15 Fun Things to Do in Asheville, North Carolina with Kids
The splendor of Asheville, also referred to as the Land of the Sky, cannot be disregarded.
This beautiful city, known for its clear blue skies, offers more than just a blue background.
This city, tucked between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, gives you a front-row view of some of the most stunning natural attractions, unearthly scenery, and the nation’s rejuvenating retreats offer.
This city has countless leisure opportunities, and as you explore the museums, parks, and other historical landmarks, you will learn more about its vivid and rich history.
But we are aware that you cannot possibly do, let alone enjoy, a hundred different things in a single holiday.
So, to assist you in creating the ideal travel schedule, we have distilled the list of the best family activities in Asheville. Test it out!
- Asheville Pinball Museum — Downtown Asheville
But we are aware that you cannot possibly do, let alone enjoy, a hundred different things in a single holiday.
So, to assist you in creating the ideal travel schedule, we have distilled the list of the best family activities in Asheville. Test it out!
Why We Recommend This Activity
The Asheville Pinball Museum is a gaming paradise with an all-you-can-play arcade filled with more than 75 pinball machines, vintage video games, and delicious refreshments for kids and adults.
Teach the youngsters a little about what it was like to be a gamer in the early 1980s by taking them back in time with all the old-school games that were popular and well-liked at the time.
Recommended Ages
For families with children 3 and older, traveling back in time to the Asheville Pinball Museum is a must-try.
- Asheville Museum of Science — Downtown Asheville
Burnham Standish Colburn, an amazing individual who sought to share his genuine love of science with the entire town, left behind the Asheville Museum of Science, a museum dedicated to science, which is still open to the public.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This museum is one of the most terrific places to take Kidston Asheville. That’ll give the whole family a fascinating experience with the various hands-on exhibits, interactive attractions, and different informative sections.
The museum’s Colburn Hall of Minerals, a working STEM lab, an interactive panorama screen, the Teratophoneus dinosaur skeleton and fossil dig, the southern Appalachian Forest tree climb, and even a Toddler Nest are some of its more intriguing displays.
With a handful more sites and things to try, this museum will be the perfect destination to keep the kiddos at bay for hours.
Recommended Ages
The Asheville Museum of Science is a fantastic destination for families with children 3 years of age and older.
- Pisgah National Forest — West North Carolina
Pisgah National Forest, a national forest in the western Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, offers a variety of family-friendly activities and attractions.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This national forest is unquestionably the best place to explore nature, covering a vast area of 500,000 acres of hardwood forest ornamented with mile-high mountain peaks, stunning whitewater rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, and hundreds of miles of excellent hiking routes.
You’ll feel enchanted and rejuvenated throughout your tour and stroll about the Pisgah National Forest thanks to the abundance of gorgeous picnic spots, various hiking routes, and captivating vistas.
If you ever get the chance to go, we suggest remaining until you experience one of the most breathtaking sunsets you’ll ever see.
Recommended Ages
Pisgah National Forest is one of the free, family-friendly activities in Asheville that accepts children of all ages.
- LaZoom Kids Comedy Tour — South Asheville
LaZoom’s Kids’ Comedy tour is the ideal choice if you’re looking for toddler-friendly activities in Asheville. It’s educational, immersive, and astronomically funny while covering all the essential city information.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Through this vivid purple bus tour, you’ll learn about various aspects of Asheville and see the city’s most well-known sights and landmarks in the infamous LaZoom fashion, complete with tour guides renowned for being outrageous and bubbly, hilarious comedy skits, and various special appearances.
The trips typically take place on Saturdays, so if you’re going to be in the city this weekend, this package is ideal!
Recommended Ages
The LaZoom Kids Comedy Tour will make for the ideal family entertainment option for those with youngsters between 5 and 12.
- Craggy Mountain Line — Woodfin
Experience the real Asheville by taking a unique journey on one of the city’s oldest still-running trains on the historic Craggy Mountain Line, which is situated only 5 miles north of downtown Asheville.
