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The tree lined avenue through the campus of The Forest at Duke
Durham, North Carolina · Since 1992

Redefine retirement.

A vibrant, nonprofit continuing care retirement community on 47 thoughtfully landscaped acres, neighbor to the Duke University campus and medical center.

Talk with a sales counselor Have a look around

500Residents
47Acres
400Team members
#2In North Carolina, Newsweek 2026
1992First residents moved in
Keep growing

Making a difference is part of the way we live, work, and serve.

Giving is a part of living. Our residents and team members give of their time, their talents, and their money. Part of what gives meaning to our community is our commitment to social responsibility.

Forest residents volunteer more than 64,000 hours a year at schools, churches, charities, and hospitals, across more than 50 local service organizations.

The Forest allows you to be yourself and provides multiple ways to grow and relax; you will be encouraged in whatever direction you choose. Janet and Craig Daniels, residents since 2016
The staff and residents are so engaged. It is like having a built in family. Usha Gulati, resident since 2013
Residences

Five classic floor plans, ten contemporary designs, six across cottages and homes

We offer a variety of apartment, cottage, and individual home floor plans designed to meet a wide range of lifestyle preferences, including ten contemporary apartment designs introduced in 2025 as part of our newest residential expansion.

One of the Fountain View Lane homes at The Forest at Duke
Cottages and homes

Fountain View Lane homes

Individual homes set among the cottages, near the pond and the two remaining tobacco barns of the old Pickett homestead.

Ask about availability
A resident explores a book of programs in the library at The Forest at Duke
Apartments

Classic and contemporary apartments

Five classic floor plans, and ten contemporary designs in The Terraces, home to The Bistro and its curated lunch and weekend brunch service.

See the floor plans
Inside The Cohen Center for Health at The Forest at Duke
Direct entry

Assisted Living in The Cohen Center

With the opening of The Cohen Center for Health, new residents can join our community directly in Assisted Living. Memory support is offered at no additional cost to our residents.

How the continuum works
Continuum of care

Nine small houses. Ten private rooms each. One continuum.

The Cohen Center for Health opened in February 2023 and was dedicated in 2025. The five story building features 90 resident rooms, including 32 assisted living units and 58 licensed skilled nursing beds. There are ten private rooms in each small house, as well as a kitchen, dining room, den, living room, and screened, covered porch.

Level 100Our licensed, secure Memory Care household, with a garden attached that promotes meaningful wandering and tactile stimulation.
Level 200Twenty Assisted Living residences that promote independence while ensuring support as needed from care partners.
Skilled nursingA recessed track lifting system improves resident mobility and eliminates the need for manual lifting.
Clinic and therapyAn on campus clinic, therapy services, and The Forest at Home for support where residents already live.
In a setting where trust is key, relationships are at the heart of care. Within each household, Activities, Housekeeping, and Dining Services team members work in conjunction with Health Services, serving as care partners to our nurses and certified nursing assistants. All team members, regardless of their department, seek and take ownership of the needs and expressed wishes of residents.
How it works

From first call to the day you move in

From start to finish, our sales counselors are here to walk you through the process.

Step one

Tell us what you need

Share your interest and one of our sales counselors will be in touch with information about the community and the level of living you are asking about.

Step two

A brief qualification

Before scheduling a tour, our administrative team conducts a brief qualification process to be sure The Forest at Duke could be a good fit for your needs and plans.

Step three

Tour the campus

Once qualified, you and your guests tour with your dedicated sales counselor. We answer questions and walk the private residences and the amenity spaces.

Step four

Choose your home

Reserve the floor plan that fits, review the Disclosure Statement, and plan the move with your counselor at your pace.

Life at The Forest

Hundreds of options for learning, doing, sharing, and teaching

We have been compared to a luxury resort and even a docked cruise ship, but we love it best when our residents simply call us home.

A resident swims laps in the indoor saline pool with floor to ceiling windows
A 17 meter indoor saline pool, open 24 hours a day
Four residents play bridge in Taproot at The Forest at Duke
Bridge and billiards in Taproot
A group of residents dining at The Forest at Duke
Four dining venues on campus
Inside Taproot, a full service bar with pool tables at The Forest at Duke
The Taproot Club
Forest at Duke residents and team members volunteering in Durham
More than 50 local service organizations
Heartwood CafeFresh baked pizza from a gas fired oven, a chef attended station, and an overflowing salad bar, with take out options.
The Rosewood RoomFine dining by a fireplace, with selections that change daily and a wine and beverage list.
The Taproot ClubA spacious bar with billiards, bridge, board games, and casual dining in front of the fire.
The BistroIn the heart of The Terraces. Espresso, ice cream, pastries, and a quintessential Sunday brunch.

