Planning a vacation with the whole family can be difficult. Asheville is the perfect spot for a kid-friendly vacation! We asked our friend Sarah from Explore More NC to cover this topic more in-depth.
There are so many incredible things to do in Asheville with kids. It is loaded with hands-on, kid-friendly museums, parks, kids’ centers, and various restaurants and places to stay. Additionally, Asheville is also extremely easy to get around with bike rentals, trolley cars, and user-friendly maps.
Best Things to Do in Asheville with Kids
Don’t stress while planning your family trip to Asheville. We hope this guide will help you find fun things to do with the kids, so everyone in the family has a fun and safe trip.
1. Explore the Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate is one of Asheville’s finest attractions. The Biltmore Estate is located on 8,000 acres, and both the estate and property are open to the public to explore for the price of admission. The self-guided audio tour of the Biltmore Estate includes a special kids audio tour for younger guests.
There are also over 20 miles of hiking and biking trails available on site. Bike rentals are available, including tagalong trailers for children to ride in. Their famous winery features wine tastings for adults with grape juice tastings to keep the little ones engaged.
Don’t miss the Pisgah Playground, farmyard animals, and daily art demonstrations, all of which are designed to provide fun for the whole family. We highly recommend you add the Biltmore Estate to your list when planning a trip to Asheville.
2. Visit the Western North Carolina Nature Center
The WNC Nature Center is a 42-acre zoo park that cares for and rehabilitates over 60 species of animals native to the Southern Appalachian Mountain region. The park aims to help animals that can no longer make it on their own while providing learning opportunities to kids and the adults that visit.
3. Check out the Asheville Museum of Science
What began as an extensive mineral collection has become a full-scale science museum with interactive and hands-on science exhibits. Exhibits include a STEM lab, a dinosaur exhibit, a virtual astronomy display, and much more. Everything in the museum has been designed for kids ages 3-12.
4. Visit the Asheville Pinball Museum
The Asheville Pinball Museum is nostalgia at its finest. There are 35 pinball machines and 35 classic video games, and you can play as long as you want for just $15.00 per person ($12.00 for children 10 and under). Everything is first come, first serve. It can get busy, so plan accordingly!
5. LaZoom Kids Comedy Tour
LaZoom Comedy Tour is a one-of-a-kind comedy tour bus of the city. Their kid-friendly route is an outrageously funny trip around the city where you’ll hear great jokes and even get little history lessons along the way. This ride is geared for kids ages 5-12. Tickets are $27.00 per person.
6. Craggy Mountain Line
The Craggy Mountain Line is a historic railroad museum and operates 3.4 miles of the historical Asheville Craggy Branch railroad. They often hold family-fun events like the Jingle Bell Trolley Ride, Fall hayrides, and more!
Year-round, they run a family-fun 7-mile round trip open-air trolley ride through the mountains. The ride stops at Woodfin Riverside Park, where families are welcome to stroll, enjoy the views and the river, and have a picnic.
7. North Carolina Arboretum
The North Carolina Arboretum is beautiful and, most importantly, kid-friendly. Some plants and trees will grab the eye of any aged visitor, and younger kids will also enjoy the interactive game ecoEXPLORE. As kids walk through the gardens, they are invited to discover plants and animals to earn badges. There is also a nature discovery room with live animals in realistic habitat enclosures.
8. Visit the Asheville Botanical Gardens
The Asheville Botanical Gardens is a 10-acre non-profit plant center. Not only is it a great escape from the busy city, but it is also an excellent place to bring kids to teach them about the beauty and importance of native plants, flowers, and trees.
9. Go Gem Mining
The Asheville Gem Mine is a neat shop in downtown Asheville where you can purchase gems or buy a bucket to mine your own! Get the kids a bucket and let them feel like real treasure hunters while they “mine” for their own gems, jewels, and fossils.
10. Go on a Ghost Tour
Asheville is a very old city with a very long history with many ghost tales to tell. Haunted Asheville is Asheville’s oldest and original ghost tour company. They have various tours, but the kids will enjoy the trolley or walking tour the most.
11. Go on a Bike Ride
Over the last few years, Asheville has become known for being an extremely bike-friendly town. Bike routes have been set up all over the city, and bike rental places are opening everywhere.
There are some excellent kid-friendly bike routes along the French Broad River and Magnolia Park to Reed Creek Greenway. Alternatively, you can also book a guided bike tour with The Flying Bike, a tour operator that will guide you and the family through downtown Asheville.
12. Visit a Local Bookstore
Asheville has around ten bookstores throughout the city. Each store offers a great selection and a unique variety of books, magazines, and more. Sometimes, the best way to spend a rainy vacation day is tucked away in a quaint little bookstore.
Spellbound Children’s Bookshop in Asheville has the best selection of books for young readers, including beginner books and enchanting novels for teens.
13. The Adventure Center
The Adventure Center is Asheville’s premier outdoor sports facility. At the center, they have over 77 climbing, rappelling, swinging, and jumping challenges on seven aerial trails high in the trees. They also have zipline courses, and the KidZip, the country’s first zipline course for ages 4-10. This unique experience has something fun for the whole family to enjoy.
14. Aquarium and Shark Lab
The Aquarium and Shark Lab is a non-profit aquarium focused on the enrichment, education, and exploration of the ocean. What kid doesn’t love a good aquarium? The kids will see over 20 displays of tropical fish, eels, sea horses, turtles, and a large touch tank. Afterward, head to the 2,000-gallon shark tank with bamboo sharks, horseshoe crabs, and much more.
15. Cheer on the Asheville Tourists, AVL’s Minor League Baseball Team
Watching a good old baseball game is fun for building lasting family memories. The Asheville Tourists play seasonally at McCormick Field. You will find many seats to watch a classic baseball game with popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, and drinks. Look for Mr. Moon, the mascot, as well.