Why We Recommend This Activity
They were able to buy and restore these vintage train carriages and trolleys for visitors and residents to enjoy, thanks to the tireless efforts of several volunteers.
This railroad museum has incredibly detailed and rich exhibits that will transport you and your family to a bygone era and take you on an immersive journey through the city’s and trains’ pasts. Additionally, it provides regular train excursions.
Recommended Ages
Families with children 3 and older should visit Craggy Mountain Line, a fascinating attraction.
- WNC Nature Center — West Asheville
One of Asheville’s top family attractions, the WNC Nature Center’s zoological park in Western North Carolina is spread across 42 acres and provides a peek of the stunning fauna the area has to offer.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This park is a well-preserved refuge and the ideal vacation spot for animal lovers. It has award-winning exhibits that are home to 60 kinds of wild and domestic animals and hundreds of types of flora.
If you want to peek at the unusual plants and animals that wander the mountaintops, you’ve come to the perfect location because every species you’ll see here is local to the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Asheville region.
Recommended Ages
Kids ages 3 and up will love exploring and discovering Asheville’s many gorgeous species at the WNC Nature Center.
- Adventure Center of Asheville — East Asheville
The Adventure Center of Asheville may be the ideal stop for your family if you’re seeking exciting and heart-pounding things to do in Asheville with kids.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Across the French Broad River from Asheville’s downtown lies a playground for outdoor adventure, with breathtaking scenery, thrilling activities, and much family-friendly fun.
A nature trip unlike any other lets you zipline, tackle hundreds of different obstacle courses, bike or stroll across various nature paths, and all the while, you’re surrounded by the breathtaking beauty and alluring sense of nature.
Recommended Ages
The Adventure Center of Asheville welcomes children of all ages, although older children and teens (age 7 and up) will undoubtedly enjoy the ziplines and obstacle courses.
- Hickory Nut Gap Farm — Henderson
The Hickory Nut Gap Farm, located in Fairview, is a wonderful destination for families seeking a picturesque getaway. It is tucked away in the picturesque foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Why We Recommend This Activity
While shopping for freshly butchered meats, such as 100% grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, and pasture-raised chicken along with house-made sausages, pate, and hams, take the kids on a substantial supper within the barns or perhaps even go on a product search.
The Farm Store offers a range of WNC specialty items in addition to the various cuts of meat and veggies you can buy, including regional cheeses, meads, beers, handcrafted soaps, jewelry, pottery, and barbecue/hot sauces.
Recommended Ages
The Hickory Nut Gap Farm welcomes groups of families with children of all ages.
- Biltmore Estate — Biltmore
A well-known tourist destination in Asheville is the historic house museum known as Biltmore Estate. People go great distances to visit the main property, a stunning and distinctive mansion in the Châteauesque style, up close and personal.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The three adjectives elegant, interesting, and grand perfectly sum up Biltmore, the biggest house in the United States.
One of the best and most suggested family activities in Asheville with kids is visiting this castle-style estate.
Located in the heart of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains, this French Renaissance castle has 250 rooms, including 35 bedrooms, 43 baths, and 65 fireplaces. It is unquestionably a work of art in terms of architecture.
Recommended Ages
Families with kids five and older would appreciate a day spent seeing the magnificent homes at the Biltmore Estate.
- Mountain Play Lodge — South Asheville
Mountain Play Lodge was established in 2011 by owners Shaun and Sara Collyer to offer families with young children roaming around a clean, safe, and enjoyable play experience in a convenient indoor setting.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This playground area will let the kids burn off all that stored energy by climbing, running, leaping, and exploring. It includes a tiny Biltmore Village and a sizable jungle gym-like obstacle course with slides.
