Things to do in Asheville, NC

Asheville  is a thriving community in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Boasting the title of Beer City USA in years past, there are a number of breweries and wine bars that have entertainment every night of the week. There are numerous historical and architectural attractions that can be seen all over, including downtown. Downtown Asheville is a vibrant and inviting atmosphere with a myriad of unique shopping experiences. Here are a few of our favorite ‘must do’ activities in Asheville:

• Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway *
• Visit the Biltmore Estate
• Explore the North Carolina Arboretum
• Take your family to the Nature Center
• See the Folk Art Center *
• Hike Craggy Gardens *
• Watch The Asheville Tourists  at McCormike Field
• Get coffee from Double D’s coffee bus
• Explore Riverside Cemetery and look for free mason symbols on headstones *
• Visit one of many art studios and breweries in the River Arts District *
• Shop at the Grove Arcade – depending on what day you visit, there may be vendors outside selling their home made wares
• Get lost inside of one of our favorite local places – The Book Exchange and Champagne Bar *
• Watch a concert at our famous venue, The Orange Peel
• Take a tour of the factory where the mouth watering chocolate delights are made for the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Tours happen Saturdays at 2 pm.
• Visit the Thomas Wolfe Memorial house, the original residence of Asheville’s famous novelist
• Visit the Basilica of St. Lawrence and see one of Asheville’s architectural treasures and spiritual anchors with the largest freestanding elliptical dome in the country. *
• Have lunch at the Grove Park Inn
• Listen to the free music that all the street musicians downtown have to offer *
• Friday nights, weather permitting, engage in the drum circle – a mass of drumming, dancing locals gather once a week in Pritchard Park *
• Eat at the original 12 Bones location alongside the french broad in the River Arts District
• Get up before the sun and drive south along the blue ridge parkway. Find an overlook with an amazing view, and watch the sun rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains. *
• Follow the Asheville Urban Trail through downtown to learn more about the history of our city
• Want to laugh? Hop abord the LaZoom tour bus – you can’t miss it. Complete with comedy, a driving tour of downtown, and a nun riding on a 6 foot tall trycicle – what more could you ask for?

Any items marked with an * are absolutely FREE for you to enjoy

Don’t forget to check out Asheville’s surrounding communities of Cherokee | Brevard | Hendersonville | Maggie Valley | Black Mountain | Waynesville | Bryson City | Old Fort | Cashiers | Highlands | Franklin | Sylva | Spruce Pine | Little Switzerland |Saluda | Tryon | Fletcher | Arden | Weaverville | Marshall |