Historic Asheville is a top destination for many people visiting North Carolina, and who can blame them? Asheville has a vibrant art scene, plenty of breweries and restaurants, events (like the WNC Bigfoot Festival in nearby Marion), and tons of other fun things to do. The city is full of history, dating from the Cherokee people through European settlers, so no matter your interest, there are many historic sites in Asheville to visit on your next trip.
Head to the famous Biltmore Estate for a tour of the giant mansion and beautiful gardens. Learn about Asheville’s history at the Smith-McDowell House Museum, and wander through the Montford Historic District to take in the lovely architecture of the late 19th- and early 20th-century homes. In addition to all the great sights in historic Asheville, Cherokee is a short drive away where you can spend a day visiting the Oconaluftee Indian Village and the Museum of the Cherokee People to the learn about the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
1. Biltmore
Address: 1 Lodge St.
City: Asheville, NC
You cannot talk about historic sites in Asheville without mentioning the 8,000-acre Biltmore estate. George Vanderbilt, a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, began construction on the house in 1889, and it wasn't completed until 1895. It is no wonder why it took so long to complete the house. The Biltmore House is considered the largest house in America, with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and a full-sized swimming pool in the basement.
The gardens are beautiful year-round, but if you want to see them at their most colorful, come during Biltmore Blooms, April-May, to see the garden when the most flowers are in bloom. George Vanderbilt wanted his estate to be self-sufficient, so there is a grape vineyard and winery on the estate grounds. Guests to the Biltmore can partake in a free wine tasting, 11-6; reservations can be made on the day of the visit at any guest services location.
Only the first and second floors of the house and some gardens on the estate are accessible to wheelchair users and people unable to use stairs. Transcripts of audio tours and films shown on the estate are available at the front desk of the Biltmore House. Phone (800) 411-3812 for more information.
2. Smith-McDowell House Museum
Address: 283 Victoria Rd.
City: Asheville, NC
The Smith-McDowell House Museum, built circa 1840, is the oldest surviving structure in Asheville. Enslaved people most likely built this pre-Civil War mansion. Since its construction, the house has passed through many hands and, at one point, was converted into a schoolhouse. Today, Western North Carolina Historical Association owns the house and runs it as a museum. The association has restored the house and decorated some rooms to appear as they would have during different periods of the house's existence. Other rooms are now galleries where you can view exhibits about the history of Asheville.
If you cannot climb steps, take the rock-paved pathway to the back of the house and ring the bell for entry. Some of the paths on the grounds are gravel and may be difficult for some visitors to navigate.
If you want to learn more about historic Asheville, the historical association has more resources. A drive trip, starting at the Smith-McDowell House Museum, is available for free on their website and spotlights historical spots in Asheville. They also offer hikes in places like state parks and cemeteries where guides talk about the history of that particular place.
Address: 52 N. Market St.
City: Asheville, NC
This memorial is the childhood home of Thomas Wolfe, author of the 1929 book "Look Homeward, Angel." Wolfe's family moved into the downtown Asheville, Queen Anne-style home in 1906, and his mother, Julia Wolfe, operated it as a boarding house. In fact, after she was done with having the 1883 house expanded and modernized, it had 29 bedrooms and indoor plumbing.
Wolfe referenced the home in his novel, and his surviving brothers and sisters sold the home to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Association. The house opened to the public as a museum in 1949. Today, the memorial offers guided tours hourly. You can learn about Thomas Wolfe and early twentieth-century Asheville.
Unfortunately, access to the house is limited to the first floor for wheelchair users and others who cannot walk up and down stairs.
4. Montford Historic District
City: Asheville, NC
Near the Thomas Wolfe Memorial is the Montford Historic District, where you can tour the historic Asheville neighborhood to see Arts and Crafts, Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, Queen Anne and Victorian homes. The district, a portion of which is a National Register Historic District, also contains the Riverside Cemetery, where several prominent Asheville citizens, including writers Thomas Wolfe and O. Henry, are buried.
There are also a few bed and breakfasts that you can stay at when visiting Asheville. The Carolina Bed & Breakfast, a AAA Three Diamond, is a lovely blue two-story house where guests are treated to gourmet breakfasts and can enjoy cookies, coffee and tea throughout the day. You can also book a stay at Abbington Green Bed & Breakfast and Spa, a AAA Four Diamond. Richard Sharp Smith, the supervising architect of the Biltmore House, designed this Colonial Revival. Breakfasts are made with an emphasis on local ingredients, and the spa menu includes massages, facials and other relaxing treatments.
5. Urban Trail
Location: downtown Asheville
The Urban Trail is a two-hour, self-guided walking tour through downtown Asheville, and it's a wonderful free activity. Your journey starts at Pack Square in front of the Asheville Art Museum and has 30 stops. You'll learn about local history, including black history, such as the founders of the YMI Cultural Center, Dr. Edward S. Stephens and Mr. Isaac Dickson, and women in history, such as Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell known as the first woman to get a medical degree in the U.S. The trail also covers historical events and architecture.
Audio guides, text guides and an interactive trail map are available from Explore Asheville. Find Explore Asheville's Urban Trail guide here.
6. Oconaluftee Indian Village
Address: 288 Drama Rd.
City: Cherokee, NC
About one hour outside Asheville is the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a recreation of an 18th-century Cherokee village. The village is an amazing opportunity to learn about the Cherokee from members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. On a guided tour, you can speak to the Cherokee guides and ask them questions to learn about the history and life of the Cherokee people. They also offer demonstrations of hulling canoes, weaving baskets, making beaded items, shooting blowguns and traditional dances. Trails at the Oconaluftee Indian Village are dirt and may be difficult for some with mobility disabilities to navigate.
You can also buy tickets to watch "Unto These Hills ," a historical drama performed nearby at an outdoor theater. The play covers Cherokee history from the arrival of the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto through the forced removal of the Cherokee people in the 19th century, known as the Trail of Tears. You can save by purchasing package tickets ahead of your visit from the Cherokee Historical Association. At "Unto These Hills," golf carts can take patrons who need assistance from the parking lot to the side entrance of the theater. Reserve seats in row S to avoid stairs.
7. Museum of the Cherokee People
Address: 589 Tsali Blvd.
City: Cherokee, NC
While in Cherokee, also pay a visit to the Museum of the Cherokee People (formerly the Museum of the Cherokee Indian). The museum opened in 1948 and has the mission "to preserve and perpetuate the history, culture, and stories of the Cherokee people.”
The museum exhibits follow a timeline of Cherokee history. You'll find genuine artifacts on display, including clothing, pottery and art. Historical information and computer-generated animation that tell the story of the Cherokee accompany the exhibits.
Stop in the museum store before leaving. You'll find handicrafts made by contemporary artisans of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The museum, store and restrooms comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements.
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