Family-Friendly Asheville

Sure. Asheville has earned a reputation for being a top spot for brewery goers, nature lovers and art aficionados, but it’s not all for the adults. Kids can take part in many of these activities and more. From cool places to eat with kids, to water activities, and kid tours, there’s no reason to leave the little ones behind. Asheville is kid-friendly and there are tons of things to do. So, let’s get started. 

Places for Kids to Eat 

Two of our favorites are Asheville Brewing Company and Twisted Laurel. Asheville Brewing Company has three locations – north Asheville, south Asheville and on downtown’s south slope. It’s got delicious pizza (even gluten-free ones), apps, sandwiches and more. They also show a great variety of family-friendly movies. Recent ones include: The Super Mario Brothers Movie; Madagascar; and Kung Fu Panda. So, grab some grub and head to the 150-seat dine-in theater.  

Photo: Twisted Laurel Downtown Asheville

Twisted Laurel has two locations – one in downtown Asheville and the other in downtown Weaverville, a cute mountain town about 15 minutes north of downtown Asheville. They offer special family-style dinners for groups of 7-20 and have some yummy kids’ menus too. You can even bring the family dog! 

Try all the local flavors at The Hop! Photo credit: The Hop Ice Cream

Now, what about a sweet treat? An Asheville staple, The Hop, serves handcrafted ice cream, including vegan/non-dairy. There are more flavors than you can count. And, then there’s chocolate – and a lot of it. Take a tour of the French Broad Chocolate Factory or stop into the Chocolate Fetish where you can pick and choose. 

Kid-friendly Activities

There’s no shortage of kid-friendly activities. Anyone who’s visiting Pack Square Park on a hot day will likely see grins and hear laughter and the occasional happy scream coming from kids enjoying the city’s newly-created, popular and free splash pad – Splasheville. 

Photo credit: Stephen Pruitt Photography

The Lil Boogers LaZoom bus kids’ comedy tour is also a fun, kid-friendly activity and is geared for kids 5-12.  It’s filled with kid-centric comedy, and some education too. They’ll explore the city with some of the funniest guides out there. USA Today reports it’s a “laugh a minute.” 

The Asheville Museum of Science is another place to bring the kids. It offers multiple hands-on experiences as well as a chance to meet Teratophoneus Curriei – their beloved dinosaur. 

Visit the Cradle of Forestry – Open to the public.

The Cradle of Forestry! For adults and children is the historic birthplace of U.S. Forestry and Forestry education. Once part of the Biltmore Estate, the Cradle of Forestry offers children and parents the opportunity to learn about the history of our Pisgah National Forest and how it is connected to the formation of the Biltmore Estate back in 1893. The Cradle offers indoor learning activities & programs for young children to learn about nature and forestry, ecology and hydrology. The outdoor trails are also perfect for families to explore with interactive, historic site features and other natural features kids love to learn about.

Parks and Recreation 

Carrier Park in West Asheville sits along the French Broad River and offers great walking and biking trails as well as a fun playground area for young children, basketball courts, roller hockey, and a track. 

Asheville Treetops Adventure Park is an exciting Asheville attraction, with ziplining, climbing and rappelling challenges! It’s all tucked into a wooded park for ages 4 and over. 

And for those who want to venture a little outside of Asheville for some fun water activities, head to Lake Lure Beach to build some sand castles, take a cool dip or have a family picnic. The on-site beach house even sells float toys and water balloons for water wars. 

Photo: Town of Lake Lure

For another fun water activity – sliding rock is a natural water slide where adults and kids alike can slide down 60-feet into an 8-foot natural pool of water. It’s chilly – so this is best reserved for a sweltering day! 

Kid-friendly Breweries 

Kids will love the family and pet-friendly playground at the Whistle Hop Brewing Company in Fairview. There’s everything from mini-bowling and mini-golf to Disc Golf Connect 4 and more. Kids will also get a kick out of climbing aboard the fully renovated caboose to enjoy a locally-crafted soda. 

Burial Beer is another fun spot with two locations – one in downtown’s south slope and the other at the Forestry Camp in South Asheville. Both locations have plenty of outdoor areas to explore as well as some old vehicle relics to climb in and out of – cool!

Sierra Nevada in Mills River has both indoor and outdoor entertainment venues and the Visitor Corridor offers the entire family a bird’s-eye view of the stunning brewhouse, warehouse and packaging hall from its raised mezzanine. The large outdoor areas beckon people to enjoy the gardens or play a game of cornhole or bocce ball. 

Highland Brewing, Asheville’s original craft brewery, has a spacious, family-friendly space for parents to sip a beer and listen to live music while the kids run around the meadow and get their energy out. Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic with your beer. Food trucks are always around. 

New Belgium, in the heart of Asheville, sits along the French Broad River where, in the summer months, groups of tubers can be seen floating by.  Surrounded by an expansive lawn, it’s the perfect place to toss a frisbee or ball. There’s also a free brewery tour for all ages. And don’t miss that indoor slide! 

Photo: New Belgium Brewing

So, grab the kiddos and book a stay at one of our vacation rentals where you and your family can enjoy some good old-fashioned fun.