FAQs
How to Schedule a Tour:
Private tours are offered Tuesday-Saturday based around our event schedule. Please inquire info@historicmarkethall.com or call 984-232-8661.
Safety protocols:
We take the health and safety of our guests and staff very seriously by putting the highest safety protocols in place especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to going above and beyond the CDC and NCDHHS guidelines for events. Currently we are allowed to host events without capacity limits, but our goal is for you to have a safe and fun event!
Wedding Coordinator Requirement:
We require every wedding client to hire a minimum of a professional wedding day-of wedding coordinator from our vendor list. This person will:
Execute rehearsal, ceremony, and reception events.
Deliver a detailed timeline.
Finalize the floor plan (no later than 14 days prior to wedding date).
See our Preferred Vendor List for a list of required planners.
Licensed Vendor Requirement:
All vendors working in or making deliveries to Market Hall must be licensed and insured. Please see our Preferred Vendor List for the best quality event professionals in the Raleigh area. Outside vendors are permitted, but must submit their business license and certificate of insurance.
Outside catering is not allowed, and all alcohol must be purchased from Market Hall.
Accessibility:
We are conveniently located at street level, with easy access to loading zones on Parham Street and Wolfe Street for parking and unloading of guests or equipment.
Our main level is fully accessible, including large restrooms. VIP Suites are accessible only by stairs. Please take care to walk on the paved crosswalks and be aware of the cobblestone streets.
Moore Square:
We are located directly across from the newly renovated Moore Square! This four-acre park features a restaurant, gorgeous live oak trees, pristine landscaping, interactive water feature, tree house and large central lawns for outdoor events. See Moore Square Rental Guide for information on reserving the square for an outdoor event. Photographers must have a city permit to access the park for photography. Please submit the permit application found here before your event.
Parking:
Many of our guests walk from the local hotels. For those who drive in, there are three public parking lots and decks available within a block of Market Hall.
Loading Zones are located on Wolfe Street and Parham street for easy access.
Street Parking on Blount Street, Person Street, Martin Street and inside City Market is 2 hour free parking Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm and open after 5pm on weekends.
City Market Lot (228 S. Person Street). Fees are $1/hour Monday-Friday and $5/car Friday night through Sunday.
Wilmington Street Deck (122 S. Blount Street) and Moore Square Deck (223 S. Wilmington Street). Fees are $5 per car on Fridays and Saturdays after 5:00 p.m.; $2/hour Monday-Friday; free after 7:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and all day on Sundays. Free street parking based upon availability.
Payment Plan:
Venue rental fee is due at booking and is a non-refundable reservation fee. No dates are held without this payment and signed contract. All payments are non-refundable. Remaining balance is divided over three payments with the final payment due 14 days prior to the event date.
Street Closure:
The cobblestone streets of City Market are available for a street closure permitted through the City of Raleigh: $1800
City Permits for Closing the Street for Outdoor Events
Removal of Cars
200 White Garden Chairs (Setup/Breakdown)
Staffing and Security Officer
Hotels:
Please mention Market Hall for preferred rates.
Sheraton Raleigh
(7 Minute Walk to City Center)
421 S. Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 834-9900
Residence Inn by Marriott
(7 Minute Walk to City Center)
616 S. Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601* (919) 856-0017
*features kitchen and suites in all rooms and rooftop bar & restaurant
Marriott City Center
(7 Minute Walk to City Center)
500 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601* (919) 833-1120
Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Downtown
(7 minute drive to Glenwood South)
600 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC * (919) 825-4770
The Guest House Raleigh - boutique hotel
(4 minute walk)
www.guesthouseraleigh.com
420 S Bloodworth St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Origin hotel
(7 minute drive to Glenwood South)
603 W. Morgan St., Raleigh, NC 27601
www.originhotel.com
ac hotel by marriott - downtown raleigh
(7 minute drive to Glenwood South)
9 Glenwood Avenue Raleigh, NC 27603
www.marriott.com/achotel
The Longview hotel & lounge
300 N. Dawson Str., Raleigh, NC 27601
www.thelongleafhotel.com
heights house hotel - boutique hotel
(5 Minute Drive to the Warehouse District)
308 S. Boylan Ave. Raleigh, NC 27603
www.heightshousenc.com
The Stateview Hotel
(11 minute drive to NC State Campus & Lonnie Poole Golf Course)
2451 alumni drive, Raleigh, NC 27606
www.stateviewhotel.com
aloft hotel by marriott
(8 minute drive to Cameron Village)
2100 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, NC 27607
www.marriott.com/aloft
entertainment & attractions:
There are so many fun things to do in the City of Oaks! Here are some of our favorite attractions that your guests can walk to from our front door:
Marbles Kids Museum: With the goal of sparking imagination, discovery and learning through play, kids can go on a jungle safari, get behind a camera and be a reporter, dress up as a forest creature or board a pirate ship at this innovative and wildly-popular children’s museum in downtown Raleigh.
