101 Unique Things to Do in Asheville NC & Western NC
Downtown Asheville is a great place to be! Our lively city center has gorgeous architecture, fantastic stores, a huge variety of 100 restaurants, interesting museums, fun street performers and many free festivals. The diverse mix of culture, music and art has led to our city center being dubbed by many as the "Paris of the South."
Downtown is a definitely a shopper's paradise with 200+ locally-owned stores and boutiques. You won't find tacky tourist shops. You could easily spend a day browsing the big variety of clothing, gifts, antiques and books. Find plenty of local and international creations in the many art galleries. Walk to many craft breweries, take a guided tour or picnic in the park. Pack Square is home to many of our favorite festivals for Spring, Summer and Fall.
See our favorite things to do and places to see below, along with parking tips.
Downtown Asheville Things to Do
Momentum Art Gallery
See spectacular contemporary art from artists in western North Carolina and throughout the United States. Browsing is welcome in this downtown gallery. 52 Broadway.
See spectacular contemporary art from artists in western North Carolina and throughout the United States. Browsing is welcome in this downtown gallery. 52 Broadway.
LaZoom Tours
Take the most fun city tour ever in a bright purple bus full of laughter! Through captivating stories, comedy skits, and an enthralling musical soundscape, experience Asheville's history, current… read more
Take the most fun city tour ever in a bright purple bus full of laughter! Through captivating stories, comedy skits, and an enthralling musical soundscape, experience Asheville's history, current culture, and counterculture with their 90-minute interactive bus tours that depart from downtown. Haunted and beer tours, too!
Well Played Board Game Café
Discover the joy of connection at Well Played Board Game Café, a unique haven in downtown Asheville where friends and family come together for fun and friendly competition. With a library of over… read more
Discover the joy of connection at Well Played Board Game Café, a unique haven in downtown Asheville where friends and family come together for fun and friendly competition. With a library of over 700 board games, you’re sure to find the perfect game for any mood, complemented by a tempting menu of snacks, drinks, beer, and wine. In-house expert Gamemasters are on hand to offer guidance. Check…
Asheville Community Theatre
For 70 years, our Community Theatre has been presenting outstanding musicals, comedies and dramas in downtown. Watch the "Mainstage" shows in the 400-seat theatre or a big variety of more… read more
For 70 years, our Community Theatre has been presenting outstanding musicals, comedies and dramas in downtown. Watch the "Mainstage" shows in the 400-seat theatre or a big variety of more adventurous productions in their 50-seat black box theatre called 35below.
Top Restaurants In & Near Asheville
From casual to sophisticated, there are many restaurants for all tastes, with flavors from around the world. Plus, find many more award-winning chefs throughout the mountains. See our top picks… read more
From casual to sophisticated, there are many restaurants for all tastes, with flavors from around the world. Plus, find many more award-winning chefs throughout the mountains. See our top picks for dining in Asheville.
Mast General Store
This favorite stop for tourists and locals is an old-fashioned general store with the latest products, including clothing, fun gifts, cooking accessories and a huge candy section. Downstairs is a… read more
This favorite stop for tourists and locals is an old-fashioned general store with the latest products, including clothing, fun gifts, cooking accessories and a huge candy section. Downstairs is a great outdoors department with all the major brands. 15 Biltmore Avenue.
Thomas Wolfe Memorial
This is the novelist's boyhood home and setting for "Look Homeward, Angel." Tour the fascinating, rambling house located in downtown Asheville. 52 N. Market Street.
This is the novelist's boyhood home and setting for "Look Homeward, Angel." Tour the fascinating, rambling house located in downtown Asheville. 52 N. Market Street.
French Broad Chocolate Lounge
Savor hand-crafted, artisanal, organic chocolates and pastries in this extremely popular emporium, served with wine, beer, coffee or tea. Or sip liquid truffle chocolates. Next door,… read more
Savor hand-crafted, artisanal, organic chocolates and pastries in this extremely popular emporium, served with wine, beer, coffee or tea. Or sip liquid truffle chocolates. Next door, Chocolate + Milk features the best ice cream in town. Skip the long lines at the Lounge and pick up truffles there! 10 South Pack Square, downtown Asheville.
Drum Circle
Play, listen and dance at the Drum Circle every Friday night from April-October in Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville (except for winter months). All are welcome to one of the most diverse… read more
Play, listen and dance at the Drum Circle every Friday night from April-October in Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville (except for winter months). All are welcome to one of the most diverse audiences you'll ever experience.
Top Art Galleries
Visit a gallery to be amazed at a big variety of local art and craft, including glass, paintings, pottery, and every other medium you can imagine. Asheville and the North Carolina mountains are… read more
Visit a gallery to be amazed at a big variety of local art and craft, including glass, paintings, pottery, and every other medium you can imagine. Asheville and the North Carolina mountains are home to hundreds of world-class artists. Here are our favorite galleries to see their creations.
