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North Carolina

Signature City Asheville

Program No. 21758RJ
Discover Asheville’s unique qualities as you join experts to explore Art Deco and Arts and Crafts architecture, delve into the arts district and learn the story of this American gem.

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climate
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itinerary
Please Note:
The itinerary for this program is different on certain dates.
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Apr 2 - Apr 7, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Apr 9 - Apr 14, 2023
Starting at
1,699
Apr 30 - May 5, 2023
Starting at
1,799
May 7 - May 12, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Jun 18 - Jun 23, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Aug 13 - Aug 18, 2023
Starting at
1,699
Aug 20 - Aug 25, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Itinerary Note

Private Group - OLLI-Cincinnati and ILR-Miami University

Sep 10 - Sep 15, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Sep 24 - Sep 29, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Oct 8 - Oct 13, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Oct 15 - Oct 20, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Oct 29 - Nov 3, 2023
Starting at
1,799
Nov 12 - Nov 17, 2023
Starting at
1,699
Mar 31 - Apr 5, 2024
Starting at
2,149
Apr 7 - Apr 12, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Apr 28 - May 3, 2024
Starting at
2,149
May 5 - May 10, 2024
Starting at
2,149
Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
2,149
Aug 11 - Aug 16, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
2,149
Sep 15 - Sep 20, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Oct 6 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
2,149
Oct 13 - Oct 18, 2024
Starting at
2,149
Nov 10 - Nov 15, 2024
Starting at
1,999
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Apr 2 - Apr 7, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Apr 9 - Apr 14, 2023
Starting at
2,179
Apr 30 - May 5, 2023
Starting at
2,279
May 7 - May 12, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Jun 18 - Jun 23, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Aug 13 - Aug 18, 2023
Starting at
2,179
Aug 20 - Aug 25, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Itinerary Note

Private Group - OLLI-Cincinnati and ILR-Miami University

Sep 10 - Sep 15, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Sep 24 - Sep 29, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Oct 8 - Oct 13, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Oct 15 - Oct 20, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Oct 29 - Nov 3, 2023
Starting at
2,279
Nov 12 - Nov 17, 2023
Starting at
2,179
Mar 31 - Apr 5, 2024
Starting at
2,659
Apr 7 - Apr 12, 2024
Starting at
2,499
Apr 28 - May 3, 2024
Starting at
2,659
May 5 - May 10, 2024
Starting at
2,659
Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
2,659
Aug 11 - Aug 16, 2024
Starting at
2,499
Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
2,659
Sep 15 - Sep 20, 2024
Starting at
2,499
Oct 6 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
2,659
Oct 13 - Oct 18, 2024
Starting at
2,659
Nov 10 - Nov 15, 2024
Starting at
2,499

