20 Things To Do In Hendersonville, NC

This 20 Things To Do In Hendersonville, NC post is sponsored.

We love traveling to Gatlinburg, TN. It’s a beautiful road trip between here and there. We head northwest, driving along the border of North and South Carolina. We pass so many large towns all the way, so we sometimes pull off to check them out. Like last July when we ended up in Asheville. But that doesn’t mean the smaller towns shouldn’t be celebrated as well.

One of the small towns we pass is Hendersonville, NC (not to be confused with Henderson, which is also a town in North Carolina).

If you’re driving through on your way to somewhere else, you might want to schedule a pitstop in Hendersonville. There’s a lot more to do there than you would expect.

20 Things To Do In Hendersonville, NC

Hendersonville is tucked in the mountains of North Carolina, which are beautiful this time of year. But keep in mind, they are colder during the spring. When I was out that way in April, I still needed a winter jacket with me when we went up into the mountains.

Also, Hendersonville is less than 30 miles south of Asheville, which is basically the Beer Capital of the East Coast (well, that’s what I named it anyway), so of course, there are a lot of breweries in this area too. So I broke breweries/vineyards into its own section for the list, then museums (because the area is pretty historical), outdoor activities, and other fun stuff. Of course, some of the attractions could fit in multiple sections, but everything is listed just once.

Hendersonville Breweries/Vineyards

Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cidery (731 Chestnut Gap Rd.)

Earlier this week, Appalachan Ridge Artisan Cidery held a chocolate and coffee pairing event. I love chocolate and coffee, so I’m all about that life. Of course, cider and wine were available for purchase as well.

That’s one of the great reasons to visit the cidery. Even if you don’t drink, or you’re traveling with friends who don’t, there are still other reasons to visit the cidery.

The tasting room is open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm, and Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 7pm.

Burntshirt Vineyards (2695 Sugarloaf Rd)

I co-hosted the #NCFaves chat and did a lot of research into North Carolina based wineries for the chat, and Burntshirt Vineyards jumped out at me because of the name. My advice: If you’re going to  open a business, make sure the name is catchy.

At the winery, you can take a tasting (for $10 per person and come with a complimentary wine glass), you can tour the winery at 2pm daily, grab a box lunch from A Day In The Country or some food off the Vintner’s Table Food Truck (open April to November), check out some music, or play cornhole outside.

There’s also a super cute shop called The Shed, selling the perfect artisan items to bring home from your vacation.

Dry Falls Brewing Company (425 Kanuga Rd.)

How many times have you been sitting in a brewery with a friend, getting a little loose, and you say, “Dude, we could open one of these?” That’s exactly how Dry Falls Brewing Company started. It’s is the brainchild of the father/son duo Jeff and Evan Golliher who had the idea over a flight of 24 beers while on a family vacation.

That conversation took on a life of its own — and worked out. Just this week, Dry Falls Brewing Company released its 100th beer: Blueberry Saison.

The brewery is open Monday through Wednesday from 4pm to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday from 12pm to midnight, and Sunday from 12pm to 9pm.

Guidon Brewing Company (415 8th Ave E)

The veteran-owned Guidon Brewing just opened this past January and became the third brewery in the Seventh Avenue Area (which, if you’re unfamiliar, is downtown Henderson, NC). Talk about becoming a hotbed.

The brewery is named after the guidon, a type of military flag that represents the unit and its commanding officer. The brewery is American and German inspired, a nod to owner Mike Baer and his wife Connie’s heritages, respectively.

It is open Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 10pm, Saturday from 12pm to 10pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 9pm.

Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards (588 Chestnut Gap Rd.)

Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards has two locations in the area. The Hendersonville location is the 10 acre vineyard. There’s a tasting room that opened in nearby Flat Rock, NC as well.

What’s really cool about Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards is that it is the first commercial vineyard in Henderson County, located on land that has been family-owned and farmed for nine generations. I have a photograph from four generations back and can’t trace any possession in my life older than that, so I’m really impressed with this.

