There’s no shortage of unique things to do in Asheville, NC, whether you’re looking for something to do indoors or outdoors. Asheville, NC is full of historic landmarks, cultural arts, and natural beauty regardless of what season you visit. From pinball to private hot tub soaks, here are my picks for the top 10 unique things to do in Asheville, NC.
Pair Bubbly & Books at Battery Park Book Exchange
They specialize in books about North Carolina, American History, the Civil War and the American South. Other collections include books about gardening, architecture, poetry, and psychology. In addition to offering more than 80 selections of rotating wines, you can also enjoy coffee, pastries, and charcuterie boards at this shop.
After sipping some champagne and reviewing some books, check out some of the other interesting stores inside Grove Arcade including, Adoratherapy (personalized aromatherapy), Enter the Earth (minerals/fossils), and Stevenson Rare Coins & Jewelry (coin shop).
Before you leave, take some time to appreciate the architecture of Grove Arcade itself. The building has a rich history as America’s first indoor shopping mall, which opened in 1929. Constructed by E.W. Grove, Grove Arcade features motifs and gothic characters sculpted on the archways and walls of the building.
Image courtesy of Yelp.
Be a Pinball Wizard at the Asheville Pinball Museum
Not only can you see them on display, you can also play the games! Your admission to this cozy museum allows unlimited game play. There’s also local craft beer and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase to make for a fun and memorable experience.
Image courtesy of Shoji Spa.
Soak in the Forest at Shoji Spa and Lodge
Nestled on a mountainside, Shoji Spa offers traditional Japanese bathing and soaking with private outdoor salt tubs, spa-style showers, and massage therapy. Put on your Japanese Yukata (cotton robe) to listen to the sounds of nature and relax in your private hot tub while taking in the views of the National Forest. Private salt soaking starts at $68 per person and custom spa packages are available.
Go Shopping in Downtown Asheville
I’ll admit that shopping is not a super unique activity, however Downtown Asheville has some very interesting independently owned shops and boutiques that are worth checking out. If you want to bring something home from your trip that captures the essence of Asheville, check out these shops:
Appalachian Craft Center - Pottery and jewelry handmade by local North Carolina artists
Asheville Bee Charmer - local honey store with tasting bar of 50+ varieties of honey
Asheville Hemp Farms - locally grown, processed, and packaged CBD products
C&Co. Handcrafted Skincare + Natural Spa - Asheville-based local skincare brand
Earth Magick - modern local boutique with a spiritual twist
Herbiary - herbal products from 25+ local growers and producers
Hummingbird Candle Company - BYOB candle making workshops
Instant Karma Asheville - Asheville’s one-stop hippie shop
Try a Locally Crafted Sour Beer Flight
Did you know that Asheville has a huge beer scene? They have more breweries per capita than any other U.S. city - roughly 100 local beers to try. Here are just a few…
Hi-Wire Brewing - circus themed brewery and tasting room
Bhramari Brewing Co. - chef inspired beers, beer inspired cuisine, tours, & brew classes
Burial Beer Co. - outdoor beer garden and bar with experimental beers
The Funkatorium - the East Coast’s first sour beer dedicated taproom (by Wicked Weed Brewing)
>>> Find out the Best Breweries in Asheville, NC in this blog post! <<<
In addition to local breweries, there are also some other unique beverage tasting establishments such as:
Botanist & Barrel Tasting Bar + Bottle Shop - tasting bar for ciders, wines, and uncommon craft beers
Black Mountain Ciderworks + Meadery - family business making modern craft cider and mead using traditional methods
Antidote at Chemist Spirits - cozy cocktail bar with a turn of the century atmosphere (by Chemist Gin Distillery)
Plēb Urban Winery - producers of craft wine from locally sourced grapes
Indulge in Appalachian Epicurean Delights
Not only is Asheville a craft beer lover’s dream, but it’s also a food lover’s paradise. Asheville is huge on the farm-to-table concept. Nearly all of the restaurants I visited featured menus with locally sourced, fresh ingredients as well as Appalachian-style recipes. There are plenty of amazing restaurants in Asheville for you to try (read my blog post on that if you’re interested) but for this round-up, I wanted to include some more unique food experiences.
