Five city recreation centers will open Friday nights for teens 12 to 17 from Nov. 13, and three of them on Saturdays too. Here are the hours and how it works.

Five Winston-Salem recreation centers will stay open on Friday nights for teenagers starting Friday, Nov. 13. Three of them will also open from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, starting Saturday, Nov. 14.

The city’s Recreation and Parks Department announced the expanded hours for its new Teen Zone program in a news release on Tuesday. The program is for young people ages 12 to 17, from rising seventh graders through current high school seniors.

Where and when

Center Fridays Saturdays
Carl Russell Community Center 6 to 9 p.m.
William C. Sims Sr. Community Center 6 to 9 p.m. 3 to 9 p.m.
Martin L. King Jr. Community Center 6 to 9 p.m. 3 to 9 p.m.
Rupert Bell Neighborhood Center 6 to 9 p.m. 3 to 9 p.m.
Polo Park Community Center 6 to 9 p.m.

The Friday and Saturday evening hours at these centers are for Teen Zone only, the city said.

Four centers are also open to everyone from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays:

  • Polo Park Community Center
  • Hanes Hosiery Community Center
  • Miller Park Community Center
  • William R. Anderson Jr. Community Center

The rules

Every Teen Zone participant has to register for the program and follow its code of conduct, the city said. The activities are supervised.

The release does not say how to register or whether there is a fee. The Recreation and Parks Department takes questions at 336-734-1219.

More from January

The department plans to add rotating programs for teens in January 2027. Activities would run once or twice a week at recreation centers across the city. The aim is to reach neighborhoods that do not have a Teen Zone site of their own.

The city said the rotating programs will also let its youth violence prevention manager, Bryce Sherman, meet participants and ask what they want. That feedback will help decide future programs and locations, the city said.

“Expanding Teen Zone hours and programming are an important step in creating more opportunities for young people to connect, grow, and thrive in a safe and welcoming environment,” Recreation and Parks Director William Royston said.

“By increasing access to recreational activities during evenings and weekends, we can better serve teens throughout our community while building a stronger foundation for future youth programming,” he said.

What it means for you

  • Starting Friday, Nov. 13: teens 12 to 17 can go to any of the five centers from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays.
  • Starting Saturday, Nov. 14: Sims, King and Rupert Bell are open to teens from 3 to 9 p.m.
  • Register first. Call Recreation and Parks at 336-734-1219 or check the city’s Recreation and Parks page to sign up.
  • Live near Rupert Bell Park? It is also home to the new Chris Paul mural. For more ideas, see our things to do page and the parks and trails guide.