Mark Indermaur chess grants, chess merit badge, outdoor chess

Supporting Chess in Scouting

We are excited to support our first Scouting organization, the Occoneechee Council, which serves scouts and their families in twelve counties in central North Carolina. We provided chess sets and instructional materials to the Council, so they can offer chess merit badge courses in their summer programs at Camp Durant in Carthage and during merit badge universities throughout the year.

Since 2019, we have helped schools, libraries, and community organizations across North Carolina start chess clubs through our Game Changer Program.

If you would like to start a chess program in your NC Scout Council or community organization, please apply for one of our grants. If you would like to support our efforts, please consider making a donation. You could designate it for our Aditya Nicholas Dias Memorial Fund, as Aditya loved chess and scouting.

Meredith W. Indermaur Chess clubs, outdoor chess

Painting Your Own Outdoor Chess Boards

Here’s a fun project to consider for your school or library chess club!

After getting approval from their principal and PTA, one local elementary school chess club gathered students and parents to paint sidewalk chess boards using special concrete paint. They ordered medium-sized “giant” pieces to fit the boards, and they use these boards and adjacent picnic tables for outdoor lessons and for other fun events.  

A second school club purchased plain concrete tables and benches and then spray painted boards on them.  

You can also visit some of the many outdoor chess tables throughout the state. 

Get creative and enjoy some outdoor board time!

Meredith W. Indermaur outdoor chess

“Check” out outdoor chess in NC

Here in North Carolina, the winters are mild enough for folks to play outdoor chess year-round, making it a fun activity for everyone. 

If you’re looking to get a game going on an outdoor board, here are some places from west to east in NC that you can “check” out:

Pritchard Park, Asheville – stone tables, bring your own pieces

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Bostic – covered giant chess set in lawn area of campground


Atherton Mill, Charlotte – giant outdoor chess set


Country Place Park, Matthews – three tables with chess boards, bring your own pieces


Winston Square Park, Winston-Salem – sculptural metal table called “Lateral Thinking”, bring your own pieces


LeBauer Park, Greensboro – regular “Chess in the Park” events

NC Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill – giant metal chess set at landmark G on this map


Church Street Park, Morrisville – concrete chess tables, bring your own pieces

Downtown Park, Cary – chess tables in the Park Street Courts area, bring your own pieces. Chess is also part of events like Board Game Social, Teen Game Night, and Playtime in the Park.

Fenton mixed use community, Cary – giant chess in the Backyard

SAS, Headquarters, Cary – giant outdoor chess set


Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums, Durham – giant outdoor chess set

Fayetteville Street, Raleigh – stone chess tables, bring your own pieces

Moore Square Park, Raleigh – view the Moore Square Programs and Events Calendar and look for the regularly scheduled 10am – 5pm “Game On!” events which include giant and regular chess

Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh – giant chess inside museum, admission required. Chess is also offered as part of the Guest Stars program.


Eastgate Park, Raleigh – chess table in the playground area, bring your own pieces

Artsplosure, Raleigh – giant chess set provided by Moncure Chessworks

Vick Park, Selma – outdoor chess tables, ask staff for board and pieces

Town Common Park, Greenville – outdoor chess tables, bring your own pieces or check out a set at the Sheppard Memorial Library

Sheppard Memorial Library, Greenville – keys to the giant chess set are available at the library front desk


Story Park at Main Library, Wilmington – giant outdoor chess set


Harbor Station Townhomes, Wilmington – giant outdoor chess set in the amenity center

Waterfront Pop-up Park, Morehead City – one of many pop-up parks sponsored by the city, “City Chess, Checkers, and Chalk” was offered in the Fall of 2025 along the waterfront at the 3rd Street Public Parking Lot.


Dowdy Park, Nags Head – outdoor chess tables, bring your own pieces


There is also a chess park proposed for Mebane.

Please let us know about any other outdoor chess spaces in NC, and we’ll update this article.