With two new parking decks currently being constructed, parking in downtown Cary is about to get a lot more plentiful.
However, even today, you really shouldn’t have a problem finding a place to park your car on most days downtown. Finding the best place to park depends on two factors: whether there are any events happening downtown and when during the week you’re visiting.
Next time you or a friend is wondering where to park, use this guide!
All parking in downtown Cary is free.
Parking on Monday – Thursday
During a normal weekday, parking in downtown Cary is remarkably easy. Here are a few locations:
Library Parking Deck – 113 Walnut St
This is the most obvious choice. The deck is connected to the library and Downtown Cary Park, making it a popular choice for many folks visiting downtown. During the week, you usually won’t have many problems finding a spot, but it can become full during big events and the occasional busy weekend.
Old Library Park – 310 S Academy St
The old library lot is located across the street from Downtown Cary Park and is less of a hassle to get in and out of compared to the parking deck. Most of the time, you can find a spot here during the week, but there aren’t a ton of spaces, and it can still fill up even when nothing special is going on downtown.
First United Methodist Church Lot – 121 Waldo St
During non-church hours, this spacious parking lot is open to the public. There will be signs indicating when it’s closed for a church event, but you’ll usually have no trouble parking here. It’s a fairly central location, just a short walk to Downtown Cary Park and E. Chatham St.
Parking on Friday-Sunday
Library Parking Deck – 113 Walnut St
When no special events are happening downtown, you can usually park here. When it’s full, a parking attendant at the entrance will let you know.
First United Methodist Church Lot (Friday/Saturday Only) – 121 Waldo St
This lot is closed for most of Sunday, but on Friday and Saturday it’s typically open and rarely fills up. You’ll see a sign if it’s closed for a church event; otherwise, it’s completely open to the public.
Parking during events
Town Hall Parking Deck – 121 Wilkinson Ave
With the exception of Lazy Daze (when this deck is reserved for vendors), you will almost never find this deck full. It’s a bit out of the way (about a five-minute walk to downtown and roughly ten minutes to the library/Downtown Cary Park), but there’s a free shuttle that runs Thursday-Sunday every 25 minutes and can take you to any section of downtown you’d like to visit. The shuttle is also fully ADA-accessible, so those with mobility issues don’t need to worry about the longer walk.
During any big downtown event, this is always your best choice.
Library Parking Deck (In the early morning only) – 113 Walnut St
Cary is a town of nearly 200,000 people, and there are only 350 public spaces in the library parking deck. If you want to park right in the middle of the action during a major event, you’ll need to plan ahead. Arriving early (several hours before the event starts) usually guarantees a spot. If you’re arriving midday, it’s probably not worth checking for availability.
First United Methodist Church Lot – 121 Waldo St
Despite being in a very central location, this lot usually fills up much slower than the library parking deck. If you’d rather not park at the town hall lot, it doesn’t hurt to check this location first.
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