Thanks to the amazing Zoom pass, my family and I were able to visit the NC Arboretum 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.
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Upon parking in the spacious lot, the first building you'll encounter is the Baker Visitor's Center Exhibit Hall. Inside you'll find a gift shop along with public restrooms. When we visited, the featured exhibit was "Making Scents" which focused on the history and extraction methods for various fragrances.
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Walking outside, there is a greenhouse to explore along with various shaded areas to sit and take in the beauty around you.
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I appreciated how most every flower and plant we encountered was labeled, as my daughter is extremely curious about the world around her.
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To our surprise, a deer leapt out in front of us. I quickly managed to snap this picture before it scampered off.
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This would be an ideal spot to sit and meditate or read a good book.
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Finally, we came to the "Quilt Garden."
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My two little ones enjoyed sniffing all the flowers. It's a relatively short walk from the Visitor's Center to this point; however, it goes a little slower with little ones who want to make frequent stops to closely look at or smell flowers. One of the wonderful things about children is they can help remind us to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the little things.
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There are several spots within the NC Arboretum where we stopped to take in the beauty of the mountain scenery. This statue of Frederick Olmsted paid tribute to his influence in the world of landscape architecture.
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Since we visited on a weekend, we were fortunate to catch the Rocky Cove Railroad running which was especially exciting for my little guy who raced alongside the boardwalk to keep with it.
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Next up was the Bonsai Exhibition Garden.
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We stopped to rest for a bit and check our map. Meanwhile, my daughter pulled out her scavenger hunt guide. Tip: they're at a kiosk inside the Visitor Center when you first arrive. It was a great way to keep her engaged!
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There are various hikes of different distances that are clearly marked. Thankfully they have plenty of portable bathrooms along the trails, so you could easily hike with kids and not worry about being in the middle of the woods when nature calls.
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Our final stop was the Education Center which you don't want to miss if visiting with kids.
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Take the elevator down to the ground floor where the Nature Discovery Room is located.
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Inside you'll find a forest diorama with a black bear taxidermy mount.
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We saw a black rat snake and green anole.
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They touched animal furs and lifted up the boards to identify the animal.
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There was a case of stuffed birds and owls.
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There was even a large microscope in which your little scientists can explore different items such as snake skins, pinecones, and rocks.
