Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday 10am-5pm
Grove Arcade is a beautifully preserved historical building in the heart of Downtown Asheville that represents the heart and character of the town. It’s rich history and ornate architecture combined with its eclectic mix of shops and restaurants offer patrons a full-day immersion into Asheville lifestyle and culture. Opened in 1929 by E.W. Grove, Grove Arcade was built to celebrate the city he loved so much. Its rich history, ornate architecture, and eclectic mix of shops and restaurants were designed to offer patrons a full-day immersion into Asheville lifestyle and culture. Learn the fascinating story behind its construction, government takeover, renovation, and finally its grand reopening in 2002.
In the heart of downtown Asheville many gather to participate listen and dance to the Asheville Drum Circle. Everyone is welcome to dance, drum, and celebrate with one another. It starts around 6:00 pm and ends at 9:45 pm. The drum circle has been active since 2001. For another authentic yet very different Asheville longtime music event, go to the Shindig on the Green.
Plant is an evolving chef-driven vegetable, fruit, and active-foods restaurant in Asheville, NC. We serve dinner from an open kitchen and bar, with 13 tables, 47 seats, kitchen-side dining, and a seasonal dog-friendly patio.
Visit the Western North Carolina Nature Center – home to over 60 species of animals including river otters, black bear, red wolves and cougars. The Western North Carolina Nature Center connects people with the animals and plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region by inspiring appreciation, nurturing understanding, and advancing conservation of the region’s rich biodiversity. The Nature Center is proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting an institution dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. Less than 230 facilities in the United States have met the high accreditation standards set by AZA.
Black bears, red wolves, otters, and red pandas await you! Learn more about the special animals you’ll see who call the WNC Nature Center home.
Wai Mauna SUP Tours was founded in 2015 in Asheville, North Carolina, when the founder, Kyle Ellison, moved from his childhood home in Maui to the mountains of North Carolina. Looking for a way to “bring Maui to the Mountains,” he named the new company “Wai Mauna SUP Tours”—a phrase which, in Hawaiian, means “fresh water in the mountains”—and offered guided paddleboard trips on Asheville’s French Broad River.
In 2021, Wai Mauna SUP Tours expanded to Driggs, Idaho, and now offers paddleboard rentals and shuttles on the scenic Teton River, with plans to expand in coming years to a mountain town near you!
Urban Orchard Cider Co. provides two warm and inviting spaces in two unique parts of the Asheville, allowing visitors to experience our one-of-a-kind hard ciders that are made on site. We proudly offer a welcoming atmosphere that fosters creativity, invigorating discussion with friends, or a warm chair to enjoy your cider in one hand and your new favorite book in the other.
In a time where product labels can be difficult to navigate and interrupt, you can be sure that Urban Orchard Ciders are of the purest form. We are dedicated to producing the highest quality craft ciders that we feel good about drinking ourselves. Forget the days of overly sweet ciders, full of artificial sweeteners, aromas, and flavors. We let fresh-pressed apple juice do the job for us. Aging/maturation and a variety of yeast strains are competitive advantages for us and we have found that the extra work delivers us a superior product in the end. Stop by for a visit!
When the sun sets on Biltmore Village and the local shop owners return to their homes, the Corner Kitchen keeps cooking. Enjoy the warmth of our illuminated interior with comfortable cuisine. Order a unique cocktail and gaze upon the mountain sky from the comfort of our pristine patio. Find out what locals have known for over 16 years — dinner doesn’t only happen downtown in Asheville.
Since Auguste Escoffier declared French cuisine the world’s finest in the early 20th century, the influence of the French kitchen has travelled the globe. From Montréal to Morocco to Vietnam, you can tour the world and find French flavors.
Hiking Through a Rhododendron Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Craggy Gardens offers one of the most dramatic viewpoints on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stunning vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains stretch far into Tennessee to the west and toward central North Carolina to the east. These views can be enjoyed from the parking area near the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and along nearby hiking trails.
A large picnic area is popular with visitors. On clear nights, Craggy Gardens is also a perfect place for stargazing.
In early summer, Craggy Gardens becomes a mountain-sized bouquet when the rhododendron thickets on the upper heights cover the landscape in pink and purple. A favorite hiking trail, Craggy Pinnacle, leads hikers through a “tunnel” of rhododendron to the summit which offers 360-degree view. This 1.5 mile round trip is an easy walk.
Books, CDs, souvenirs, and a photographic display can be found in the Visitors Center, and restrooms are on premises. There is no food concession.
Hours of Operation
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center: Memorial Day through October
This section of the Parkway is closed in the winter months.
Hours of operation are subject to change. Contact directly for most current information.
Location
Craggy Gardens is approximately 24 miles from Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Craggy Pinnacle parking lot Milepost 364.1
Craggy Gardens picnic grounds Milepost 367.5
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center Milepost 364.6
For more information, contact:
Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center
195 Hemphill Knob Road
Milepost 384
Asheville, NC 28803
Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center: 828-298-5330
Visitor Information Recorded Message: 828-298-0398
http://www.nps.gov/blri
Visit our historic winery on Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. With your general admission Biltmore ticket, enjoy complimentary tastings of more than 20 of our handcrafted wines as our wine hosts take you on a journey through our reds, whites, and rosés. Linger at our wine bar where you can taste our reserve and sparkling wines by the glass along with delectable cheeses and locally-made truffles. Shop for your favorites and take home a taste of Biltmore. Interested in seeing our vineyards? Our exclusive “Vine to Wine Tour” combines an excursion over the river to our breathtaking vineyards on the west side of Biltmore—an area that most guests never see—with a walking production tour and wine tastings throughout the experience.