Beyond the table: an art studio with a pottery kiln, a woodshop, a greenhouse kept at 85 degrees, a community garden in raised beds tended by residents, a 600 square foot native plants pollinator garden with more than 300 plants of more than 20 varieties, a library of about 3,500 books including works by resident authors, a fitness center open 24 hours a day, two recreational trikes, and Lifelong Learning through OLLI at Duke.

Questions people ask

The things families want to know first

Answered here in plain language, and marked up so that search engines and answer engines can quote them directly.

Is The Forest at Duke part of Duke University or Duke Health?
No. The Forest at Duke, Inc. organized in October 1988 as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, and that entity plans, builds, owns, and manages the community itself. In the 1980s some faculty members and neighbors of Duke University envisioned an exceptional retirement experience near their university setting, acquired land near the Duke campus, and relied on advice from Duke's Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Today we describe ourselves as a neighbor to the Duke University campus and medical center.
Can someone move in directly to Assisted Living?
Yes. With the opening of The Cohen Center for Health we offer new residents the opportunity to join our community directly in Assisted Living. Assisted Living with The Forest at Duke includes an amortized entry fee as well as a monthly fee, and memory support is offered at no additional cost to our residents. Our sales counselors can provide an up to date rate sheet upon request.
What does the qualification process involve before a tour?
Before scheduling a tour, our administrative team conducts a brief qualification process to ensure The Forest at Duke could be a good fit for your needs and plans. This initial step helps us guide you toward the most appropriate options for residency. Once qualified, we invite prospective residents and their guests to tour The Cohen Center for Health with their dedicated sales counselor.
What is the Small House model of care?
The Cohen Center for Health features nine small houses that support varying levels of care within our established continuum: Memory Care, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing. Unlike traditional health centers that can feel fragmented or institutional, the Small House model is designed to feel warm, personal, and truly like home. Each small house has ten private rooms as well as a kitchen, dining room, den, living room, and screened, covered porch.
What levels of care are available as needs change?
A hallmark of The Forest's comprehensive continuum of care is residents' ability to transition to a different level of support as their needs change. On campus we offer Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and licensed Skilled Nursing, plus an on site clinic, therapy services, and The Forest at Home. Medicare certified services and access to temporary stays are also available.
Is The Forest at Duke accredited?
The Forest at Duke is internationally accredited by CARF and CCAC, is Fitch rated, and is a member of CARF and LeadingAge. We hold SAGECare Platinum Level Certification and are an equal housing opportunity provider. Newsweek and Statista named us one of America's Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities for 2026, number 14 in the United States and number 2 in North Carolina.
Where is the campus and how do residents get around the Triangle?
The campus sits on 47 acres at 2701 Pickett Road in Durham, North Carolina. Our transportation team runs on campus shuttles and off campus transport to virtually any destination in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, including medical appointments, shopping, restaurants, and the airport. Transportation and concierge services are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as after hours and on weekends pending team member availability.
Give or apply

Two ways to be part of it beyond living here

64,000+

hours a year that Forest residents volunteer at schools, churches, charities, and hospitals, across more than 50 local service organizations.

Support the work

  • The Benevolent Fund, supported by the resident run gift shop on campus
  • The Community Connections Grantee Program for Durham organizations
  • The Henry Rogers Art Program, which brings biweekly art pop ups into the households

Join our team

Nearly 400 team members are an integral part of resident lives. Community responsibility is part of The Forest Way, and team members make a difference through the Service Day program. Some of the people on our Portraits wall have been here since 1996.

Start a conversation

Legacy photo of The Forest at Duke taken in 1992 just after construction finished
Newsroom

Keep striving

Recognition · 2026

Named one of America's Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities for 2026

Newsweek and Statista placed The Forest at Duke at number 14 in the United States and number 2 in North Carolina, up from number 18 nationally the year before.

Read more
Campus · 2025

The health center is dedicated as The Cohen Center for Health

The approximately 108,000 square foot building that opened in February 2023 was dedicated in 2025, and brought the Small House concept to our community.

See the continuum
Design · 2023

First place for the Small House at the Senior Housing News awards

First Place in Skilled Nursing and Post Acute Care at the Senior Housing News Architecture and Design Awards, with a Silver Award from the National Association of Home Builders Best of 55+ Housing Awards the same year.

Ask us about it
Request more information

Welcome to The Forest at Duke

We look forward to speaking with you soon. Request more information about our community using the form, and our Sales and Marketing team will be in touch.

Sales and Marketing

1-800-278-9729

Community Center reception

919-490-8000

Visit

2701 Pickett Road
Durham, North Carolina 27705

Tours run in person and virtually. Led by our sales counselors, group tours provide a foundation of knowledge about Forest living to help you grow familiar with our community.
Which residency are you asking about?