Best Things to Do in Asheville: A Local's 12 Picks

At a glance

• Where: Asheville, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains
• Anchors: Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway, Grove Arcade, Asheville Art Museum, Folk Art Center
• Walkable core: Downtown, with the River Arts District and South Slope a short drive or ART bus ride away
• Hours and prices: Typically as listed per pick; check each official site before you go

The best things to do in Asheville, North Carolina, start with five anchors: the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grove Arcade, the Asheville Art Museum and the Folk Art Center. Then spend a day on foot in Downtown, a second one in the River Arts District, and an evening on the South Slope. Everything below is inside Asheville city limits unless we say otherwise.

This is the answer we give a friend who has two days and asks what not to miss. Each pick has what to do, roughly how long it takes, and one local tip.

How we chose

Every pick is a place we confirmed is currently open through its own official page: a venue site, the National Park Service, or a state agency. We kept only places inside Asheville, we favored things that reward a first visit, and we skipped chains. Hours and prices change, so we quote them as typical and send you to the official site. Places whose official pages we could not read this round are left out rather than guessed at.

The five anchors

These five answer most of the question for a first visit.

1. Biltmore Estate (south Asheville, by Biltmore Village)

The Biltmore Estate, at 1 Lodge Street in Asheville, is the château and grounds built for George W. Vanderbilt, and it is the pick we would put first. Plan on a full day: the house, the gardens, and the grounds are large, and Biltmore says the estate covers 8,000 acres. The estate runs seasonal programming, including a Christmas season, so the experience changes through the year.

Local tip: buy timed tickets from the official site at biltmore.com before you arrive, and look for the lodging and dining details there. Pair it with a stroll through Biltmore Village, the brick-street shopping district at the gates.

2. Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 384 visitor center)

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile National Park Service road, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 in Asheville is the place to start. Give it two hours for the visitor center and a couple of overlooks, or half a day for a slow drive.

Local tip: parts of the Parkway close for road maintenance and storm recovery, and the National Park Service posts them on its Blue Ridge Parkway site. Check the closure list the morning you go. The visitor center is open year-round except Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1.

3. Folk Art Center (Milepost 382)

The Folk Art Center, run by the Southern Highland Craft Guild at Milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, is a craft gallery and shop that is typically open daily 10am to 5pm. Allow 60 to 90 minutes.

The Guild says its Allanstand Craft Shop, now housed here, was established in 1895 and is recognized as the oldest craft shop in America. Lobby craft demonstrations typically run 10am to 4pm from March through December.

Local tip: do the Folk Art Center and the Parkway visitor center in one trip; they are two miles apart on the same road. Details at the Guild's official page.

4. Grove Arcade (Downtown)

The Grove Arcade, at 1 Page Avenue in Downtown Asheville, was built in 1928 and was designed by developer E. W. Grove to be America's first indoor shopping mall. It is typically open Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm, though individual merchants keep their own hours. Allow an hour.

Local tip: look up. The building's architecture is the attraction, and it is a dry, free stop on a rainy afternoon. Details at grovearcade.com.

5. Asheville Art Museum (Pack Square, Downtown)

The Asheville Art Museum, at 2 South Pack Square, is typically open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm, and closed Monday and Tuesday. Allow 90 minutes to two hours. General admission is typically $20, with lower prices for seniors, students and ages 6 to 17, and free entry for children under 6.

Local tip: because it is closed Monday and Tuesday, save it for the back half of your trip. Confirm admission at ashevilleart.org.

What should you do Downtown?

Downtown Asheville is the walkable core, and these four stops fit around the Art Museum and Grove Arcade.

6. Asheville Urban Trail (starts at Pack Square)

The Asheville Urban Trail is a self-guided 1.7-mile loop of 30 sculpture stations around Downtown Asheville, and Explore Asheville says it takes about two hours. It starts in front of Pack Place on Pack Square. Local tip: the official page has a printable map and an audio tour, so download them first at exploreasheville.com/urban-trail.

7. Pack Square Park (Downtown)

Pack Square Park is a permanent public park in the middle of Downtown Asheville, maintained by Asheville Parks and Recreation, and it opened in May 2010. Give it 20 minutes, or longer with a coffee. Local tip: it is the natural meeting point before the Art Museum and the Urban Trail, and the city describes it on its official site.

