articles

Embracing Creativity at the Asheville Art Museum

By Kaitlin O'Steen, Publisher Macaroni KID Asheville May 13, 2023

It's always fun playing tourist in your own city. My family and I had the opportunity to explore the Asheville Art Museum for the very first time this past weekend. 






Thanks to the amazing Zoom pass, two adults and up to four children can visit the Asheville Museum of Art for FREE. If you have a Buncombe County Library card, you simply visit their website to request which area attraction you'd like to visit and which day. Once reserved, head to your nearest branch with photo ID and pick up your pass. You are able to visit each area attraction one time per month for free. For more details about this program, check out our guide here






We started out on the first floor where we explored the atrium, and then headed to the third floor. We knew we wanted to save the second floor for last as that's where the kid's art section is located. 






Naturally, my daughter was particularly interested in any animal artwork. Seeing this shark, she immediately requested, "Take my picture with this shark Momma!"






We'd talked about expectations before heading in, and I was pleased she "looked with her eyes" and was genuinely excited to see all the various pieces. 






Even our toddler enjoyed walking throughout the exhibit, but I believe his favorite part was riding the elevator. As soon as we stepped off, he was wanting to ride it again. 






Even the artwork inside the elevator was cool!






On the fourth floor, they have a cafe with board games set up to play while you grab a quick bite or you can head outside for a lovely view of the city and sculpture gardens. We met a sweet couple who offered to take our family's picture. 






Now it was time to explore the second floor, the kids' "ArtPLAYce." As you first walk in, there's an area for young artists to create. There's a variety of construction paper, scissors, markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc. 






My son immediately headed to the bright and colorful foam corner where he was very busy building. 






They both explored the peg wall. 






There is a marble maze track with a hand crank. 






They have a decent selection of books and plenty of nooks in which to read them. 






They have MagnaTiles to build all sorts of creations. 






There's even a kaleidoscope to explore. This floor would be the perfect way to spend a cold or rainy day!


Want to visit other local attractions for free?  Click here to view our Zoom Pass Guide.


Looking for more fun in/near Asheville, NC? 

Sign up today for our weekly Macaroni KID AVL newsletter so you never miss a thing!