Historic Attractions & Museums
History buffs are drawn to the Asheville area’s rich background and architectural wonders.
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| Biltmore Estate, America's largest home, attracts a million visitors and was just named one of the top 10 architectural wonders. |
The city earned an international reputation as a premier health resort in the 1890s. By the 1920s, Asheville was a destination for the rich and famous, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
Today's visitors find a city steeped in history. Step back in time and experience Gilded Age elegance at America’s largest home, George Vanderbilt’s 250-room Biltmore House. Relive the Victorian era at the circa 1840 Smith-McDowell House-Museum, Asheville's oldest home. Explore the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, the acclaimed author's boyhood home and the inspiration for his novel "Look Homeward, Angel."
Much of the architecture in downtown was constructed by the same craftspeople who built Biltmore House. Asheville boasts more Art Deco architecture than any southeastern city other than Miami Beach. Get a sampling by viewing the Attractions and Sightseeing Picture Slideshow.
List of Asheville area Historic Attractions and Museums:
There are 33 Things To Do in Asheville listed on this page.
Asheville Art Museum
 | Explore world-class special exhibitions and the Asheville Art Museum's outstanding collection, showcasing the very best of 20th and 21st century American art. |  828-253-3227 2 South Pack Square |
Asheville Ghost Trolley
| Relax on our trolley as you weave and twist through the oldest, and most haunted, mountains to visit the chilling sites of Asheville. Spend 60-90 minutes absorbed in the darkest clouds of the “Land of the Sky. | 828-681-8585 Buyer's Agent at 37 Montford Ave |
Asheville Historic Tours
| Step back in time to glimpse the history of Asheville. Come along on a walking architecture/history tour of Montford. Or, experience Asheville's downtown history and architecture starting at Pack Place. | 828-777-1014 333 Montford Avenue |
Asheville Historic Trolley Tours
| Enjoy a 90-minute fully narrated tour of the Asheville area that includes all major points of interest. Your guide will combine humorous stories and historical information into a fun-filled tour onboard a vintage trolley. | 828-681-8585 37 Montford Avenue |
Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts
| More than 50 parks offering golf, swimming, tennis, skateboarding, roller hockey, climbing wall, nature center, playgrounds, basketball, community centers, ballfields, picnic shelters, trails and much more. | 828-259-5800 70 Court Plaza |
Biltmore
| Explore the wonders of Biltmore in Asheville for a day or a week. Discover America’s largest home, magnificent gardens, award-winning winery, great shopping and delicious dining and a four-diamond escape at our inn. | 828-225-1333 One Approach Road |
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
| An exhibition space and resource center dedicated to exploring the history and legacy of the world's most acclaimed experimental educational community, Black Mountain College. | 828-350-8484 56 Broadway Street |
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
| This National Park Service site honors the accomplishments of American poet Carl Sandburg. Take a guided tour of the historic home; visit the farm and trails. Free for farm and trails. Fee for house tour; cash and check only. | 828-693-4178 81 Carl Sandburg Lane |
Colburn Earth Science Museum
| An interactive earth science museum for all ages with a special focus on the unique geology of WNC. Exhibits include the history of local mining and meteorology and the permanent collection in the Hall of Gems and Minerals. | 828-254-7162 2 South Pack Square |
Downtown Asheville
| Steeped in history, Asheville's downtown boasts more art deco architecture than any southeastern city other than Miami Beach. Over 150 unique shops, galleries, and cafes offer lots of opportunity to browse or buy. | 828-251-9973 Downtown Asheville |
Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum at the Grovewood Gallery
| Established in 1965, the museum is home to 19 rare and vintage automobiles as well as some original horse-drawn carriages and Asheville’s 1922 Fire Engine. Museum is free of charge. | 828-253-7651 111 Grovewood Road |
Go Blue Ridge Card
| Go Blue Ridge Card is a multi-attraction pass that gives you access to over 25 of Western North Carolina's most popular attractions and adventures, at the best value. Create your own experience based on what you want to do. | 800-887-9103 Card available at various locations across Western North Carolina |
Gray Line Trolley Tours of Asheville
| Old fashioned fun for everyone! Hop aboard one of Gray Line's nostagic red trolleys for an hour and a half fully narrated journey through Asheville highlighting the history, homes and hot spots of this "City of Surprises". | 828-251-8687 Departs from the Asheville Visitor Center, and various area locations |
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
| Travel through river gorges, across fertile valleys and through mountain tunnels. Railroad offers 4-4.5 hour round-trip and Dinner Train excursions in beautiful Western North Carolina. Depots in Dillsboro and Bryson City. | 828-586-8811 225 Everett, Suites G & H |
Grove Arcade
