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All the United States North Carolina Asheville

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Asheville

21 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Asheville, North Carolina

Updated April 30, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Asheville

Helen’s Bridge

Asheville, North Carolina

Helen's Bridge

This bridge is haunted by the ghost of a distraught mother.
Breakfast Room hidden door.

Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore Estate's Secret Passages

The enormous 250-room Vanderbilt mansion conceals hidden doors and secret passageways.
Vintage D. Gottlieb & Co. game

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville Pinball Museum

This North Carolina museum is keeping the pinball craze alive, with a little Space Invaders on the side.
Saint Lawrence Basilica in Asheville.

Asheville, North Carolina

Basilica of Saint Lawrence, Asheville

This rare basilica nestled right in downtown Asheville is an architectural marvel, inside and out.
Groovy bar.

Asheville, North Carolina

Fleetwood’s

A wedding chapel, vintage clothing shop, and bar all under one roof.
Grove Park Inn

Asheville, North Carolina

The Grove Park Inn

The U.S. Supreme Court's secret Cold War relocation facility in the mountains of North Carolina.

Asheville, North Carolina

The Odd

A 17th-century bezoar, dirt from an infamous site, and other curios decorate this unusual bar.
Interior of the Folk Art Center.

Asheville, North Carolina

Folk Art Center

A wonderful display of arts and crafts handmade by local artisans in the Southern Appalachians.
See All 21 Things To Do in Asheville

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina

The Odd

A 17th-century bezoar, dirt from an infamous site, and other curios decorate this unusual bar.
The catfish arrives perfectly seasoned.

Asheville, North Carolina

Good Hot Fish

Chef Ashleigh Shanti serves up a classic Appalachian fish fry.
Permanently Closed

Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore McDonald's

Classy up your Big Mac with bow-tied servers and chandeliers at the world's fanciest McDonald's.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Explorer’s Guide to Road Tripping Around Appalachia

The world still doesn’t quite know what to make of Appalachia. The mountainous, multi-state region has long been defined both by mystery and misconceptions. In many ways, it’s been America’s shadow since the nation’s birth. Early settlers fretted about American Indian tribes, dark hollows, and looming wilderness in the 1600s and 1700s, while modern folks tend to worry more about the environmental degradation and concentration of Trump voters. Yet, Appalachia is much like America as a whole—it sprawls from south to north across several states, spawning local cultures marked as much by their diversity and differences than what they have in common. And these mountains are old. Rocks formed during the Precambrian era have been found in some places. Parts of the Appalachian Mountains are thought to be even older than Saturn’s rings, and millennia of erosion have given rise to one of the richest temperate ecosystems in the world. This diverse bioregion has become home to a melting pot of culture. Archaeological findings indicate that American Indian tribes inhabited the region 20,000 years ago. The first Europeans arrived in the 1500s, when Spanish conquistadors ventured up from what is now Florida. English and French settlers followed, establishing a general pattern that continues into the present: Newcomers bring their cultural traditions into the region, where they are absorbed into the greater whole.

View Itinerary
Although much of Appalachia’s old-growth forests have been destroyed, those that survive are glorious.

Explore Asheville, North Carolina

Art 5
Museums 5
Explore Asheville 5
Architecture 4
History 4
Local History 3
Sculptures 3
Homes 2
Restaurants 2
Music 2
Houses 2
Literature 2

Asheville Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. amymanikowski
    3
  2. carissapffffft
    2
  3. Elliot Carter
    1
  4. e1savage
    1
  5. SilverRiverChairs
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Asheville.

Places Edited

  1. blimpcaptain
    15
  2. wherearewedude
    5
  3. PushingUpDaisies
    4
  4. Rose Stuart
    3
  5. carissapffffft
    3

Places Visited

  1. back2silver
    19
  2. A Bear
    19
  3. blimpcaptain
    19
  4. OBellus Fun
    18
  5. BE
    17
Join the Ranks!
Visit a place in Asheville.

Recent Asheville Activity

  • lisafarnitano

    has been to Biltmore Estate's Secret Passages

  • lisafarnitano

    has been to Thomas Wolfe Memorial

  • lisafarnitano

    has been to The Cat Walk

  • asdonkar

    has been to Folk Art Center

  • tommy2tuggz

    wants to go to The Cat Walk

Stories About Asheville

Chef John Fleer at Old North Acres

How Community Makes Appalachian Cuisine Shine in Asheville

It takes a village—or in this case, a chef and a bevy of passionate farmers and producers.
Sponsored by Explore Asheville
Alan Muskat hosts foraging tours in the woods near Asheville.

Podcast: No Taste Like Home

Uncover the edible wonders of Asheville's forests and learn to connect with nature's bounty.
Sponsored by Explore Asheville
An aerial view of the Biltmore’s grounds and gardens.

10 Reasons to Visit Asheville During the Week

Savoring the city’s cultural and culinary offerings with more room to explore.
Sponsored by Explore Asheville
A rainbow of pelmeni.

Meet the Women Behind the Heritage Food Revival

From Ukrainian pelmeni to Appalachian fried fish, these innovators are drawing on generations of culinary wisdom.
by Diana Hubbell
March 20, 2023

Podcast: American Chestnut Foundation

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
August 19, 2021
Election cake was meant to be dense, rich, and filling.

Reviving America's Forgotten Boozy, Fruity Election Cake

These cakes helped elections feel like a party.
by Anne Ewbank
October 30, 2020

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