Asheville’s only full service outfitter, French Broad Outfitters runs daily kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and tube trips on the historic French Broad River through the heart of Asheville and the Biltmore estate. Instruction, camping equipment rentals, shuttles, and sales in the River Arts District.
French Broad Outfitters is a full-service river outfitter in Asheville, NC. With three in-town locations, we offer kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, and tube trips on the third oldest river in the world.
Our outfitter store is a full-service kayak shop with anything that you would need for a day on the river. Our Hominy Creek location, open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, is a two-acre bar/playground situated on a peninsula with the French Broad.
copper crown is the result of a dream 11 years in the making. Our mission is to provide a neighborhood gathering place in our community of East Asheville where delicious food and drinks may be enjoyed by all. We are nestled between many neighborhoods, including Beverly Hills, Haw Creek, Oteen and others. We are conveniently located en route to the Blue Ridge Parkway and a few minutes drive away from downtown.
We aim to provide a little something for everyone and offer dinner seven nights a week. Our menu reflects both the diversity of our influences (American South, Italy, & New Orleans to name a few) as well as our support of many local farms. Our bar program features signature cocktails, local package and draft beer selections, and a full wine list. We are offering both indoor and covered patio dining, reservations are highly recommended due to limited availability. We appreciate your support and look forward to feeding you!
Nestled in the Southern Appalachian Mountains just south of Asheville, The North Carolina Arboretum offers acres of cultivated gardens and groomed trails featuring some of the most beautiful, botanically-diverse plants in the region.
For more than 30 years…Cultivating Connections between People, Plants and Places…amid a 434-acre public garden, The North Carolina Arboretum is located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 393. Surrounded and crisscrossed by forested coves and meandering creeks in the botanically diverse Southern Appalachian Mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum is set in one of the most beautiful natural settings in America.
The Arboretum was established as an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System by the State General Assembly in 1986, nearly a century after Frederick law Olmsted, the Father of American Landscape Architecture, first envisioned a research arboretum as part of his legacy and plan for George Vanderbilt at Biltmore Estate.
Allanstand Craft Shop
Established in 1895, Allanstand Craft Shop is nationally recognized as the oldest craft shop in America. Explore artisan-made jewelry, textiles, pottery, glass, and much more, crafted by the members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, over 400 artists and craftspeople of Southern Appalachia.
AILY CRAFT DEMONSTRATIONS
March – December
Visitors are invited to watch and interact with Guild artisans demonstrating their craft in the lobby from 10am-4pm. Visit craftguild.org/events or call 828-298-7928 for the schedule.
A blend of great regional micro brewed beers and bluegrass acts. Both traditional and alternative bluegrass acts represented at this annual event. 1PM – 7 PM.
Celebrating 16 years in historic Biltmore Village, fig is a small bistro with a big heart. We offer wholesome lunches and simple suppers rich in European tradition and served with a southern twist. Menus change with the seasons featuring daily specials along with fig classics like our sublime quiche, rich and savory bolognese and pan seared salmon. fig is a place where you go to be with your friends, be it a late lunch, an espresso and some dessert, or a glass of chilled rose in our tree filled courtyard. Our friendly little wine list, although small, is carefully curated with discerning palettes and budgets in mind. Understated yet elegant, with only 40 seats inside, fig feels familiar and intimate—your home away from home.
Zambra is a charming nod to the tastes and traditions of the Western Mediterranean, offering downtown Asheville a contemporary twist on fine wine and tapas. In between the romantic amber-lit ceiling and smooth stone floor is a festive atmosphere that holds true to our name which means “gypsy dance of celebration.” We’ve carefully selected only the best of local ingredients and exotic Spanish wines to give our guests an unforgettable feast of the senses and a warm celebration of life.
Vinnie’s features “Old School” Neighborhood Italian food reminiscent of Brooklyn, the Bronx, and the North End of Boston. It is hard to put into words the feeling of being in one of those great neighborhood Italian restaurants we have all grown up with. The aromas of home-cooked Italian food along with the rhythmic sounds of martinis being shaken to chilling perfection sets the tone for a night of fun and laughter. This combination of homemade cuisine and warm, friendly atmosphere makes you feel like part of the family. It means you could only be at Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian®.
Tupelo Honey is a revival of Southern food and traditions rooted in the Carolina mountains we call home. Our recipes are simply crafted and made from scratch with responsibly sourced ingredients that bring the best of every season. For 20 years, we have infused our Southern spirit into every bite. At Tupelo Honey, we create breakfasts, lunches and suppers that invite you to put on your Sunday’s best and gather around the table for gracious and delicious Southern food.
Let the local experts guide you to our favorite “secret spots” along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in our National Forests. Home to 250+ waterfalls and miles of hiking trails, the stunning scenery does not disappoint. Our tours provide a unique blend of storytelling, sightseeing and nature discovery! We visit historical sights and 150-foot waterfalls, and even enjoy wild food foraging on all of our tours. Our aim to provide a soul-nurturing experience in the outdoors is the reason why our guests return to experience these mountains with us, again and again! If you have a half day to spend with us, we recommend the Waterfalls and Blue Ridge Parkway Tour so you can capture multiple highlights of western North Carolina, including the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, historic sites and “secret” hidden waterfalls. For those who have just a few hours to spend with us, we recommend the Guided 2-Hour Waterfall Hike. Private Tours, fully customizable, are also available and offer a range of hikes!
Long before working and training under some of San Francisco;s most talented chefs. Hugo Ramirez was raised on the intense and varied flavors native to his hometown Mexico City. In fact, he still calls on his mother for the secrets of traditional Mexican dishes, which he reinvents in innovative and surprising ways. At Limones Hugo’s love of Mexican food is combined with his training in French influenced California cuisine.