Ten free things to do in and around Hendersonville in all seasons
HENDERSONVILLE - Visitors to Hendersonville usually ask "What are things we can do in or near Hendersonville that are free?" ... and there are plenty.
From area museums to just taking a stroll along historic Main Street or in the city's public parks, visitors will find out there are lots of activities that won't put even a small dent in the bank account. Below is a list of 10 things that are still free as of Jan. 10, 2023:
1. Main Street: Main Street offers visitors plenty of downtown shops to browse through, as well as several eateries, including some that have been around for decades like McFarlan Bakery and Kilwins (an old-fashioned confectionery store). There are also a few free museums which will be described more in this list. One of the most visited buildings on Main Street is the Henderson County Historic Courthouse, which was constructed in 1904 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It's located on the corner of First Avenue and Main Street.
2. Historic Seventh Avenue District: Nostalgia lovers will enjoy this part of Hendersonville, highlighted by the Historic Train Depot on Maple Street. It will soon be a part of a Hallmark Christmas movie that will be filmed there on Jan. 27, according to past Times-News reporting. Inside the 1902 depot is the Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum, which is open 1-3 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays. More information is available at https://avmrc.com/.
3. Carl Sandburg Home: Located in Flat Rock at 1800 Little River Rd. across from Flat Rock Playhouse, this 240-acre estate is owned by the National Park Service and formerly occupied by America's beloved poet Carl Sandburg. It is free and open to the public year-round. Sandburg was known as "The People's Poet," and he also wrote the biography for Abraham Lincoln. There are free tours of Sandburg's home available at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.
In addition to the historic house, there is a goat farm, with goats, including some who are descendants of the prized goats raised by Sandburg's wife, Lilian. Also on the grounds are hiking trails that lead to Little Glassy and Big Glassy mountains.
4. Western North Carolina Air Museum: Not far away from the Hendersonville Airport and Blue Ridge Community College is the Western North Carolina Air Museum, which is free and open to the public Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays noon-5 p.m. through March. From April-October, it's open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. The museum was founded in 1989 and features many old planes and exhibits about the history of those planes. Among famous visitors to the museum is former president George H. W. Bush, who visited the museum in 1992 during his re-election campaign.
5. Jump Off Rock: A 10-minute drive from downtown Hendersonville, Jump Off Rock is located in the town of Laurel Park. According to legend, a young Cherokee Indian maiden jumped off the summit of the rock after learning that her Indian chief had been killed in battle. People have said they can see her ghost on the rock on moonlit nights. It's a 0.4-mile trail that usually takes about 16 minutes to complete.
6. Historic Johnson Farm: Across the street from Rugby Middle School on Haywood Road is a historic farm that is tucked behind large trees: Historic Johnson Farm. A gift to the schoolchildren and the community by the late Vernon and Leander Johnson, the farm is owned by Henderson County Public Schools and managed by an executive director and the Historic Johnson Farm Foundation, Inc. It has been designated a NC Cultural Treasure. The farmhouse was built by hand from 1876-1880 and is believed to be the oldest standing brick home in Henderson County. While tours of the home do have a fee, the grounds, featuring animals and 10 other historic structures, is open to the public free of charge.
7. Bullington Gardens: Not far from North Henderson High School is Bullington Gardens, located at 99 Upper Red Oak Trail. Once the nursery of Bob Bullington, Bullington Gardens is a public botanical garden on 12 acres, providing hands-on education in horticulture and other sciences to students, youth clubs and adults, according to its website, bullingtongardens.org. The gardens incorporate some of the many unusual mature trees that Mr. Bullington collected and introduced to the area. There is no fee to tour the garden, but donations are accepted.
8. Henderson County Heritage Museum: Nestled inside the Historic Henderson County Courthouse on Main Street is the Henderson County Heritage Museum, which provides a detailed history of Henderson County, from its early origins to recent events. Tours are free and are open to the public 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and from 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The museum consists of six rooms and is approximately 2,000 square feet. It takes visitors on a journey through time in Henderson County with informational exhibits, including videos and dioramas.
9. Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson County: Just blocks away from the Heritage Museum, this museum is located at 400 N. Main St. It is free and open to the public 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays. According to its website, the museum currently features a mix of exhibits that range from specimens of raw minerals in their natural state to polished gemstones and other finished material. The museum also hosts special exhibits of collections on loan. Among the popular highlights of the exhibits are the displays of minerals found in Henderson County and in the state of North Carolina — which has one of the nation’s most diverse mineral deposits, the exhibit on the Hendersonville meteorite, and the fluorescent mineral display. Also popular, especially with youngsters, are the museum’s displays of fossils which are highlighted by a casting of a tyrannosaurus rex skull, a mastodon tusk and teeth and a wooly mammoth leg bone.
10. Bearwallow Mountain Trail: Just over a half hour drive from downtown Hendersonville is the Bearwallow Mountain Trail, which takes visitors to the summit of Bearwallow Mountain, located near the small towns of Gerton and Bat Cave in Henderson County. According to Conserving Carolina's website (conservingcarolina.org), Bearwallow is 4,432 feet high with a grassy meadow and grazing cows at its summit. The one-mile hike from the trailhead takes visitors to the top of the mountain, where they will enjoy 360-degree views of mountains in Western North Carolina, including Mount Mitchell and Mount Pisgah. A historic fire lookout tower is also on the summit.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Ten free things to do in and around Hendersonville in all seasons
