Discover Asheville Scavenger Hunt
Discover the Paris of the South with a scavenger hunt across Asheville's artsy heart. Wander downtown art-deco arcades, line up at the South Slope breweries, find a working studio in the River Arts District and look up at the Blue Ridge mountains framing the city. Asheville is quirky, walkable and made for a great group photo on every block.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Pack Square
Navigate to Pack Square in downtown Asheville (between Broadway, Patton and Biltmore avenues) and check in.
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2
Grove Arcade
Walk west to the Grove Arcade on Page Avenue and check in at one of the arched entrances.
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3
South Slope
Walk south on Coxe or Lexington avenues into the South Slope brewery district and check in by any brewery taproom.
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4
River Arts District
Walk or rideshare west to the River Arts District (RAD) along the French Broad River, and check in by any open-studio building.
Challenges (20)
Asheville kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Asheville backdrop (an art-deco facade, a busker on the corner, the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Pack Square
Navigate to Pack Square in downtown Asheville (between Broadway, Patton and Biltmore avenues) and check in.
Pack Square fountain pose
Pack Square Park has an open plaza, a fountain and a stage. Take a group photo with the bride centred and the team arranged around her, mountains visible in the background where possible.
Trivia: Asheville incorporated
Asheville was incorporated and named after North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe. In what year?
Answer: 1797
Checkpoint: Grove Arcade
Walk west to the Grove Arcade on Page Avenue and check in at one of the arched entrances.
Grove Arcade arch shot
The Grove Arcade is one of Asheville's most photogenic indoor markets. Find one of the limestone arched entrances and take a group photo framed inside the arch.
Pritchard Park gathering
Pritchard Park is the heart of downtown Asheville and the site of the famous Friday-night drum circle. Whatever day you are there, find the park and take a group photo with everyone striking a drumming pose.
Thomas Wolfe Memorial
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial preserves the writer's boyhood home on Market Street. Find it and take a group photo with the yellow Victorian house in the background.
Checkpoint: South Slope
Walk south on Coxe or Lexington avenues into the South Slope brewery district and check in by any brewery taproom.
Brewery flight toast
Order a shared tasting flight at any South Slope brewery (Burial, Wicked Weed, Hi-Wire, Green Man, Catawba). Take a group photo with everyone holding their flight tray up in a toast. Sweet tea or kombucha works for non-drinkers.
Trivia: Biltmore completion
George Washington Vanderbilt II opened the Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned house in the United States, on Christmas Eve of what year?
Answer: 1895
Trivia: Biltmore rooms
How many rooms does the Biltmore House have (the main house, not the entire estate)?
Answer: 250
Checkpoint: River Arts District
Walk or rideshare west to the River Arts District (RAD) along the French Broad River, and check in by any open-studio building.
RAD mural team pose
The River Arts District is covered in murals on warehouse walls and railway underpasses. Find a striking mural and take a group photo with everyone matching a pose, colour or shape from the art.
Working studio visit
Many RAD buildings have working artist studios open to visitors. Step inside one (potters, painters, glassblowers), ask permission and take a respectful photo with the artist or their work in the background.
French Broad River backdrop
The River Arts District runs alongside the French Broad River. Walk to the riverside path and take a group photo with the river and the railroad bridge behind you.
Blue Ridge mountain view
Asheville sits in a bowl of Blue Ridge mountains. Find a vantage point where you can see the mountain ridges (a rooftop bar, the parking deck on Wall Street, the Grove Park Inn driveway) and take a group photo with the layered ridges behind you.
Asheville foodie classic
Find a beloved Asheville classic (Buxton Hall barbecue, hot chicken at Rocky's, a White Duck Taco) and take a group photo with everyone, including the bride, taking the first bite at the same time.
Local Ashevillian tip
Convince a local Asheville resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Asheville finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Asheville spot (a riverside mural, a rooftop with mountain views, a quirky downtown alley) and take an amazing closing group photo. Cheers from the Paris of the South!
Frequently asked questions
Four hours covers downtown (Pack Square, Grove Arcade, Pritchard Park), the South Slope brewery district and the River Arts District at a relaxed pace, with stops for tasting flights and food trucks. Downtown to RAD is about a mile, the South Slope is in between, so most groups walk the whole loop.
No. Biltmore is a four to six hour visit on its own, with timed tickets and a five-mile drive south of downtown. This hunt stays in walkable downtown Asheville and the River Arts District. If you want Biltmore, plan it as a separate day around the hunt.
On the South Slope alone there are more than a dozen breweries within four walkable blocks (Burial, Wicked Weed, Hi-Wire, Green Man, Catawba and others). Most groups taste at two or three with shared flights to keep the hunt moving. Sober teammates have just as much fun on the photo and trivia challenges.
Pack Square in downtown is the natural starting point: it sits in the middle of Patton, Biltmore and Broadway avenues, parking garages are a block away on Wall Street and you can walk to the Grove Arcade, Pritchard Park and the South Slope from there. Bring layers for the mountain breeze.
Yes. The route works for any age (kids love the Pinball Museum on Battle Square and the river-art murals in RAD), and breweries are paired with adjacent coffee shops and ice-cream spots so non-drinkers have plenty of stops. The drum circle in Pritchard Park on Friday evenings is a free highlight.