Dog City USA
See our top spots to visit in downtown Asheville on the Dog City USA trail, which includes the Doggie Welcome Center, a restaurant with a dog menu, a bakery and a hotel with rescue pooches.… read more
See our top spots to visit in downtown Asheville on the Dog City USA trail, which includes the Doggie Welcome Center, a restaurant with a dog menu, a bakery and a hotel with rescue pooches.
Live Music & Dancing, Downtown Asheville
Asheville offers a multitude of places to go for live music and dancing any day of the week.
Asheville offers a multitude of places to go for live music and dancing any day of the week.
Asheville Art Museum
Explore an outstanding collection of American art of the 20th and 21st centuries and discover the richness of Western North Carolina’s unique artistic history at the Asheville Art Museum. Groups… read more
Explore an outstanding collection of American art of the 20th and 21st centuries and discover the richness of Western North Carolina’s unique artistic history at the Asheville Art Museum. Groups of ten or more adults are invited to schedule a guided tour of the Museum’s Collection or special exhibitions led by volunteer educators.
Basilica of St. Lawrence
See one of Asheville's architectural treasures and spiritual anchors with the largest freestanding elliptical dome in the country.
See one of Asheville's architectural treasures and spiritual anchors with the largest freestanding elliptical dome in the country.
Pack Square Park
Downtown Asheville's historic public square has been a central focal point since the city's creation in 1797. Spanning from the Vance Monument to the Roger McGuire Green in front of City Hall and… read more
Downtown Asheville's historic public square has been a central focal point since the city's creation in 1797. Spanning from the Vance Monument to the Roger McGuire Green in front of City Hall and the County Building, it's home to many festivals and free events.
Wine & Cocktail Bars
Unwind at one of our favorite downtown Asheville wine bars and great places for cocktails.
Unwind at one of our favorite downtown Asheville wine bars and great places for cocktails.
Asheville Urban Trail
(1.7-mile loop, easy) This outdoors museum is a self-guided walking tour on the sidewalks of downtown Asheville, leading to 30 sculptures that depict local history.
(1.7-mile loop, easy) This outdoors museum is a self-guided walking tour on the sidewalks of downtown Asheville, leading to 30 sculptures that depict local history.
South Slope Brewing District
On the southside of downtown, explore the fast-growing "Brewery District" with eight breweries and a growing number of restaurants and shops, transitioning from sleepy industrial warehouses… read more
On the southside of downtown, explore the fast-growing "Brewery District" with eight breweries and a growing number of restaurants and shops, transitioning from sleepy industrial warehouses to a hip neighborhood.
Downtown Asheville Shopping Areas
- Grove Arcade: This renovated historic building is worth a visit to admire the architecture alone, but it's also a wonderful place to wander, shop or visit galleries. The dining options range from Chicago-style hot dogs to frozen custard, wine bars to coffee shops, upscale restaurants to sidewalk cafes.
- Haywood Street: From chocolate to contemporary furniture to wigs, you can find it all on Haywood. See the works of 150 artists at Woolworth Walk, browse Malaprops Bookstore and get your craft supplies at the Earth Guild.
- Wall Street: This picturesque side street features a mix of unique shops and some great restaurants like Early Girl and Market Place.
- Broadway & Biltmore: This street changes name at the monument, with Broadway to one side of Patton Avenue and Biltmore to the other. It is lined with local institutions like Mast General Store and Blue Sprial I gallery, along with many restaurants with outdoor dining.
- Lexington Avenue: It's described as "funky and eclectic" and "hip and happening." The street has adopted the motto "where world culture meets counter culture."
- See a map of downtown.
Parking in Downtown Asheville
Parking Garages
The easiest solution to parking is using one of the five city & county parking decks. It's free for the first hour, then $1.50/hour. Get real time updates on spaces available in each deck!
- Civic Center Parking Deck is entered from Haywood or Rankin (550 spaces)
- Rankin Avenue Parking Deck is entered from Walnut or Rankin (262 spaces)
- Wall Street Parking Deck (adjacent to Grove Arcade) is entered from Otis Street near Patton Avenue (232 spaces) - usually the busiest
- Biltmore Public Parking Deck is at 51 Biltmore Avenue (412 spaces)
- Buncombe County Parking Deck at 164 College Street across from Pack Square Park (650 spaces)
- Sears Alley Public Parking Deck at 40 Coxe Avenue with 664 spots- great for after 5 PM M-F and all weekend (nearest South Slope). Enter from Sears Alley.
There are a couple of privately owned parking garages in Asheville downtown that are usually more expensive, but very convenient.
On-Street Parking - Free after 6 PM & Sundays
There are more than 700 on-street, metered spaces in downtown Asheville. All meters are for short term parking (two hours or less, as marked) at a cost of $1.50 per hour. All meters accept coins only or pay via the Passport Parking App. The metered spaces are enforced from 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Saturday. Parking is FREE each Sunday and city holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas (3 days). So don't "feed the meters" on these days.
