The Blowing Rock Attraction

It is only fitting to start your day at North Carolina's Oldest Tourist Attraction. View "The Rock" and read the Native American legend that gave it fame.  Afterwards, head down to the Blowing Rock Photo Gallery to view historical photos of Blowing Rock Village and local tourist attractions.

Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

Drive 5 minutes to view the exhibits at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (known locally as BRAHM). The museum features rotating exhibits on traditional and contemporary American Art and Southern Applachian history.

INSIDER TIP:
The museum hosts a plethora of historical talks and adult (and children) art workshops. Check the BRAHM calendar online before your trip!

Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage

Historic Edgewood Cottage is home to BR’s summer Artist-in-Residence program. From Memorial Day through Labor Day week, 30 juried regional artists, two a week, show, tell and sell their original art from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  Many artists demonstrate their expertise on the front porch or inside the intimate cottage at this free event. 

Artist Brenda Council’s sculpture of renowned American artist Elliott Daingerfield graces the front lawn and is an ideal picture-taking place! Visiting in the fall or winter?  No worries, Edgewood Cottage serves as a Blowing Rock history museum with self-guided tours you can enjoy on your own.  

Blowing Rock Downtown Murals

Take a walk down Main Street after you leave the Edgewood Cottage or BRAHM. (This is a great time to grab a bite for lunch at one of the many great restaurants located downtown.!) There are two murals that highlight the history and natural beauty of Blowing Rock in the downtown area:

1. Robert Johnson Nature Mural
   Located on the side of the building housing the NEACO shop, the mural highlights the natural plant life of the area.
   
   
2. Michael Brown Postcard Mural
   Located on the back of the Blowing Rock Parks & Rec building (walk through the park and go down the stairs by the tennis courts), the mural features an old-fashioned post card depicting area tourist attractions.

Moses Cone Manor
Blue Ridge Parkway

Take a 15 minute trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Moses Cone Memorial Park. 

Its centerpiece is Flat Top Manor, a gleaming white 20-room, 13,000 square foot mansion built in 1901 in the grand Colonial Revival style. Guided tours by Blue Ridge Parkway rangers are available mid-May-October.

The Manor is also home of the Parkway Craft Center, one of five shops of the Southern Highland Craft Guild which features handmade crafts by hundreds of regional artists. May-October, local artists demonstrate crafts such as quilting, embroidery, weaving, pottery, glass-blowing, and woodcarving on the front porch of the Manor. 

1903 Dougherty House Museum
& Native American Artifacts Museum

After your tour of the Moses Cone Manor, head to Mystery Hill to grab a ticket to these two museums:

1. 1903 Dougherty House Museum
   This house belonged to the founder of Appalachian State University and was the first to install electricity in Boone!  Experience life in Blowing Rock at the turn of the century.
2. Moon Mullin's Native American Artifact Museum
   View one of the largest Native American Artifact collections in the world, with over a quarter million pieces. Learn about life in the mountains before European settlers arrived.

Timberlake's Restaurant at Chetola Resort 

Have dinner at Timberlake's Restaurant.  Housed in a 1920's manor house, the restaurant menu and decor were designed by world-renowned North Carolina artist and designer, Bob Timberlake.

Insider Tip:

Wednesdays: Steak by the Lake Night- special is only $29
Thursdays: Music & Oyster Night- enjoy swing music & fresh oysters

The Divide Tavern at Green Park Inn 

After dinner, take a 5 minute drive to the historic Green Park Inn for after dinner drinks.  Originally opened in 1891, the Green Park Inn is the last of the "Grand Manor Hotels" in western North Carolina and is the state's second oldest operating hotel.

The Divide Tavern, named after it's location straddling the Eastern Continental Divide, has served many legendary figures.  Enjoy a drink where Marilyn Monroe, Annie Oakley or Herbert Hoover once stood!