City of Raleigh Museum (COR Museum): This free-admission gem of a museum examines and interprets the 225-plus year history and heritage of the City of Oaks with the goal of “preserving Raleigh’s past for its future.”
CAM Raleigh: This striking, non-collecting contemporary art museum, located in downtown Raleigh's rapidly-growing Warehouse District, displays new and emerging work by local and national living artists. Every exhibition is unique, bold, highly memorable and designed to be thought-provoking and transformative.
Nightlife:
Underground cocktails
Foundation: Now 10 years strong, this basement bar—where house-made colas and syrups are mixed into seasonal drinks—has blazed a path and opened doors for others in modern day Raleigh's cocktail scene.
Fox Liquor Bar: Down a flight of stairs just around the corner from two of Ashley Christensen's eating spots (Chuck's and Beasley's Chicken + Honey), you'll find friendly service, a laid-back vibe, strong drinks and lots of comfortable, dark leather seating. A great date spot or place for small groups.
C. Grace: Known for having some of the best drinks in the area, C. Grace has been consistently raved about since opening in 2011. The downstairs bar on Glenwood Ave. evokes memories of classic jazz clubs where the lights are low, the jazz is hot, the drinks are strong and the nights, full of merriment.
Watts & Ward: This craft cocktail bar from Ireland native and Hibernian Hospitality owner Niall Hanley is 6,000-square-feet of 1920s America underground spirit. Located beneath Caffé Luna and directly across from Moore Square, Watts & Ward is a seemingly endless cavern, with room after room of leather seating, vintage artwork, rustic tables, dim lighting and bookshelves full of history.
Rooftop drinks
Raleigh Times Bar: Named for the city newspaper that formerly occupied this historic space (the Raleigh Times was published from 1912 to 1989), the Raleigh Times has been an anchor in the downtown Raleigh nightlife scene since it opened in 2006.
10th & Terrace: Located atop the Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown, 10th & Terrace promises bar-goers one of the most unique views in the city. The 10th-floor rooftop deck overlooks the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts—where theatre, opera, ballet and other live entertainment takes place year-round—plus a sea of green space surrounding it (they don't call Raleigh a "city in a park" for no reason).
Trophy Tap & Table: One part craft beer bar, one part Southern-inspired kitchen. From the same team behind the super-successful Trophy Brewing Company, this spot serves the same great beer plus offers a menu ranging from loaded tots (fellow bar-goers will be adamant that you order these) to pork chops, tacos, burgers and more. The rooftop patio, which is open in the evenings, also welcomes you up for brunch on weekends—it's one of the best dining and drinking spots in town.
Raleigh Beer Garden: The world record-holder for largest selection of draft beer (Guinness made it official in late 2015; the current number is nearly 400 beers on tap), Raleigh Beer Garden is a massive 8,500-square-foot venue with tons of outdoor space. A back garden patio and a rooftop bar are as much of a draw as the beer selection.
Taverna Agora: Serving authentic Greek cuisine (with the culture and hospitality to match), Taverna Agora's modern rooftop is the perfect gathering spot for friends and family. Share a number of small plates (plus a couple bottles of wine) at dinner time or take in a Sun. brunch in the open air.
Live music venues
Lincoln Theatre: Housed in building that dates back to 1939 and has seen a myriad of uses over the years, the 900-seat Lincoln Theatre is today one of Raleigh's most popular indoor live music venues, hosting regional and national acts with a packed calendar.
KINGS: A focal point for creativity in the community, KINGS caters not just to music fans and musicians but also others. Game show nights, stand-up comedy, theatre performances and more regularly take stage here at one of our favorite local hangouts and bars.
Red Hat Amphitheater: The 5,500-seat Red Hat Amphitheater sits at the base of the Raleigh skyline, playing host to more than 30 big-name bands and events each summer season.
