The Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS) is Western North Carolina’s home for experiential science learning, discovery, and exploration. AMOS strives to spark the imagination and foster lifelong curiosity. Featuring science-based exhibits and programs on-site and educational programming in schools and the community, AMOS strives to give science lovers of all ages a hands-on, interactive experience.
Galleries & Museums
No longer do you have to go to New York or Chicago to have the opportunity to experience wonderful art. This gallery guide features art galleries in Asheville and the Western North Carolina area.
Welcome music, science and history lovers! The Moogseum, located in downtown Asheville, is the museum bringing Bob Moog’s pioneering legacy to life through experiential historical exploration, multi-sensory interactive educational exhibits and the opportunity for guests to play both Theremins and Moog synthesizers. Museum shop offers an array of items for sale to celebrate your visit and gifts for discerning friends.
Established by artists and incorporated in 1948, the Asheville Art Museum is committed to being a vital force in community and individual development and to providing lifelong opportunities for education and enrichment through the visual arts. The Museum’s mission is to engage, enlighten, and inspire individuals and enrich community through dynamic experiences in American art of the 20th and 21st centuries. The newly renovated 54,000-square-foot building opened in November of 2019 and the Museum presents a robust schedule of engaging exhibitions throughout the year featuring American art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Since 1984, Gallery of the Mountains has featured handmade crafts by more than 100 local and regional artists living in the Southern Appalachian region. Discover curated collections of artisan-made clothing, jewelry, home decor, unique gifts and Asheville-made mementos. Gallery of the Mountains is located in the Sammons Wing of The Omni Grove Park Inn, set atop Sunset Mountain in Asheville, NC.
Through exhibits and videos you’ll learn about legendary “Stream Blazers,” the evolution of rods and reels, basic knots, fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, regional fishing waters, and the history of fly fishing in the Southeast. Children will enjoy the ‘Kids Corner’ with scavenger hunt games, books, Backyard Safari Creature Peepers and toy bugs to examine.
If you are planning a visit to the Asheville area for the color season, you might want to plan a visit to the Smith-McDowell House Museum. Built circa 1840 by James McConnell Smith, the Smith McDowell House is Asheville’s oldest surviving house and the oldest brick house in Buncombe County, North Carolina. Small admission fee.
The AVMRC has two free open house’s every week that have been enjoyed by grandparents and grandchildren, as well as kids of all ages for over 2 decades. We offer two operating model RR’s with our inside HO scale layout having 2,000 feet of track. Our new outside layout is a larger G scale. Kids can run a Thomas or Emily train while there. Additionally, we have many historic pictures and items about railroads on display. Admission is free!
Located in the heart of Grovewood Village, this humble one-room museum tells the fascinating story of Biltmore Industries, a force in American craft that was originally backed by Edith Vanderbilt. Adjacent to the Omni Grove Park Inn.
The Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center collects and preserves artifacts and other historical materials relating to the history and heritage of North Carolina in a local, regional, national, and international context to assist people in understanding how the past influences the present. Regardless of the day you visit, we offer a great selection of permanent and traveling exhibits to help you learn about mountain life and culture, and see how our region has changed over time.
American Folk Art & Framing is a small gallery, tucked on the edge of downtown Asheville representing approximately 25 artists and 12 potters. It opened in 2001 and has been an important core to the Asheville art community ever since.
Lost objects, found treasures. A very special gift shop. An old attic of a place where you can discover objects of beauty or find treasures that have been given new life through creativity and, ocassionally, a [smallish] glass of vino blanco.
One of Asheville’s premier art galleries featuring contemporary fine art and craft by artists of the Southeastern United States.
Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Folk Art Center is the home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, representing craft artists fromSouthern Appalachia. The Allanstand Craft Shop carries the work of over 300 of these guild members. Open: Jan-March 9am-5pm daily; April-Dec 9am-6pm daily.
“The unusual on a grand scale!” For more than 20 years now we have been a destination antique shop in Asheville, North Carolina. Our shop near Biltmore Village and the Biltmore Estate offers over 25,000 square feet of antiques, fine art, and decorative arts, both French and American, as well as specialized collections of Southern furniture, pottery, folk art, and African art. We have items from six continents and over 40 countries. We also are seeking quality estates for purchase.
For years, the 18,000 square foot YMI building was the social and economic center of Asheville’s Black community. Currently YMI is a cultural center operating with support from the City of Asheville. Its impressive Tudor-style structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features four galleries and a 300-seat performing arts theatre.
Located in historic Grovewood Village adjacent to The Omni Grove Park Inn, Grovewood Gallery offers two expansive floors of finely crafted furniture, ceramics, jewelry and more, contributed by over 400 artists and craftspeople from across the United States. The gallery also boasts an outdoor sculpture garden and presents rotating exhibitions and local artist demonstrations throughout the year. Learn more at grovewood.com.