This was a really fun place and somewhere really great where you can go with someone under 21 years…read moreold. If you're out late in downtown, your options are limited to ice cream places and only a few other options so it really checks a lot of boxes. I will say they let too many people in When I read about this place, it was something like they let 60 people in but they're 70 machines so logically it sounds like it's gonna be a good deal. However, people are people and some people never ever get off of a good game and we'll just sit on it all night. Plus, some of the pinball games are just terrible and nobody seemed to play them all night long. Still, I have gone to a number of arcade bars over the years and I would come back to this one. Also, good luck beating my high score on 1941 that's my game Just saying

Does a museum have have a velvet rope and a bouncer at the door? I'd call this an arcade, instead,…read moreand a fun one at that. $17 a person gets you an all-day wristband and unlimited playing. There's a large room with newer machines and retro ones, all set up to play, no quarters needed. Another room has video games. Your admission includes all the games, though they mentioned Deadpool and another game were extra. The machines worked well, the plungers and flippers were smooth, and the lights and sounds were in working order. They said we could leave and come back later to play, with the wristband.

Tiny but mighty! There are a few rooms here with interactive exhibits for kids. My 4 and 5 year…read moreolds could have spent a lot of time here even though at times it felt a little tight. There's a small climbing structure that my kids kept coming back to, which was a favorite. A lot of the exhibits focused on the earth. I think it was sort of lost on my kids, but the exhibits were fun to interact with. You can't really avoid the shop.

Very underwhelming, for a city known for tourism this is probably the lamest science center I've…read morebeen to. It's like 3 rooms total, all of them in basically the same space, there's probably a whole like 4 or 5 things for the kids to do that they can probably do within 30 minutes. The admission price should be like $5 for what it's worth. The lady at the front told me there was a bunch of hands on activities for babies and I'd say there was like three. The first room was a tiny room with a virtual earth, that if you touch the screen it says it will move but it doesn't work, everything else in that room is just reading/writing (made for tweens and up) and not very fun or engaging. Then there's a room full of rocks behind glass displays, not very exciting or hands on for kids (even as an adult, I felt like it was boring). There's one little section in the room where the kids can brush sand off rocks, but it was nothing special. The room with the bikes is the coolest room, but it's very small and like I said there's barely anything to do. You can look at different bikes on display, they have like 2 or 3 interactive things you can do to learn about how bikes work which take a minute to do. The there's a tiny jungle gym kind of thing that's sub-par, a water play area that's also sub-par and a sand pit where you can look for fossils which I guess would have been fun if my child was a bit older, but for little ones like mine, there wasn't much. He had a very tiny section in the corner he could play with and then he got bored. I guess I'm a bit spoiled because we live in the Triad and we have 3 of the best children's museums. It's guess it's a good thing to do to kill time if you literally have nothing else to do with your kids in Asheville but if I knew what it would be like I probably wouldn't do it again.

If you like old cars, you should definitely check out this museum. They have a bunch of historic…read morecars with little write-ups. There's an antique firetruck in the back, which kids can climb on and take pics. We also took a nice walk. The area where this museum is also has some nice trees and sculptures, which you can tack onto your visit.

The Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum is located in Grovewood Village. There is a free parking lot…read morenearby, and admission to the museum is also free, although they do accept donations. The museum is inside what was once the Biltmore Industries weaving shop. The building was constructed in 1923 and had about 40 weaving looms inside. The building is mostly ADA accessible; the back section does have some stairs. But you can still see those vehicles from up above if you don't use the stairs. The museum has vehicles from Harry D. Bloomburg's collection. He founded the museum in 1966 to share the antique cars with the public. His vehicles are in great condition. The 1957 Classic Eldorado is one of the rarer vehicles, as it is one of 400 made. There is a restored 1922 fire truck that had been in service in Asheville. Besides the different cars, there is a horse-drawn carriage, a motorcycle, and a moonshine still. It is a nice museum to explore.

Every time we are in town, that's legit our first stop. I love the retro vibe, the machines…read more(pinball is my fave). Occasionally a machine I love would be out of service, but many are really vintage so it's understandable. Love the selection of drinks, food is limited but ok for a snack while playing.

Had so much fun at this pinball bar. Went in on Wednesday evening and stayed to play in a…read moretournament. The people were so nice! Really had a great time. The machines are pretty well maintained. It's a pay one price, play all day place. If you are going to play for a couple hours, totally worth it.