At a Glance

Head for the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to discover the Art Deco architecture, thriving arts scene and unique history that make Asheville a signature American city. Hear expert analysis on the Vanderbilt family’s influence on the city, and learn why the preservation of the downtown makes it a living museum of mid-century architecture. Join experts on explorations of Asheville’s most significant sites and historic properties like the lavish Biltmore Estate, and enjoy the artistic and culinary delights of Asheville’s thriving downtown.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles daily. Elevations up to 5,722 feet. Getting on/off trolley and bus. Standing for some lectures in museums.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Experience the best of Asheville on a host of field trips, including an expert-led discovery of the revived River Arts District.
  • Enjoy a daylong visit to the magnificent Biltmore Estate with plenty of time to soak up the home and gardens on your own.
  • Survey Appalachian history and culture at iconic sites like the Blue Ridge Parkway and renowned downtown landmarks, and dine at the historic Grove Park Inn.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Kevan Frasier
Kevan D. Frasier is an Asheville native whose family settled in the area in the late 1700s. A longtime member of the UNC-Ashville faculty and administration, Kevan had a keen ear for absorbing stories of the history of his hometown told by his grandfather, a long-serving detective for the Asheville Police Department. Kevan loves to help people — visitors and locals alike — learn about his lovely mountain town that has been transformed into a trendy small city while holding tight to its traditional roots.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Lee Knight
Lee Knight View biography
Raised in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, Lee is a folk singer, story teller and outdoor leader, performing at concerts, workshops, festivals and schools. He shares his knowledge of the natural world leading hikes, canoe trips and guiding whitewater rafts. Lee has collected and shares Cherokee legends and plays the Cherokee flute and rattle, as well as the Native American drum. He also plays the five-string banjo, guitars and the Appalachian dulcimer.
Profile Image of Kevan Frasier
Kevan Frasier View biography
Kevan D. Frasier is an Asheville native whose family settled in the area in the late 1700s. A longtime member of the UNC-Ashville faculty and administration, Kevan had a keen ear for absorbing stories of the history of his hometown told by his grandfather, a long-serving detective for the Asheville Police Department. Kevan loves to help people — visitors and locals alike — learn about his lovely mountain town that has been transformed into a trendy small city while holding tight to its traditional roots.
Profile Image of Jennifer Powell
Jennifer Powell View biography
Jennifer Powell has extensive travel within the United States and internationally. She graduated second in her class from The International Guide Academy of Denver, Colorado. As a resident of Atlanta, Ga. for six years and South Florida for nine, Jennifer is familiar with the geography and attractions in this part of the country. Her extensive travel in the U.S. and abroad has enhanced her interest and aptitude for history and the environment.
Profile Image of Anne Peery
Anne Peery View biography
Anne Peery has traveled extensively in the Southeastern United States. She has served in various leadership roles including the Executive Director of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. Anne holds a B.S. in education from Mississippi State University. She has worked with a volunteer group making medical-grade PPE for first responders in the Big Bend region of Florida.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Asheville's Historical Architecture
by Richard Hansley
Built for the Ages: A History of the Grove Park Inn
by Bruce E. Johnson
Asheville's Historic Architecture (NC) [Paperback]
by Richard Hansley
Asheville, known for its architectural diversity and intriguing Art Deco style, has been fortunate in attracting brilliant architects who, with imaginative foresight and design expertise, have created lasting testaments in brick and stone. Local architectural enthusiast Richard Hansley recounts the history behind dozens of Asheville's most prominent buildings and historical neighborhoods in Asheville's Historic Architecture. Discover how Douglas Ellington, Richard Sharp Smith, James Vester Miller and Tony Lord influenced this busy metropolis, as landmarks like the Jackson Building, the Grove Park Inn and the Art Deco City Building were constructed along the city's thriving streets. These buildings have stood the test of time and remain as breathtaking in concept and appearance today as when first completed.
Asheville Mountain Majesty
by Lou Harshaw
"Sometimes called the Paris of the South, Asheville is known for its grand mountain views, rich and diverse culture, deep-rooted artistic heritage, historical architecture, and the legendary Biltmore Estate. Author Lou Harshaw - historian, teacher, lecturer, and lifelong resident of Asheville - gives a firsthand look at the history and development of this magnificent city by drawing upon a host of historical sources and an extensive oral tradition. The result is a journey through time that documents the emergence and evolution of one of America's most attractive and intriguing cities."
Lady on the Hill: How Biltmore Estate Became an American Icon
by Howard E. Covington Jr.
From Publishers Weekly: Set amid thousands of lushly landscaped acres in the North Carolina mountains, the Biltmore estate is a 250-room Gilded Age mansion stuffed to the rafters with objets d'art. Writing a very authorized business history rather than an architectural appreciation, journalist Covington celebrates the estate's transformation from quasifeudal folly to lucrative tourist mecca. Built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, who played lord of the manor to hundreds of tenant farmers and servants, the estate passed in the 1960s to his grandson William Cecil, whose tight-fisted budgets, canny marketing initiatives and rapt attention to customer service turned it into a profitable museum of robber-baron privilege, selling more tickets than Colonial Williamsburg. The author's sycophantic account of this not unduly exciting saga is mainly a tribute to Cecil, who wrote the afterword. Covington defends the Biltmore owner's model of private, for-profit historical preservation against charges of commercialism leveled by nonprofit preservationists, repeats his complaints about inheritance taxes, extols his entrepreneurial daring, salutes his Biltmore restoration projects ("surpassed what many had seen anywhere") and raves about "customer satisfaction reports... comparable to those enjoyed by a five-star resort." This anodyne hospitality-industry success story will find a place in the Biltmore gift shop, but probably nowhere else. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The Rise of Asheville: An Exceptional History of Community Building
by Marilyn Ball
As newcomers flocked to Asheville over the last fifty years, they joined with locals to breathe new energy into the city. Sometimes called the Asheville One Thousand, these folks didn't necessarily intend to be entrepreneurs, community organizers and business leaders, but when they saw a challenge, they rose to it. Stone Soup became a gathering place and laid the foundation for Asheville's natural food culture. MANNA Food Bank emerged to help solve hunger. And the River Arts District turned into a vibrant cultural center for upcoming artists. Join author Marilyn Ball as she traces the bonds of community that gave rise to Asheville today.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.