16. Spend the Day at the Lake
Beaver Lake is a great little lake on the northern end of Asheville. It is a peaceful spot with a great walking trail around the lake, beach access, a small boat ramp (for paddle boats), and fishing access. There is also a recreational side of the lake with picnic shelters, a playground, a restroom, and a designated swimming area.
Beaver Lake is the perfect place to go if you want to escape the city for a moment without traveling too far. There are also many other amazing lakes near Asheville NC to explore as well.
17. Asheville Art Museum
The Asheville Art Museum has a wonderful collection of art from the 20th and 21st centuries. While art museums aren’t something kids will always find exciting, the Asheville Art Museum is always holding interactive kids’ tours of the museum that get young ones excited about art. This tour also offers free art kits to take home.
18. Visit Splashville
Splashville is a great and easy way to cool down during the summer. It is an interactive splash pad in Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville. There are water shoots and water arches that kids of all ages are welcome to play around in.
19. Walk the Asheville Urban Trail
The Asheville Urban Trail is a casual walking tour of the city that highlights the city’s unique past. Follow the 30 bronze sculptures that guide you along the trail, and give you stories of historical Asheville. This is one of the best ways to learn about Asheville, and it is one of the most fun, free things you can do inside the city.
20. French Broad Chocolate Lounge
Got any chocolate lovers in the family? The French Broad Chocolate Lounge has the most decadent homemade chocolate, candies, ice creams, and more.
It is the perfect place to stop for a sweet treat or dessert after a long or rainy day. They also have great tours of the chocolate factory (which is a separate facility from the lounge) where the kids can see how chocolate is made and get special samples of fresh chocolate.
Best Things to Do Near Asheville with Kids
When you are in an area like Asheville, there is no need to limit your vacation to just the city itself! Less than an hour from Asheville, there are even more adventure opportunities to explore that the kids will love.
21. Raft down the French Broad River
The French Broad River offers tons of fun activities, including rafting down the river! Through French Broad Adventures, you can find the perfect rafting trip for the whole family. They have routes for kids as young as eight years old. They also have more exciting routes for thrill seekers in the family.
22. Take a Hike
One of the great things about the city of Asheville is it is surrounded by many wonderful outdoor activities in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, all under an hour from downtown. There are hundreds of hiking trails in the area and plenty that are kid-friendly. Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Dupont State Forest, and Catawba Falls trails are just a few examples of great kid-friendly hikes to consider.
23. Take a Scenic Drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway
You can’t visit Asheville without taking a day trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The parkway is located in the Pisgah National Forest. There are four main entrances to the parkway in the Asheville area, and from there, you can spend a few hours driving through the mountains and exploring the area.
You will find some amazing waterfalls along the Blue Ridge Parkway as well.
24. Visit an Apple Orchard
Only 30 minutes from Asheville is Hendersonville, a town known for having a vast amount of apple orchards and apple farms. During the fall season, these orchards are open for visitors to come to pick their own apples, try baked goods, explore the orchards, and get into the fall spirit.
25. Take a Day Trip to Lake Lure
Just 40 minutes outside of Asheville, you can visit one of the most beautiful man-made lakes in the entire country. You may recognize Lake Lure from the famous lift scene in Dirty Dancing, which is now a popular beach to relax at (Lake Lure Beach and Water Park.)
The lake is open for boat trips, including boat tours of the water, and there are lots of hiking and camping opportunities around the lake as well.
26. Hands On! Children’s Museum
The Hands On! Children’s Museum is located in Hendersonville, just 30 minutes outside of Asheville. Just like the name states, this children’s museum focuses on engaging kids with interactive and hands-on learning experiences.
The museum is built around children ages 3-13, and they have exhibits like a water table, a lego raceway, a mini grocery store, an interactive fire truck, an art studio, dinosaur excavation, and more.
27. Mountain Play Lodge
Finding an indoor place for the kids to run around freely and safely while having fun can be challenging. However, that’s exactly what the Mountain Play Lodge is! At the play lodge, kids can run around and play on the giant jungle gym and the tree house, go down the slides and play with the interactive stage sets. The Mountain Play Lodge will provide hours of entertainment for kids 12 and under.
28. Western North Carolina Air Museum
The Western North Carolina Air Museum is a place where people can come to rediscover the magic of flight and to get kids excited about airplanes. They have a unique collection of airplanes from the Golden Age of Aviation, with some aircraft dating back to 1917. Kids are welcome to climb inside some planes, so bring your camera and have fun!
Asheville with Kids: FAQs
These are a few important things to know before you visit Asheville with the family.
Is Asheville NC a good place to visit with kids?
Asheville is a great place to visit with kids! Asheville is easy to get around, and there is a large variety of activities to do, including indoor and outdoor activities.
What is the best month to visit Asheville, North Carolina?
May and October are some of the best months to visit. May because of the wildflower blooms and perfect weather, and October because of the fall foliage and Halloween activities.
How many days should you spend in Asheville?
You can easily spend over a week exploring all of Asheville. However, 2-3 days is also a great amount of time.
Where is the best part of Asheville to stay?
West Asheville and Biltmore Village are the most family-friendly places to stay in Asheville. They are outside of downtown and generally more peaceful and quiet.
Is Asheville near the Smoky Mountains?
Asheville is about an hour and a half drive from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance.
Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Asheville with Kids
Asheville is a place where every member of the family can find something fun and unique to see and try. Whether you’re looking for a family bonding activity like bike riding or going on the LaZoom Comedy Tour, or you just need a place where the kids can run around freely, don’t worry because Asheville has it all.