The Asheville art museum was hosting "Community Days" so there was not an entrance fee. Normally it…read moreis $20, so reasonable and well worth the price. It isn't a huge museum but there was a wide variety of art to be inspired by. Contemporary, impressionism, sculpture and so much more. There is also a wonderful area just for young people to make their own art, relax, read and play!! More museums need spaces like this! I was especially impressed with the gallery showing art made by the local high schools and middle schools.

I visited the art museum after lunch this afternoon. As an art lover, this is one of my fave solo…read moreactivities to do when I travel anywhere.

Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum is located in Grovewood Village near the Grove Park Inn. The…read moremuseum shares a (free) parking lot with the Antique Car Museum and Grovewood Gallery. Admission to the museum is free but donations are welcome. The museum is not air conditioned. The museum is just one room but it is full of history from an antique loom to letters; photographs; fabric samples; clothing samples; a cash register; and so much to read. I learned so much and did not know about this part of Asheville's history. This is a must visit on a trip to Asheville. Edith Vanderbilt was one of the founders of Biltmore Estate Industries. She wanted to give people the opportunity to learn a craft. Biltmore Estate Industries started as a space to teach woodworking and also hand woven textiles. It became one of the largest producers of hand woven wool. Biltmore Estate Industries moved from Biltmore Village after Mrs. Vanderbilt's husband died, to what is now Grovewood Village (in 1917) with the buildings for the woodcarvers and weavers. She sold Biltmore Industries to E.W. Grove's son-in-law and Estate was removed from the name. The business grew to have 40 looms and produced 950 yards of fabric a day. Each loom was operated by one individual because each loom had its own quirks. Thomas Edison; Henry Ford; Helen Keller; President Franklin D. Roosevelt; First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt; President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Grave Coolidge were some of the folks that bought the fine fabric. Production continued until 1981 but on a smaller scale as demand for tailored clothing diminished in the 1940s as synthetic fabrics started being used. Then in 1992, Grovewood Village was opened with Grovewood Gallery and working artist studios. I will return to the museum when tours are offered again as I have more to learn about Biltmore Industries.

AMAZING. Don't go to the Grove Park Inn just for the view, go for this place. A ton of artistians…read moreshowcased, this was the best gallery/store we visited on our 2 day trip here. From beautiful glass to pottery, tons of jewelry and metal works, I was wowed by the crafts on display. I didn't walk out with anything this trip, but the prices seemed very fair for the quality and craftsmanship. The help could have been more cheerful, but they opened cases when we asked and that was OK by me. The sculpture garden in front of this place is also worth the little walk around - beautiful, one of a kind pieces!

Was surprised at the quality of the art, quilts and woodworking in the folk art center. But that…read morequality comes at a price. Everything was a bit expensive as well. But we enjoyed the wide variety of items!

The Folk Art Center is one of the stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A lot of the Parkway is still…read moreclosed and this is the last stop at the moment as there are barriers preventing you from going north. The Folk Art Center is free to visit. Sometimes when I visit, you can see people working on their crafts. They were during my most recent visit. The building is accessible for everyone. The first floor has restrooms, the Southern Highlands Craft Guild shop and a Blue Ridge Parkway shop and an information desk. The second floor showcases the art. I love seeing all the different types of art from the quilts to woodworking to basket weaving. I enjoyed the stained glass and a canvas that was woven. It was quite unique. I enjoy the rotating exhibits as it is different each visit. Outside there are some trails if you want to explore nature.

The Smith-McDowell House is Asheville's oldest mansion. It is currently available for self guided…read moretours by appointment only through their website. Tickets are currently $10. The house is currently part of the WNC Historical Association. The first and second floors are on tour as well as the basement. A special exhibit called "When All God's Children Get Together: A Celebration of the Lives and Music of African American People in Far Western North Carolina." The special exhibit is well done and thorough. As a transplant to NC, I've been trying to learn the history of the state. A lot of the past has been sugar coated so I appreciate when the uncomfortable parts are addressed. African Americans played a large role in the state's history. The exhibit gives first hand stories and photos of this from churches; military; schooling and athletics. Even though the tour is to be self guided, I was greeted and given a tour of the house. This provided additional details about the house I wouldn't have learned about otherwise. The basement is the winter kitchen as that kept the house warm in the cold weather. The museum addresses that 70 slaves worked at the house and did all the household work. The first floor has the dining room, parlor and sun room. The second floor has bedrooms, an upstairs parlor and the porch. If you are in Asheville, I recommend checking out this piece of history.

Not for people who want slick, electronic exhibits. Instead, a house with rooms from various time…read moreperiods and a human guide. Gives some perspective on local history. (Admission available free with the county library Zoom program)