- No Taste Like Home Foraging Tours - forest tour to teach you how to identify, appreicate, and savor wild mushrooms, plants, and more
French Broad Chocolate Factory & Cafe - sustainable, bean-to-bar chocolate factory where the chocolate is sourced, imported, sorted, cracked, winnowed, roasted, ground, and molded all in Asheville (tours and tastings available)
Round Mountain Creamery - dairy goat farm outside of Asheville in Black Mountain producing a variety of goat cheese year-round (farm tours and tastings available)
>>> Find out the Best Places to Eat in Asheville, NC in this blog post! <<<
Explore the Great Outdoors
Asheville is home to some incredible American landscapes including the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Pisgah National Forest. No matter what time of year you visit, Asheville’s nature scene is a must-see. Even better, all of these beautiful destinations have no admission fees.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s longest linear park and is part of the National Park Service. This National Parkway is known as America’s Favorite Scenic Drive and is noted for its scenic beauty. Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long and connects the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The easiest way to explore is by driving and features no admission fee. In Asheville, there are 4 main entrances to get to this Parkway. To explore deeper, park near a trail and go hiking, biking, or picnicking.
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains is America’s most visited National Park. Named after the low hanging fog produced in the morning, the Smokies offer some great hiking opportunities. This is a good day trip destination from Asheville, NC.
Pisgah National Forest
Considered the birthplace of modern forestry, Pisgah National Forest features the highest mountain peaks east of the Mississippi. Pisgah is one of the best places for outdoor recreation due to its 500,000 acres of hardwood forests, mountain peaks, rivers, and waterfalls.
Laugh with LaZoom Comedy Bus Tour
It’s considered the best and weirdest way to see Asheville and get a glimpse of the city’s history. The most popular bus tour option is the Hey Asheville! Tour which provides a historical and hysterical account of the city. Before getting on the open-air bus, you can purchase alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to bring with you.
You get one main tour guide on your tour however as the bus makes stops, other fun, costumed characters show up and interact with the passengers. The Hey Asheville! Tour is like a vaudeville show on wheels and also features a brief stop at a local brewery. When booking this tour, I figured it was either going to be really fun or really cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised and had a really good time with lots of laughs. My favorite part was seeing all of the costumed character appearances throughout the ride. I also liked that we could bring a local craft beer on the bus with us!
Get Artsy in the River Arts District
There are a variety of art mediums to experience throughout this district including paintings, pottery, jewelry, glass works, metal works, and wood works. There are even tattoo parlors and hair stylists that work in this district, making this the most creative district in all of Asheville. Spend an afternoon strolling through the studios and meeting the local artists of Asheville. On the second Saturday of each month, the district hosts gallery walks where you can participate in demonstrations, workshops, live music, wine tastings, food trucks, and more.
My favorite place to visit while in this district was the North Carolina Glass Center. It's a non-profit, public access glass studio that’s home to 12+ local artists. You can watch them in their studio for a demonstration (free) or attend a workshop for beginners or experienced artists. I also enjoyed seeing the colorful glass artwork on display in their onsite gallery.
Experience American 'Royalty' at Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate is America’s largest home with 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Built by George Vanderbilt in the 1890s, this French Renaissance house is fit for royalty. It’s basically America’s version of touring a European royal castle.
Beyond touring the estate, you can explore the rest of the 8,000 acres which includes forested trails, beautiful gardens, ponds, and a “village”. Within Antler Hill Village, you can find the Biltmore Winery, a farm, a children’s playground, restaurants, and shops. You can stay onsite in one of the Biltmore hotels or just visit for the day. (You cannot stay inside the Biltmore House.) Regardless of whether you choose to stay onsite or not, you should plan to spend a full day exploring the 8,000 acres - the house tour alone will likely take about 2 hours. Tickets are pricey but worth it, especially at Christmastime when more than 65 hand-decorated trees are on display including the incredible 35-foot tree in the Banquet Hall.
>>> Looking for a place to stay in Asheville? Find out the advantages of staying at a B&B! <<<
If touring this one-of-a-kind mansion is not unique enough for you, consider enhancing your visit with one of these exciting onsite activities:
Biltmore Rooftop Tour - rare opportunity to experience the Biltmore grounds from the house’s rooftop and balconies
Fly-Fishing - go fly-fishing at Biltmore, an Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing School
Marksmanship - try archery or clay shooting amid 8,000 acres of natural beauty
Horseback and Carriage Rides - experience the woodlands either by horseback or by a horse-drawn carriage
Land Rover Experience - navigate off-road obstacles in a Land Rover in Antler Hill Village
As you can see by this round-up, Asheville is equal parts elegance and eccentricity. Whether you’re looking for a unique retreat in nature or a quirky creative getaway, you’re sure to have a unique experience when visiting Asheville, NC. Let me know what you think of this round up in the comments below - what would you add to this list of unique things to do in Asheville, NC? Which activity interests you the most?
author bio
Known as The Jet Set Blonde, Brittany Ryan inspires others to add more adventure to their childfree travel experiences. Brittany has visited 23 countries (and counting!) Connect with her to get access to detailed childfree travel itineraries, travel guides for weekend getaways, and updates on adult-only hotels, resorts, cruises, and other travel amenities.
