Asheville in a city in North Carolina that is located right near the Blue Ridge Mountains; it is well known for all of the art scenes and the amazing historic architecture such as the 19th-century Biltmore estate, the domes on the Basilica of Saint Lawrence and more. The downtown art district is filled with all kinds of museums and galleries; there are even displays in artists’ studios and buildings that used to be factories. One of the most popular artwork masters that are on display everywhere is Renoir; keep in mind that a picture is worth a thousand words.
10. Blue Ridge Parkway
The entire Blue Ridge Parkway is a stretch of scenic road that spans from Shenandoah to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and it is a total of four hundred and sixty nine miles long. It is meant to protect the natural features as well as the cultural aspects of the Blue Ridge itself. There are all kinds of look outs along the way and the views are gorgeous. You can even go hiking all over the place on weekend and have picnics with family, friends and kids at breathtaking locations. One of the best times to go through the parkway is in the fall so you can see the changing of the leaves.
9. Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate is America’s largest home today; it has gardens, a winery, the Antler Hill Village, an historic farm as well as a four star Inn, shops, branded products, restaurants and outdoor adventures. It is George Vanderbilt’s historic country estate and it is one of the amazing places to visit in Asheville, which has activities for people of all ages to do. There is always something to do or to see or to try and the beauty of the architecture, history and layout in itself is enough to enjoy for a lifetime.
8. Biltmore Gardens
The Biltmore Gardens are located on the Biltmore Estate; there are a ton of different gardens to walk through and look at as well as a huge and gorgeous greenhouse. This is an absolute must see for all those who are plant lovers. The gardens are just as big as the home and can be tiresome to walk around both in one day. Inside of the greenhouse you can purchase some items and believe it or not but there is anywhere from three thousand something people to six thousand people that go through here on a daily basis.
7. The North Carolina Arboretum
The North Carolina Arboretum was created in the year of 1986 and is home to more than four hundred and twenty five acres that are filled with thousands upon thousands of different kinds of trees, plants and flowers. This is a wonderful way to be able to experience the North Carolina forest; there are forest trails that are peaceful to go on and the gardens are just bright and colorful. It is not far from Asheville, North Carolina at all and is great for the family, kids and the friends.
6. Walking Tours
There are all kinds of things to do in Asheville such as a bunch of different fun walking tours that there are to choose from such as food tours, brewery and history tours as well as haunted tours and other kinds of walking tours. Some of the tours are through downtown and focus on the history while others focus on the history of the breweries and or distilleries. The food tours offer a variety of mouthwatering foods to try and the haunted tour explains the dark history in Asheville and you can go through the Mystery Mayhem as well as the basement of the Masonic Temple.
5. Basicilia of Saint Lawrence
Everything about the Basicilia of Saint Lawrence is amazing and beautiful; it features the largest dome that is found in North America which is something to see all on its own and the stained glass windows are just breathtaking. Most say that this church is very ornate and hearing the organ play in it is just uplifting beyond anything you have felt or heard before. The ceiling also seems to be of something that is always of interest to those who visit because it is made of Guatavino tiles which is the same as the Biltmore Estate.
4. Lexington Glassworks
Lexington Glassworks is a premier glassblowing studio as well as a gallery and it is located right inside the heart of the downtown area in Asheville, North Carolina. You will only ever see high quality and custom lighting and glass that is handmade here for any and every budget. This type of studio is known as a maker’s studio which means that it is open for the public to come in and watch the artist at work. While you are watching you can learn about the entire process very well because the owners are nice and informative to all.
3. Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center
The Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center is a wonderful place that is filled with contemporary and traditional southern Appalachian crafts such as pieces that are centuries old in which are displayed in the center. This is also the home of the first craft shop ever within the United States of America. You can easily find something for everyone here and after visiting once you will find yourself wanting to go back and never buying from a magazine or catalog again. The list is endless; wood items, quilts, paintings, jewelry, pottery and more.
2. New Morning Art Gallery
The New Morning Art Gallery is hands down a place that is must see for anyone who is in the area. This store is like no other; it is filled with hundreds and hundreds of pieces that are just unique in every way possible. You can easily find something that is unusual for yourself as well as for everyone else. There are all kinds of furniture to look at, tons of jewelry to go through and a lot of pottery to pick at and more. Pretty much anything you can think of is here.
1. Asheville Community Theatre
The Asheville Community Theatre has been open and in use since the year of 1946; it has been dedicated from day one to only creating theatre that is high quality in which stars performers that are local. They are always looking for new people to join for new plays and other activities and enjoy everyone stopping by to check out one of the plays when they are going on. One of the most popular plays around Halloween is Young Frankenstein. Everyone that works there and partakes in the plays is nice and caring and work really hard to put on a great show.
In the end, it is important to keep in mind the list of tourist attractions in Asheville and figure out what you want to do first and then go from there. Not everything is free, but it is all worth it and you will constantly be learning new things as well as experiencing, and trying things that are new to you or that you thought you never would.