Cary sits at the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle in Wake County — one of the largest and most active suburbs in the broader Triangle region. The town’s history dates back to the late 18th century, when it was originally established as a farming community. Cary was named after Samuel Fenton Cary, a nationally known temperance advocate — a distinctive naming origin among NC towns.
Cary was officially incorporated in 1871, with growth accelerating shortly after when the North Carolina Railroad transformed the town into a hub for agriculture and trade — the same railroad-driven growth story that shaped Cary’s neighboring town, Apex, NC, around the same era. Today, Cary is one of the Triangle’s most established economic anchors, home to the SAS Institute (the analytics software giant whose campus is among the largest in the broader Triangle) and a strong network of technology, healthcare, and research employers.
The town blends its historic railroad heritage with a modern community-oriented character. Cary is home to the Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve (a rare piece of preserved mountain-like habitat in the piedmont), the Koka Booth Amphitheater (a popular outdoor concert venue), and the Cary Arts Center (the town’s cultural anchor). Each winter, Koka Booth also hosts the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival — a major seasonal draw featuring elaborate handcrafted lanterns, nightly cultural performances, and one of the state’s most spectacular winter celebrations. The event has been running since 2015 and now draws over 200,000 visitors annually.
Click on the attractions and food and beverage images below to dive deeper into the spots we’ve personally explored around Cary.
Things To Do in Cary, NC
