 17, Nov. 7, Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, 2026 (town calendar). Family events this season include the Goblin’s Groove dance on Oct. 24, the Kid’s Holiday Craft Fair on Nov. 29, and “Nutcracker Dances” and a Christmas play in December. See our holiday events page.

Rainy-day picks

• Open gym at the John M. Brown Community Center, 53 Hunter St.: basketball, volleyball and pickleball at scheduled times. A 10-visit pass is free for Apex children 7 and under and $5 for residents ages 8 to 17; a parent signs a form first, and children 10 and under need an adult with them (open gym).
• The library, with baby, toddler and family story times.
• A Halle show or Wednesday morning movie (check the town calendar for titles).

Trains downtown

The red Seaboard caboose beside the Apex Union Depot, 220 N. Salem St., was presented to the town by the Apex Historical Society in 1992. The depot, rebuilt in 1914, now houses the Apex Welcome Center. See our history and landmarks guide.

Camps and track-out

Fun Days camps run for ages 6 to 11 in summer and during track-out weeks for year-round students. See our summer camps guide and spring break guide.

Related: free things to do, dog-friendly Apex and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best playground in Apex?

The town’s largest is the 1.5-acre Enchanted Forest at Pleasant Park, 3400 Pleasant Plains Road, with inclusive play villages for all ages and abilities. Kelly Road Park has the KidsTowne playground.

When is story time at the Apex library?

Eva Perry Regional Library, 2100 Shepherd’s Vineyard Drive, runs baby, toddler and family story times. In mid-October 2026, toddler story time was 9:30 a.m. and family story time 10:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

What can kids do on a rainy day in Apex?

Try a library story time, a SuperFun Saturday morning or a family show at The Halle, or open gym at the John M. Brown Community Center.

Is the Apex splash pad free?

Yes. Splashlantis at Pleasant Park is free and open to all ages. It runs late May through September; in 2026 it was open daily from June 15 through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.