8. Thomas Wolfe Memorial (Downtown)

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial, a North Carolina state historic site at 52 N. Market Street, is typically open Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 5pm. Allow an hour. Entry to the site is free, and guided house tours are typically $8 for adults, with lower prices for seniors, military and children. Local tip: state sites close on state holidays, so check the state page.

9. Asheville Pinball Museum (Downtown)

The Asheville Pinball Museum, at 1 Battle Square in Downtown Asheville, charges a single admission, typically $17, to play as long as you like that day, and non-players with a paying player get in free. Allow one to two hours. Local tip: hours vary by day and it is closed Tuesdays for repairs, so check ashevillepinball.com first.

Where do locals go beyond Downtown?

The next three picks send you out of the core, and into two of the districts we think a second day belongs to.

10. The River Arts District and The Wedge Brewing Co.

The River Arts District sits along the French Broad River southwest of Downtown, in former industrial buildings full of working studios. Visit in the afternoon, when studios are open, and give it three hours. The Wedge Brewing Co., at 37 Paynes Way in the district, is a good place to finish: it typically opens at 3pm Monday to Thursday and at noon Friday to Sunday. Local tip: studio hours differ from studio to studio, so walk Roberts Street and Depot Street and pop into whichever door is open. See wedgebrewing.com.

11. The Botanical Gardens at Asheville (near UNC Asheville)

The Botanical Gardens at Asheville, at 151 W.T. Weaver Boulevard, are typically open daily from sunrise to sunset, with the visitor center open 10am to 4pm. Give it an hour. Local tip: it is a calm, short stop when you need a break from the crowds; details at ashevillebotanicalgarden.org.

12. Western North Carolina Farmers Market (Brevard Road)

The Western North Carolina Farmers Market, at 570 Brevard Road in Asheville, is run by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and its shops are typically open seven days a week, 8am to 5pm. Give it an hour. Local tip: go for mountain honey, jams and produce to take home; hours are on the state page.

What about the South Slope?

South Slope is a walkable district blocks from Downtown, once industrial and now known for converted warehouses housing brewers, chefs and artists. It is best as an evening: park once, walk the blocks, and pick wherever has a table. Explore Asheville keeps a South Slope guide with current listings. We did not name individual venues here because we only list places we have confirmed on their own sites.

Save this: a two-day route

1. Day one morning: Biltmore Estate, with a wander through Biltmore Village.
2. Day one afternoon: Folk Art Center, then the Parkway visitor center at Milepost 384.
3. Day one evening: South Slope.
4. Day two morning: Pack Square Park, the Urban Trail, Grove Arcade.
5. Day two midday: Asheville Art Museum (Wednesday to Sunday only).
6. Day two afternoon: River Arts District, finishing at The Wedge Brewing Co.

For more of the city, browse our area guides, the events calendar, and where to eat.

Do you need a car?

Yes for Biltmore, the Parkway and the Folk Art Center; no for Downtown. Asheville has a public bus network, the ART Transit System, with routes at ridetheart.com.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best things to do in Asheville, North Carolina?

The top things to do in Asheville are the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grove Arcade, the Asheville Art Museum and the Folk Art Center. Add a walk through Downtown, an afternoon in the River Arts District and an evening on the South Slope.

How many days do you need in Asheville?

Two full days covers the main sights: one for Biltmore and the Parkway, one for Downtown and the River Arts District. A third day lets you slow down in South Slope and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.

Is the Blue Ridge Parkway open near Asheville?

The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 in Asheville is open year-round except Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1. Some stretches of the Parkway close for maintenance or storm recovery, so check the National Park Service closure list on the day you go.

What are free things to do in Asheville?

Pack Square Park, the Grove Arcade building and the self-guided Asheville Urban Trail in Downtown Asheville cost nothing to walk. The Thomas Wolfe Memorial site has free entry, though guided house tours cost extra.

Do you need a car in Asheville?

You need a car, or a ride, for Biltmore, the Parkway and the Folk Art Center. Downtown is walkable, and the city's ART Transit System bus network serves some other areas.