Buncombe County
Attractions

Exhibits & Museums
(Asheville except as noted)

• Asheville Area Arts Council

• Asheville Historic Trolley Tours - Perhaps you've seen those white busses that look like old-timey trolley cars slowly cruising around Asheville. These state-of-the-art vehicles carry folks on fully narrated tours of the city. Starting at the Asheville Chamber & Visitors Center, you'll see the Grove Park Inn, Biltmore Village, the Grove Arcade, the Montford Historic District, the downtown shopping and restaurants district, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial and the Asheville Museum and Art Gallery district. You can deboard the 'trolley' at any of the many designated stops and reboard, later, to continue the tour and return to the Asheville Chamber & Visitors Center. For reservations phone (toll-free) 1-888-667-3600. Fee charged.

• Asheville Urban Trail - walk your way through time and view highpoints of Asheville history. For information and tickets contact Ms MacLeod at 11 Biltmore Avew (Pack Place) or phone 258-0710 ext 101. (e-mail kristinmacleod@ashevillearts.com)

• Smith-McDowell House Museum - a restored mid-19th Century house housing a Asheville area history museum

• Thomas Wolfe Memorial - the restored, childhood home of Thomas Wolfe, one of the country's most famous authors. 52 N Market St

• Western North Carolina Nature Center - It started life as a zoo, - complete with the typical animal cages of yesterday. Then, in 1977 it reopened as a true nature center with immense help of many donations in money, materials and labor. True, it still has a 'petting zoo' for the children but, now, instead of the old-fashioned, terribly confining cages the Nature Center has habitats where the animals can roam almost as in their natural element.
     On of the primary missions of the Nature is the rescue of wild animals. Many are returned to the wild when fully recovered but some are either no longer able to survive in the wild or have become to accustomed to human presence to be allow back in the wilds. The Nature Center has (or has had) in its compound such predators as bobcats, cougars, foxes and wolves. Black Bears, common in Western North Carolina, are frequent guests as are white-tailed deer. The Nature Center is also host to many predatory birds, such as hawks, owls and vultures. A complete list is published on their web site.
     The Nature Center is open from 10a to 5p every day except some major holidays (see their web site for specific schedule) and there is a slight admission charge. Phone: 298-5600
  DIRECTIONS: From I-240 take exit 8. If eastbound (toward central Asheville) turn right on Fairview Road. If westbound, turn left on Fairview Road. Follow Fairview Road to its end at the bottom of the hill and turn right on Swannanoa River Road. The first street on your right (about 0.7 miles from Fairview Road) is Azalea Rd. Turn right then right, again at the next street which is Gashes Creek Road and the Nature Center. There are many signs pointing the way.

Historic Sites
(Asheville except as noted)

• Biltmore Estate: House, Gardens & Winery - Built as the home of George Vanderbilt, the 250-room French Renaissance chateau known as Biltmore House is the largest private residence in America. Richard Morris Hunt designed the mansion and Frederick Law Olmsted landscaped the original 125,000 acre estate (now 8,000 acres). On view in Biltmore House are more than 70,000 priceless antiques and art objects collected by Vanderbilt during his travels. In addition, guests can enjoy over 75 acres of gardens and formal grounds surrounding Biltmore House and tour The Biltmore Estate Winery, America's most visited winery. Admission FEE. All tours are self-guided. Special "Behind the Scenes" and Rooftop guided tours are available at an additional cost. The Estate is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.
  DIRECTIONS: Take exit #50 of I-40 in Asheville, head north (towards downhill) to the second traffic light, bear left (there are two left-turn lanes), continue two more blocks and turn left into the entrance. Postal address (not the physical address of the estate): 1 North Pack Square, Asheville NC 28801. For more information call 274-6333 or 1-800-543-2961.

• Biltmore Village - Biltmore Village, at the entrance to George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate, was built in the late 1890's as a classic planned community for the employees of George Vanderbilt and his estate. Now, Biltmore Village, with its quaint tree-lined streets and old-timey brick sidewalks, is a unique touring and shopping attraction hosting a broad range of shoppes, and restaurants and galleries. The Village is at the bottom of the hill (on US-25) on the north side of exit 50 of I-40 (which is about 2 miles south of downtown Asheville). Using the directions to the Biltmore Estate (above) the traffic light where you are instructed to turn left is actually the southwest corner of Biltmore Village. Parking is frequently a challenge so grab the first spot you find. Walking around in the Village is part of the enjoyment and it isn't so large as to be a challenge.
     Shoppes range from antiques, Kitchen, Bed and Bath, clothing, Home Accents, Jewelry to Nature & Outdoors supplies. There is even a specialty yarn shoppe with a dazzling array of yarns. Art galleries, too, span the universe of creativity and include:

  • Bellagio - showcasing clothing, jewelry, and accessories by American artists

  • New Morning Gallery - handcrafted furniture, home accessories, glass, pottery, jewelry and other imaginative gifts ~ all handmade by American artists

  • The Compleat Naturalist - full selection of binoculars. telescopes. weather instruments. mineral specimens. hats. t-shirts. day packs. hiking guides. field guides. nature books. nature-related gifts. art gallery with limited edition prints and nature photography

  • Fireside Galleries - antiques, art, home accessories, estate jewelry, interior design, lighting, porcelain, garden accents

  • Marie Pargas Art Gallery - fine art by Armenian artists featuring oil on linen, sculptures and jewelry

  • Thomas Kinkade at Biltmore Village - Kinkade limited edition prints and collectibles, including many sold-out images

  • Village Galleries - art glass, hand-built ceramics, woodcrafts, quilts, handcrafted jewelry, porcelains, garden art, handmade dolls, fine graphics, limited edition prints, music CDs

• Grove Arcade - is one of the country's first 'shopping malls'. Designed by Charles Parker and financed by E. W. Grove following his completion of the Grove Park Inn, the Arcade was completed in 1929. It survived the great financial crash of '29 and successfully served the Asheville community until the early '40s. During this period it was one of the country's leading public markets.
     In 1942 the U.S.Government evicted all the shop owners and converted the building for federal use. In the 1980s there began a growing interest among many of the citizens of Asheville and Buncombe County to have the building historically restored and returned to its original function. The Feds finally relented and, by 2002 this lengthy and expensive project was completed. The Grove Arcade finally reopened as a downtown shopping mall.
     The Grove Arcade now hosts a broad array of shops, restaurants and even 42 luxurious apartments. It is open to the public from 10a to 6p Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5p Sundays. (Most of the restaurants have extended hours.)
  DIRECTIONS:
  I-240 Eastbound; take exit 4-C. Continue straight ahead from the off-ramp on O'Henry Ave. The Grove Arcade is the large building on your left between Battle St (2nd street) and Battery Park (3rd street). We recommend you use the parking garage at Battery Park.
  I-240 westbound; take exit 4-C. At the top of the off-ramp (traffic light) turn left, crossing over I-240 to the next traffic light ('T' intersection). Turn left, again, go 2 blocks to O-Henry (next traffic light) and turn right. The Grove Arcade is the large building on your left between Battle St (1st street) and Battery Park (2nd street). We recommend you use the parking garage at Battery Park.