More Ways to Enjoy Asheville for Less:

Asheville Arts and Crafts

Asheville Dance

Asheville Entertainment

Asheville Area Festivals

Asheville Area Live Music Scene

Asheville Theatre

Asheville Area Housing

Accommodations in Asheville

Asheville Body, Mind and Spirit

Restaurants and Cafes in the Asheville Area

Asheville Movies and the Film Industry

Asheville Local and Organic Produce

Medicinal Herbs in the Asheville Area

Shopping in the Asheville Area

Tea, Coffee and Brew Venues in Asheville Area

Outdoor Activities in the Asheville Area

Volunteer Opportunities in Asheville Area

Enjoy Asheville North Carolina on a Budget: Tours, Attractions and Entertainment

Asheville, home to one of the largest private residences in the world, Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate and the monumental Grove Park Inn, is home to a considerable amount of affluence. Asheville is also a growing cultural center with many venues for musicians, artists and artisans... and has some surprisingly inexpensive ways to enjoy yourself for free... or on a very tiny budget.

Starting Points

Biltmore Estate Free Visit Planner

Free Online Asheville Visitors Guide Interactive. Comprehensive calendar of events.

ExploreAsheville.com

GoAsheville.com Online directory

Free Entertainment

Grove Arcade Seasonal Performances

Malaprops Bookstore and Cafe hosts "meet the author" events and concerts.

Montford Park Players "North Carolina's Longest Running Shakespeare Festival... People bring fast food, picnic baskets, and candlelight dinners. The concession stand sells drinks and snacks."

The Orchard at Altapass is about an hour and a half north of Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway. "Sundays The Orchard hosts a variety of local music, including gospel, blues, 50's rock, folk, show tunes, classical, and, again, country and bluegrass... the blending of traditional mountain bands and the music of musicians who have recently found these hazy blue mountain tops to be the perfect place to hone and display their genuine talents. All of this exceptional entertainment is given free..."

Free and Low Cost Museum Admission

Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center Past faculty included Josef Albers, Buckminster Fuller, John Cage, Willem de Kooning and others.

Colburn Earth Science Museum "... Every Wednesday of each month from 3:00 - 4:00PM, a Colburn geologist will be available to identify that treasure you have recently discovered! Museum admission is free to all during these hours... "

Asheville Area Tours and Drives

Asheville Urban Trail "... is a history and art museum without walls, a walk through time, an opportunity to examine the rich architecture, to enjoy neighborhoods and learn about the people and events that have given Asheville its distinctive flair." Free.

Blue Ridge Motion Pictures Tour 10:30 every Saturday. $10 adults Offers insiders view of making movies.

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway "America's Favorite Drive" goes right through Asheville, and offers many delights year round. May-November 1st, dine at the Pisgah Inn, half a hour or so south of Asheville and be treated to spectacular views and delicious $6 burgers or their specialty, a $13 fresh mountain trout dinner..

Carl Sandburg Home "Connemara" National Historic Site in Flat Rock NC, 24 miles south of Asheville. $5 for tour. "... From June until mid-August, live performances of Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories and excerpts from the Broadway play, The World of Carl Sandburg, are presented at the park amphitheater. " Occasional "Special Events". See article in Literary Traveler for more information.

Craft Heritage Trails Guidebook lets you find hand-made crafts, artist's studios, galleries, bed & breakfasts, inns, historical sites, special attractions and notable restaurants in the mountains of Western North Carolina... and plan your own itinery.

Dr. Neon's Motorcycle Neon Lights "... At GlowJob.com we make the coolest motorcycle neon kits for your tank, neon spark plug wires, LED lights, and motorcycle shifter rods with inset neon lights. Everything we make, we light up. So, we can glow any part of your bike...." Free tour of Doc's establishment.

French Broad Brewing Company Micro brewery tour and tasting $5

Geology Walk of Downtown Asheville "... Join geologists from the Colburn Earth Science Museum every third Saturday each month, for an enjoyable stroll through downtown Asheville while observing the natural building stone used in some of the city's most beautiful and historic buildings. Discussions will include the many geologic features seen in the granite, marble, and limestone from across the country ..." $5, free to members.

Haunted Ghost Tour through "shadowy streets of downtown Asheville, to hear stories of the unexplained and strange. ". $15 adult.

Highland Brewing Company Micro-Brewery. Tours on Tuesdays and Fridays. Phone to schedule. Free.

Montford Arts Center's Walking Tours of Montford $20 with $5 in "Montford Money" rebates.

Montford's Tour of Homes "... from... Neo-Classical apartment buildings to bungalows, Montford has one of the richest varieties of architectural styles in North Carolina." $18 ticket.

Penland School of Crafts tour (about an hour north of Asheville) ... On Tuesdays and Thursdays mid-April through early December, you can join a tour of the campus (reservations required) which leaves from the Penland Gallery. If you happen to be at Penland during a time when Penland's coffee house is open, you could stop by for a drink and a snack.

Quality Forward's Fathers Day Garden Tour

Uncommon Entertainment

The Rebelles "... 15 dames who don't care! They tease, titillate and rock their way through silly performances designed for a good old-fashioned time...."

More Ways to Live Large for Less:

Free VOIP  Talk for FREE over your broadband Internet connection using your regular phone.

Free Payday Loans  Get paid tomorrow instead of Friday. Your 1st loan is FREE.

Free Credit Report  Buying a new car or a home? Then you MUST check your credit report.

Free Laptop Computer  No kidding... there IS a way that folks are getting a laptop for FREE!

Free Satellite TV Installation  Get TV in 4 rooms for less than you're paying for cable.

Free Car  Learn how some folks are driving a car for free. Fascinating!