See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

More than 700 students from across the country used canvases for an artistic expression inspired by Carl Sandburg’s poem “Night Movement,” and other poetry pieces in Sandburg’s collection “Smoke and Steel.” 71 canvases were submitted to the exhibit and each canvas reflects how the young artists chose to interpret what “movement” means to them. Visitors can see the installation in a building adjacent to the Sandburg Home when they visit. Young artists are represented from across the country and locally.

Sandburg Home: The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee: (credit card only)
$8.00 for Adults 16 and older
$5.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
Free for Children age 15 and under

• Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.

• Passes: The park sells the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
  *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
• 30-minute house tours are offered every day. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
• Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
• Tours are limited to 12 persons.
• Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

• Members: Free
• Personal Vehicles: $14
• Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
• Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

WANTED: STRONG LEGS, POSITIVE ATTITUDES, & WAGGING TAILS

Bring your best human friend or prized pooch for a charity hike up Bearwallow Mountain! Hike the 1-mile trail to the grassy bald of Bearwallow Mountain with fellow conservation-loving pet owners to enjoy the panoramic views. Proceeds benefit Conserving Carolina and the Blue Ridge Humane Society. Pre-register by March 8 to receive a t-shirt!

Registration for this event is $20 and includes an event t-shirt when signed up by March 8. There is no registration cut off and day-of registrations will be accepted.

Check-in will begin at 10:00AM at the trail head. All participants–humans and their furry friends–must check in prior to the start of the hike.  Proceeds benefit Conserving Carolina & Blue Ridge Humane Society.

Slow Art Day is a global event with a simple mission: help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art. For this year’s event, join Doris Potash, master docent, for an in-depth conversation about three artworks in our Collection made by women, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. THIS FREE PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. SPACE IS LIMITED; TO PARTICIPATE, EMAIL KRISTI MCMILLAN, DIRECTOR OF LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT, OR CALL 828.253.3227 X122.

See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

More than 700 students from across the country used canvases for an artistic expression inspired by Carl Sandburg’s poem “Night Movement,” and other poetry pieces in Sandburg’s collection “Smoke and Steel.” 71 canvases were submitted to the exhibit and each canvas reflects how the young artists chose to interpret what “movement” means to them. Visitors can see the installation in a building adjacent to the Sandburg Home when they visit. Young artists are represented from across the country and locally.

Sandburg Home: The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, the park store, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

Sandburg Home Guided Tour Fee: (credit card only)
$8.00 for Adults 16 and older
$5.00 for Adults age 62 and older and all interagency pass holders
Free for Children age 15 and under

• Reservations: Reserving in advance lets you pick your preferred house tour time. Tours fill up quickly. Last-minute, in-person tickets may not be available on the day you visit. Plan ahead and reserve house tour tickets at recreation.gov.

• Passes: The park sells the America the Beautiful– National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes.
  *These passes do not waive the house tour fee, but do provide a discount.
• 30-minute house tours are offered every day. Visit recreation.gov for the current schedule.
• Visitors may only tour the Sandburg Home on a guided tour.
• Tours are limited to 12 persons.
• Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

On display daily January 18 – April 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upstairs gallery of the Education Center, the Asheville Printmakers’ newest exhibit, Natural Impressions, will feature a variety of two- and three-dimensional print pieces utilizing numerous printmaking processes. Works will inspire visitors to think about the beauty and fragility of plants and the natural world through various perspectives and printmaking techniques. All pieces are available for purchase and a portion of the sales will benefit The North Carolina Arboretum Society.

Founded in 2013, the Asheville Printmakers is an energetic group of artists dedicated to expressing ideas and imagery through the medium of print. The group encompasses a wide range of processes and content, including traditional methods, such as lithography, woodcut and screen printing, and contemporary photographic printing processes, such as carbon printing, platinum-palladium and photopolymer etching. 

Parking Fees

• Members: Free
• Personal Vehicles: $14
• Motorhomes / Vehicles (21’ or larger): $50
• Buses: $100

There are no other admission charges required for visitors to access the Arboretum’s grounds and facilities during the day beyond the standard parking fees listed above.

Join us for a special afternoon with artist Lonnie Holley. Holley is not only an internationally renowned visual artist—whose multimedia works are featured in major museum collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the High Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many more—but also a successful improvisational musician and visionary filmmaker. For this program, Holley will screen his film I Snuck Off a Slave Ship—which premiered at Sundance—discuss his works in the Museum’s Collection, engage with questions from the audience, and perhaps treat us to an impromptu performance.

Space is limited; register online now or call 828.253.3227 x122. Presented in conjunction with Intersections in American Art and the Connect Beyond Festival.

Join the Conserving Carolina “Kudzu Warriors” as they continue the fight against Kudzu, a non-native and invasive vine, at the Conserving Carolina owned Norman Wilder Forest off of Hwy 176.

The Kudzu Warriors, named for their hard work eradicating Kudzu on Little Warrior Mountain, have been defending the Conserving Carolina nature preserve from Kudzu (and other exotic species) since 2011 and have made a tremendous impact on the property. Areas that were once a mat of Kudzu vines are now lush with native vegetation! But the fight is not over, and we need your help!

Join us Monday from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at the Norman Wilder Forest parking area/trailhead off of Hwy 176, between Tryon and Saluda. GPS points (35.22458, -82.27428)

We will supply tools and gloves, but please bring water and a snack for yourself, dress appropriately and bring your own work gloves if you’d like.

To RSVP or for more information call Pam at 828-697-5777, ext 300 or email [email protected].