Looking for fun things to do in Asheville with kids? Check out my round up of our favorite things to do in & around the wonderful North Carolina city of AVL!
My family and I have been traveling around America living as nomads for eight months now, and Asheville remains one of our favorite stops. In addition to the abundance of natural beauty, lovely people, and amazing food in Asheville, there’s also a ton to do.
Wherever we are, I love to go on a lot of short, fun local excursions with my three year old during the week. And then on the weekends when we have more time and my husband is with us, we embark on bigger adventures. We particularly enjoy outdoor activities. I found that there was no shortage of things to do with kids in and around Asheville, and today I wanted to share some of my favorite activities in the area.
Awesome Family Friendly Things To Do in & Around Asheville
Visit the WNC Nature Center.
The WNC Nature Center is a 42-acre zoological park that’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. In fact, we became members and frequented the nature center weekly while we were in town.
From black bears and red wolves to cougars and snakes, the WNC Nature Center features animals that live in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The center also has some fun kids’ areas, including an otter slide, puppet show area and nature playground.
We went for many walks at Lake Tomahawk while staying in Black Mountain.
Play at Lake Tomahawk.
One of our favorite places to frequent in the area is nearby Black Mountain’s Lake Tomahawk Park. It has a walking trail around the lake, playground, picnic tables and pavilion for picnicking and hanging out, and offers nice views of the nearby mountains. We were in town when the autumn leaves were changing, and it was beautiful there!
Hike Lookout Mountain in Montreat.
One of my favorite days spent in the Asheville area was when we hiked the Lookout Trail in the nearby town of Montreat. This pet-friendly, 1.5 mile trail may sound like it’d be a walk in the park, but it actually is a pretty steep trail and good workout. Once you get to the top, the views of the Seven Sisters mountains and the town of Montreat are stunning!
My 3-year old daughter hiked some of the trail and hopped into our hiking backpack towards the end, and my 12-year old dog hiked like a champ. Along the way, we saw several groups with young children. Lookout Mountain is a fun way to get to experience the mountains in the area and get some exercise and fresh air, while also not taking up a large portion of the day.
Visit Hands On! Children’s Museum.
Let your young kiddos have a blast at Hands On! Children’s Museum, a cute museum for little ones in nearby Hendersonville. It offers 13,000 square feet of learning experiences, with everything from a play grocery store and theater to nursery, fire station and ice cream shop.
These adorable artsy bears are all around Hendersonville and my daughter was a big fan!
Bonus: Historic downtown Hendersonville is a fun area to walk around, grab a bite to eat, and check out the shops after your visit to Hands On! Children’s Museum. We grabbed frozen yogurt with our friends after our playdate.
Visit the North Carolina Arboretum.
A great family-friendly way to spend the day outside in Asheville is to visit The North Carolina Arboretum. This 434-acre public garden is located just south of downtown Asheville. It offers hiking and biking trails, gardens and more. My daughter was mesmerized by the arboretum’s Rocky Cove Railroad, which features G-scale model trains. There are also dining options, and while we were there, a market was taking place in the parking lot.
Treat the Family to Donuts at Vortex.
Who doesn’t love an occasional donut treat? Asheville’s Vortex Doughnuts is an awesome local donut shop. Most of the donuts are vegan, and the shop also offers a classic menu of coffee and tea drinks.
Splash & Play at Robert Lake Park.
Robert Lake Park in Montreat is an excellent way to spend a couple hours with little ones. In addition to multiple playgrounds, it has a natural creek that my daughter loved skipping rocks and splashing in. There are also some easy trails in the area.
The park is just a few minutes’ drive from downtown Black Mountain, which is a cute area to check out.
Spend a Day at Biltmore Estates.
With 250 rooms, the Biltmore castle is the largest home in America. But a visit to Biltmore Estates offers a lot more than just a grand home tour. From a winery and restaurants to a spa and Land Rover tours, there are so many things to choose from on this 8,000 acre property. Family-friendly activities include the Pisgah Playground, hiking, biking, kayaking, rafting and visiting with the farm animals.
At the Biltmore Winery
Biltmore is the most touristy establishment in the city and admission is pricey, but it honestly is very cool to see and a must-include on my list of things to do with kids in Asheville. We only got the chance to visit once, and it really is the kind of place you need to visit a handful of times to experience everything!
Hike at Chimney Rock State Park.
Chimney Rock is an 8,000-acre state park located southeast of Asheville. It seems to be quite the popular spot, but for good reason. It’s a nature lover’s paradise! The heart pounding hike up to Chimney Rock, and even higher up, Exclamation Point, offers expansive views, and there’s also a waterfall and picnicking areas.
We elected to park at a lower elevation near the ticket plaza, check out the Animal Discovery Den, and head all the way up on foot.
Play at Veterans Park.
Rounding out my list of things to do with kids in and around Asheville is Black Mountain’s Veterans Park. It offers a lovely community garden to walk around, creek to play and picnic near, playground and a few different walking trails. Veterans Park also has a disc golf course and ball fields. It’s the perfect kind of low-key play spot that we enjoy frequenting.
Lastly, I wanted to mention a few things on my radar to do with kids in Asheville that we didn’t make it to:
- Sky Top Orchard ~ U-Pick farm; open in autumn for hay and train rides, apple cider doughnuts and pumpkin picking
- Sliding Rock waterfall slide at Pisgah National Forest
- Mountain Play Lodge ~ an indoor jungle gym in the town of Arden
If you’re in town for a longer period of time and are looking for a structured activity with your toddler, check out West Asheville Yoga. We participated in a weekly park yoga class with them while living in Asheville.
Asheville looks like an amazing place to be with kids!!
Ah – I meant to swing by and check out this post when I saw it on Instagram…but then I forgot. D’oh! This is a great roundup of the area, and I’m so glad Asheville ranks as one of your favorites stops. #1 favorite stop?? ::fingers crossed:: We need to check out Lake Tomahawk Park…that looks like fun!