The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO is the only public aquarium in Western North Carolina. It is recognized as the first inland aquarium in North Carolina. The Aquarium houses 20+ displays of tropical fish, eels, stingrays, sea horses, turtles, a touch tank, a 2,000-gallon shark study tank with bamboo sharks and more.
The popular shark feedings are at 1pm
Open in the afternoons Wednesday – Saturday, check their site for exact hours
Admission charged
Educational opportunities for schools are available
Biltmore is the largest privately-owned home in America situated on 8,000 acres. It was built by George Vanderbilt and was completed in 1895. Vanderbilt’s 250-room mansion is modeled after a French château. The Estate encompasses the house, landscaped gardens, walking trails, woodlands, restaurants, shops, inn, and an award-winning winery. Located 22 miles north of Hendersonville.
Reservations required to tour the house.
Outdoor Adventure Center – hiking, biking carriage rides, horse back riding, fly-fishing, river floats, sporting clays and more.
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is where Carl Sandburg, American poet, historian, author, and lecturer spent the final 22 years of his long and productive life at his estate, Connemara. The home, originally built in 1838, displays the Sandburg’s furnishing as they lived at Connemara from 1945-1968, including Carl Sandburg’s collection of 12,000 books. Tour the home for a small fee, and learn about Sandburg’s life as a writer, journalist, folk singer, social activist and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and biographer. Visit the barn and descendants of Mrs. Sandburg’s champion dairy goat herd and hike over five miles of trails. Access to trails, grounds, barns and public areas is free.
Open year-round. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day
The Park is reopened! Reservations recommended at chimneyrockpark.com.
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is a still-developing international outdoor destination located just 25 miles southeast of Asheville and nestled in the historic Chimney Rock Village at the foot of the Blue Ridge. It is recognized as one of the Southeast’s most iconic sites and popular travel destinations.
The Park’s 535-million-year-old monolith called Chimney Rock can be accessed via a state-of-the-art elevator or the nearly 500-step Outcroppings Trail. At the top, guests can enjoy 75-mile panoramic views of the Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. The Park features one of the highest waterfalls of its kind east of the Mississippi River, Hickory Nut Falls. Hickory Nut Gorge, one of the state’s most significant centers of biodiversity, is home to 36 rare plant species and 14 rare animal species.
A family and pet-friendly destination for travel groups, weddings and special events, the Chimney Rock section of the Park also hosts innovative educational programs for field trips, scout groups, and summer camps.
Visit chimneyrockpark.com for hours and ticket information.
Elijah Mountain Gem Mine has something for the whole family! Check out their Indoor and outdoor covered flumes (perfect for gem mining in the rain), exotic bird sanctuary, goat barn, adventure activities/kids obstacle course, gift shop, and Basecamp, which offers the Guidon Brewing Outpost — a Taproom from Guidon Brewing Co — and “Post 64” food truck with indoor and outdoor seating.
Ellaberry Llama Farm is run by the Justice Family, Hendersonville natives who love llamas! Visit the farm for tours where you can learn about llamas and llama-keeping, hikes with the llamas, run the llamas through an obstacle course, and more. The farm also offers birthday parties and picnics. You can also learn about showing llamas with their herd of prize-winning llamas.
Welcome to Hendo Care Farm, a community wellness resource that utilizes the natural healing benefits of animals and nature through a variety of youth and adult farm-based programs and workshops.
Hendo Care Farm offers a variety of services: Equine Assisted Learning, Summer Farm Camps, Farm Yoga, Horticultural Therapy, and even Customized Farm Tours.
The Angel K Love Project is a non-profit 501(C)3 organization whose MISSION is to help provide love and healing to kids in need of holistic models of therapy. “Kids in need” include youth ages 8-years old and up, who are in need of attending one or more farm-based wellness programs at Hendo Care Farm. They support getting kids outside more so they can have opportunities to enhance their well-being, mental health, mood, and increase their physical activity by interacting more with animals, plants and nature!
What is a Care Farm?
“Care Farming” is an international term for therapeutic use of farming practices. Hendo Car Farm loves to utilize the natural healing benefits of the great outdoors, plants and animals because they truly benefit ALL people. They are proud to be an “all inclusive” health and wellness resource for our community regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, immigration status, and/or ability. They celebrate diversity and we strive to make a safe space that is more inclusive and less oppressive to all people.
Historic Johnson Farm is a fine example of a late 19th and early 20th-century farm & tourist retreat. The entire structure was handmade from bricks that were fired on-site from French Broad River mud. Over the years many outbuildings were constructed, including a tool shed/blacksmith shop, barn, boarding house, and a cottage. The property offers historic home tours, nature trails, picnic tables, animals, and 10 historic structures on 15 acres filled with trees in a natural setting. The Heritage Weavers and Fiber Artists have transformed the boarding house into a fiber arts center, which includes weaving, rug hooking, bobbin lace, spinning, or knitting.
Offers summer day camp for children ages 6-14
Guided tours of the historic house are available Monday-Friday, call for times.
The Justus family has been growing apples for over 100 years, we love what we do and invite you to visit our apple orchard in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Enjoy a day in the country with your family, picking apples from our dwarf-size apple trees, bring your lunch and enjoy eating it at our new picnic area while you take in the beautiful views surrounding our apple orchard.
Offers U-pick and we-pick apples, U-pick and we-pick blackberries, cider, peaches, pumpkins, vegetables, canned goods and picnic area.
Featuring kids activities including apple canons, pillow jump, farm animals and playground.
Groups welcome.
Sells Christmas trees, greenery and holiday décor during the season.
Sideways Brewery offers an ever-changing menu of small-batch artisan ales and handcrafted hard jun kombucha using seasonal specialty ingredients that are grown on the farm. The tasting room pours directly from bottles for guided tastings — you won’t find taps here! Beer is sold by the glass or bottle. Guests may walk the farm to see beer ingredients growing, view farm animals grazing, or pick their own flowers. Sideways Farm & Brewery makes a beautiful setting for marriage proposals, elopements, intimate weddings, or private farm-to-table dinners and events.
Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday
Food trucks on-site
Offers private group tours of the brewery & farm tours
Sells U-pick flowers
“Sunday Market” farmers market open on the first Sunday of every month (seasonally, May-October)
We strive to make each person’s visit memorable. Every year, we add new attractions or improvements for your enjoyment. We enjoy passing along our knowledge and appreciation for nature and agriculture to others. We love inviting school-aged children and school groups to learn how apples grow. There is nothing quite like fall on the mountain with all the scents of the season and sounds of the farm. Take time to enjoy it. We do. Thank you for making us part of your family memories for generations.
Offers We-pick or U-pick apples & peaches, cider, baked goods, preserves, pumpkins, gourds, hayrides, barnyard animals and playground.
Group Tours & School Groups.
Opens early-August through Sunday after Thanksgiving