| The Grove Arcade offers boutique shopping, unique dining and regional crafts in a downtown architectural wonder. The building is open daily and features an outdoor portico market. A downloadable building tour is available. | 828-252-7799 1 Page Avenue |
Grove Arcade ARTS and Heritage Gallery
| The Gallery features the crafts, stories and music of the Blue Ridge through rotating exhibitions, educational programs, a craft shop and a state-of-the-art interactive exhibition about the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. | 828-255-0775 1 Page Avenue |
Historic Hendersonville & Village of Flat Rock
| Enjoy our Southern hospitality. You'll discover scenic natural beauty, historic sites and districts, Carl Sandburg Home NHS, Flat Rock Playhouse, Dupont State Forest's waterfalls and trails plus family fun and entertainment! | 828-693-9708 201 South Main Street |
Historic Johnson Farm
| This 1880s brick farmhouse is listed on National Register. Former summer boarding house and farm. Museum, guided tours, miniature horses and antique farm equipment displays. | 828-891-6585 3346 Haywood Road |
LaZoom Comedy Tour
| Hop aboard the big purple bio-diesel fueled fun bus and learn the history of Asheville like you've never heard it before! Enjoy a 90-minute theatrical comedy tour exploring Asheville. Fun for the whole family. Get on the bus! | 828-225-6932 90 Biltmore Avenue |
Montford Historic District
| Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Montford area, just north of downtown Asheville, boasts a variety of architectural styles as well as historic tidbits. Today, the area contains homes and businesses, including 15 bed and breakfasts. | 828-255-4946 Montford Historic District |
Moving Sidewalk Tours
| Enjoy the glide of Asheville's only downtown Segway Tour. Starting at the Asheville Visitor Center, you will receive training followed by a 2 to 2.5 hour tour of downtown, including the Grove Arcade and the Urban Trail. | 828-776-8687 Asheville Visitor Center |
Museum of the Cherokee Indian
| Through knowledgeable hosts, special group programs and award-winning permanent exhibits Museum of the Cherokee Indian offers 10,000 years of artifacts and history that will spark the imagination and inspire the soul. | 828-497-3481 P.O. Box 1599 |
North Carolina Literary Trails
| See Western North Carolina through its writers’ eyes! Buy the book, or use the online travel guide, for day or half day tours that take you to the communities, historic sites, and hangouts of notable writers. | 919-807-6500 Various locations across Western North Carolina |
Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center
| This vibrant centerpiece of downtown Asheville houses the Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Earth Science Museum, Diana Wortham Theatre and The Health Adventure. A few steps away is the YMI Cultural Center. | 828-257-4500 2 South Pack Square |
Riverside Cemetery
| Visit one of Asheville's oldest historic cemeteries and the final resting place for many of Asheville's early prominent citizens, including the famous authors Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry. | 828-350-2066 53 Birch Street |
Southern Appalachian Radio Museum
| Presenting a collection of radios from World War I to the 1960s - early amateur and home radios such as Atwater-Kent and Philco, many from the 1920s and 1930s plus an operating radio station. | 828-298-1847 A-B Tech Community College, Elm Building Room 315 |
Southern Highland Craft Guild
| The Southern Highland Craft Guild works to instill and maintain excellence in the design and workmanship of crafts taught, produced and marketed in the southern Appalachian region. Headquarters are located at the Folk Art Center which also houses three galleries, Allanstand Craft Shop and a bookstore. | 828-298-7928 Folk Art Center |
Stuart Nye Hand Wrought Jewelry
| Stuart Nye has made quality jewelry by hand using nature's designs in sterling silver, copper and brass since 1933. Watch the craftsmen at work and see samples of the jewelry, which is for sale next door at Craft Guilds. | 828-298-7989 940 Tunnel Road |
Swannanoa Valley Museum
| The only museum of general history in Buncombe County, with exhibits that reflect the pioneer history of Western North Carolina, interpreted in photos and artifacts from the Swannanoa Valley, east of Asheville. | 828-669-9566 223 West State Street |
The Health Adventure
| The Health Adventure, founded in 1968, is celebrating its 40th year throughout 2008. The Health Adventure is a health and science museum for children and today's families dedicated to improving health awareness, promoting wellness lifestyles, and increasing science literacy through programs and exhibits. | 828-254-6373 2 South Pack Square |
Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
| Novelist Thomas Wolfe's boyhood home and setting for his 1929 novel "Look Homeward, Angel". Visitor Center offers audio-visual presentation, exhibits and gift shop. Tours of the historic Old Kentucky Home are offered hourly. | 828-253-8304 52 North Market Street |
Wheels Through Time Museum
| See the world's largest collection of rare American motorcycles, cars from each of the 10 decades of America's automobile history and related memorabilia. | 828-926-6266 62 Vintage Lane |
Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site
| This 1830s reconstructed mountain farmstead is where North Carolina's Civil War Governor, Zebulon B. Vance, was born. | 828-645-6706 911 Reems Creek Road |