Slim's Downtown: An up-close-and-personal live music experience, Slim's has a capacity of just 100 guests. If you've seen a band at Slim's, you've trulyseen that band. Slim’s has a large patio out back for smoking and an upstairs lounge with a pool table for when you want to have a little room to stretch out and relax, plus the bar is well stocked for those who take their drinking seriously.
The Pour House Music Hall: For more than 20 years, The Pour House has featured live music almost every day—from rock & roll to jazz and everything in between.
Beer made here
Crank Arm Brewing: A bike-themed brewery that serves award-winning beer, provides lots of games for groups to partake in (larger-than-life Jenga is always a favorite) and often has a late-night hot dog stand out on the patio.
Brewery Bhavana: A brewery, dim sum restaurant, bookstore and flower shop all rolled into one incredible offering, Brewery Bhavana was named one of Bon Appétit's best new restaurants in America in 2017.
Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing: For sweeping views of downtown Raleigh’s skyline, you’ll want to head over to Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing. A brewpub specializing in chef-driven, vegan- and vegetarian-friendly bar food. This recently-opened restaurant in the popular Boylan Heights neighborhood owes its name and its view to the ‘wye’ it’s built over—a junction where trains change direction.
Trophy Brewing Company: At the ever-expanding Trophy Brewing Company's Morgan St. location, you'll find some of the best beer and some of the best pizza in Raleigh, N.C. (in addition to what we think are secretly some of the best desserts in town).
Parks and outdoor activities
Moore Square: A four-acre park that was originally conceived as one of four public green spaces for the city way back in 1792, the newly-renovated Moore Square includes a small splash pad for children, a restaurant serving burgers and milkshakes and open lawn areas for enjoying movie nights and concerts.
Dorothea Dix Park: The 308-acre Dorothea Dix Park blends historic architecture and rich landscapes on the edge of downtown Raleigh. Massive open fields, tree-lined streets, skyline views and very minimal car traffic make this park an ideal place for all sorts of outdoor activities. Implementation of a new master plan is underway, and the park has been cited as the most exciting park project in America.
John Chavis Memorial Park: During segregation, this 37-acre park was opened as a recreational facility for the city’s African-American residents. Named for early 19th-century free black preacher and teacher of all races John Chavis, the park attracted carloads of amusement seekers to its swimming pool, ball fields and its crown jewel, the circa-1923 carousel. Today, visitors can still ride the carousel for $1.50 and enjoy the outdoor track, ball courts, grass fields, picnic shelters and playgrounds for free.
Art to Heart Corridor: Beginning at the North Carolina Museum of Art (where parking and admission to the museum are free) and ending in downtown Raleigh, this 5.9-mile, paved trail winds through the museum’s beautiful 164-acre park, passes behind Meredith College, cuts through the main campus of North Carolina State University, zips by Pullen Park and finishes in the heart of the city just outside of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
Citrix Cycle: The best new way to get around on two wheels, Citrix Cycle is a docked bikeshare program backed by the City of Raleigh that allows you to rent a bicycle for up to 45 minutes for as little as $2 (single trip, day pass and monthly passes are available to be purchased at some docking station kiosks or through an app).
Barbecue plates
Clyde Cooper's BBQ: If barbecue is a tradition in The Tar Heel State (it is), then Clyde Cooper’s BBQ is an institution. Opened on New Year's Day 1938, it’s one of the longest-running barbecue restaurants in N.C. Inside, a stainless steel counter gives diners a view into the pit where finished shoulders come out like clockwork.
Southern Charred: Opened in Oct. 2017, Southern Charred features smoked meat platters, Southern cocktails, an array of regional 'cue sauces and a menu that's served until 2am on weekends (not to mention live music and axe throwing events!).
The Pit: Steeped in Eastern-style barbecue, The Pit serves smoked whole hog goodness, plus baby back ribs, fork-tender brisket, chopped smoked turkey and more (all served with the Southern sides you'd expect, with a bit of a gourmet touch for good measure).
Arcade action
Boxcar Bar + Arcade: All the best classic and modern arcade games, plus ski ball, air hockey, live music, a full bar stocked with craft beer and more have made Boxcar one of the most popular hangouts in downtown Raleigh.
Sweet treats (chocolate, ice cream, pastries)