The indoor play area gives you peace of mind about the security of your kids because there is only one point of access that is guarded by a child-safety barrier, and the play spaces are well-lit, so you can keep an eye on them as you relax by the cafe.4
Recommended Ages
For tribes with kids between 3 and 11, taking advantage of everything the Mountain Play Lodge offers is ideal.
- Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO — Hendersonville
The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO, which focuses on education, enrichment, and discovery of the ocean environment, is a paradise for all things aquatic and will allow you to delve below the surface.
Why We Recommend This Activity
More than 75 different species of marine and freshwater animals are housed there, including a variety of lionfish, eels, turtles, lizards, geckos, tortoises, sting rays, and many more that will fascinate you with their striking distinctiveness.
This aquarium will leave you with a lasting impression on sustainability for the environment, our seas, and other bodies of water because of its purpose to incorporate science, history, arithmetic, and culture into every program and exhibit.
Recommended Ages
At Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO, families with children ages three and up may take advantage of various family-friendly activities.
- Blue Heron Whitewater — North Asheville
Unquestionably one of the best things to do in Asheville with kids is to take on the challenges of the French Broad River’s rapids and currents, especially for adventurous families seeking a new experience.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Select a vacation based on your choices and those of the entire family.
Class II-III rapids are found along 5 miles of clean, fresh air on half-day trips.
Three more miles are added on all Full Day Trips. A mouthwatering deli lunch served riverbank and an exhilarating class IV rapid.
Families can take a trip on the water without going through any rapids by kayaking, riding float boats, or just relaxing and enjoying a picnic by the river.
Recommended Ages
Kids ages 8 and up can enjoy the thrilling rapids of the French Broad River with the Blue Heron Whitewater, while kids ages 4 and up can enjoy the float and kayak boats.
- Biltmore Park Town Square — Biltmore Park
An upscale new urbanist shopping mall called Biltmore Park Town Square debuted in the middle of 2009 in Asheville and has since become a go-to destination for locals and tourists searching for the ideal place to go shopping binge or find the ideal eatery.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This dynamic town center in Asheville is a refreshing reimagining of the Main Streets of the past and was constructed to match today’s requirements of smart growth, green living, and less driving. It is buzzing with loads of positive energy and has a friendly atmosphere.
The Biltmore Park Town Square will give you a feel for the city and offer you secure areas to rest, eat, and stroll about if you’re planning a trip to the city and are just seeking some inexpensive family fun.
Recommended Ages
Because Biltmore Park Town Square is ideal for kids of all ages, it is the ideal place to stop and see, even for families with newborns.
- Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site — South Asheville
Discover the interesting home and legacy of Carl Sandburg, one of America’s finest poets. It is located near the tiny community of Flat Rock, some 30 miles south of Asheville.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Take the youngsters on a fascinating tour through history at this National Park Service location, which celebrates all of the American poet Carl Sandburg’s well-known accomplishments on the grounds of his house.
With Sandburg’s extensive collection of tales about the American people’s trials, triumphs, pleasures, and hopes, you may here connect with the past and learn valuable lessons from both children and adults.
Recommended Ages
For groups with children of all ages, stopping at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a terrific stop.
- The North Carolina Arboretum — South Asheville
Asheville’s gorgeous woods and landscapes can put your kids in a jubilant mood. The North Carolina Arboretum provides the ideal opportunity you shouldn’t miss.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The 434-acre North Carolina Arboretum offers various lovely garden attractions and new open areas for the whole family to unwind. It is conveniently situated on the Blue Ridge Parkway, only a short distance from downtown Asheville.
The Bonsai Exhibition Garden, 10 miles of well-maintained, tree-lined hiking and bicycling trails, some garden tours, and a few exhibits about science, culture, and art are the Arboretum’s main draws.
The North Carolina Arboretum’s grounds are home to various dining establishments, including an on-site restaurant and a gift shop that may meet all of your visiting needs.
Recommended Ages
Families with children five years old and up should visit the North Carolina Arboretum.