The Henderson location is open from Monday to Thursday from 11am to 6pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 7pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm.

Sanctuary Brewing Company (147 1st Ave E)

I love when a brewery does more than just brew beer, and Sanctuary Brewing Company does just that. It’s a brewery and taproom, yes, but also has a Kindness Wall outside of the taproom. Clothing, toiletries, and more can be left on the wires that hang on the wall. And, items can also be taken if they’re needed.

And, in addition to helping people, the brewery also helps animals. The owners provide refuge for animals at their home (3 miles away from the brewery) and pair with local animal shelters and advocacy groups.

It is open Monday through Thursday from 12pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 12pm to midnight, and Sunday from 12pm until close (no time is specified).

Southern Appalachian Brewery (822 Locust St.)

This is the third brewery on the list where something happened this week. It’s almost as if writing this post was meant to happen this week. But, Southern Appalachian Brewery is celebrating the 7 Year Anniversary of Jazz Night (it has been held at SAB for the last year; the first six were at The Phoenix in Brevard).

Music is a big thing at this brewery. In addition to hosting Jazz Night, it has a Gospel Brunch on Sundays, and various live music throughout the week.

The hours are a little confusing, but they’re as follows: Monday: 4pm to 9ish (June through Labor Day); Tuesday is closed; Wednesday is 4pm to 9ish; Thursday is 4pm to 10ish; Friday is 4pm to 11ish; Saturday is 2pm to 11ish; and Sunday is 2pm to 9ish.

The Brandy Bar (504 7th Ave E)

So this isn’t a distillery, but I felt inclined to put it on the list because my research taught me that this is believed to be the only North Carolina-based bar to focus exclusively on brandy, and that’s absolutely worth a trip if you’re into brandy.

The building is over 100 years old and was owned exclusively by one family for 80 years. The current owner renovated the building between 2016 and 2018. That’s so cool.

It’s opened Wednesday through Saturday from 4pm to midnight.

Hendersonville Museums

Appalachian Pinball Museum (538 N Main St.)

When was the last time you played pinball? Even if it wasn’t for a while, as soon as you see a machine, The Who’s Pinball Wizard starts up in your mind and you’re an expert. Sounds like you need to visit the Appalachian Pinball Museum.

It’s an offshoot of the Asheville Pinball Museum, just a little smaller with only 35 pinball machines and 25 video game machines. And for only $10, you can play all day. That’s the perfect way to cool off or if you’re looking for things to do in Hendersonville, NC on a rainy day.

It’s open Wednesday through Friday from 2pm to 9pm, Saturday from 12pm to 9pm, and Sunday and Monday from 1pm to 6pm.

Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum (650 Maple St.)

If you love trains, you’ll love the Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum. It’s located in the train depot, and it has the largest club layout in Western North Carolina. It is over 100 feet long with over 2,000 feet of track, plus over 225 switches and turnouts.

You can see that, plus artifacts, pictures, paintings on loan from club members. What’s better, though, is that admission is free.

It is open on Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Henderson County Heritage Museum (1 Historic Courthouse Square #4)

I love going to an area and learning about where I am and how the town came to be. If you’re the same way, check out the Henderson County Heritage Museum. The museum is located inside the courthouse, consisting of six rooms, for a total of almost 2,000 square feet.

There are exhibits, dioramas, educational programs, collections, and more. Plus, the museum is free (and free is my favorite price).

The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm.

Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County (400 N Main St)

When I was young and we used to go camping, one of our favorite things was to dig and look at cool rocks, then find places that sold rocks and buy them by the bagful. So the Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County would have been perfect.

The museum showcases a fluorescent mineral display, fossils, raw minerals in their natural state, polished gemstones, geodes, and more.

Hours are Monday through Friday 11am to 5pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm (exceptions to this schedule happen in January and February).

Western North Carolina Air Museum (1340 E Gilbert St)

North Carolina was the first in flight, thanks to the Wright Brothers. And Hendersonville is home to the Western North Carolina Air Museum, North Carolina’s first air museum.

What’s so cool about this museum is the airplanes aren’t under glass. They’re on display and available for visitors to touch. Plus, many people there are pilots who own and fly some of planes on display (and may even fly one when you’re there, which is such a unique experience).

It’s open as follows: April until October: Wednesday and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm, and Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Then, November until March: Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm.

Hendersonville Outdoor Activities

Bearwallow Mountain Trail (4899 Bearwallow Mountain Rd)

If you like hiking, check out the Bearwallow Mountain Trail. It’s a moderate hike that’s a 1-mile trail to the meadow, plus a .7-mile gravel access road. Some hikers do opt for both.

The trail, which will take in shape hikers about 30 minutes each way, shows picturesque views of the French Broad River Valley, Mount Pisgah, The Great Balsams, Mount Mitchel, the Black Mountains, and Hickory Nut gorge.

It can be tricky for older or inexperienced hikers, so keep that in mind when planning your trip.

Bullington Gardens (95 Upper Red Oak Trail)

I love botanical gardens and arboretums and try to find them everywhere I visit. The flowers in each are so different, which makes it pretty exciting. So if you’re in Hendersonville, check out Bullington Gardens.

The public botanical garden is 12 acres, which used to belong to retired New York City policeman Bob Bullington. After his passing, his gardens became the Bullington Horticultural Learning Center, which Bullington Gardens is part of. There’s a therapy garden, herb garden, shade garden, and more.

It’s open Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Crab Creek Catfish Pond (441 Crab Creek Rd)

Fishermen in the area should definitely check out Crab Creek Catfish Pond. You don’t need a fishing license (just release what you catch) and you can rent poles.

Even better, there are shady hut areas if you need a break from the sun, plus grills where you can BBQ.

I can’t find an official website for the pond, so if you need hours, call them at 828-692-0023.

Jackson Park (708 Glover St.)

Sometimes, you just want to find a park where your kids can run around and unwind. Jackson Park is that park.

The 220 acre park has a mountain bike skills park, 8 lighted tennis courts, 9 lighted softball/baseball fields, 2 soccer fields, 2 lighted basketball courts, 3 playgrounds, 4 covered picnic shelters, 20 woodland picnic tables, a disc golf course, and a 1.2 mile nature trail. What more could you want?

The park is open from 7:30am to 11pm daily.

Jeter Mountain Farm (1126 Jeter Mountain Rd)

If you’ve ever been to Jeter Mountain Farm, which was established in 1813, it may have been to attend a wedding on the over 400 acres of hayfields and wooded forest. But it actually is also still a working farm with 20 acres of tomatoes and nearly 5,000 apple trees, plus a peach orchard and berry patch.

What’s even better is that during the season, Jeter Mountain Farm has U-Pick events. This Saturday (July 27), you can enjoy a wagon ride to the orchards and pick ripe and sweet Jeter Mountain peaches & blueberries. One peck reusable basket of peaches is $18 and one quart basket of blueberries are $5.

Public hours vary. Call 828-226-9454 for details.

Other Fun Stuff in Hendersonville

Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO (511 N Main St.)

The Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO is a public aquarium with 24 displays of 275 fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and salamanders. Plus, two dozen exhibits — including a 2,000 gallon shark study tank.

It was started as a grassroots ocean learning program and still hosts many high school and senior projects and numerous student trainings and consults each year.

It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 1pm to 5pm.

Things To Do Around Hendersonville, NC

Hendersonville, NC is located about 25 miles south of Asheville, which is filled with great breweries and shops, and 78 miles east of Cherokee, NC, which is near the Great Smoky Mountains.

With these options in driving distance, there are a lot of fun day trips you can take from Hendersonville.

• Asheville, NC
• Gatlinburg, TN
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Murphy, NC
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Mills River, NC

Have you been to Hendersonville, NC? Leave us a comment below with your favorite things to do in Hendersonville, NC.