Looking for date ideas in Asheville? Then you’re in the right place!
Asheville is a perfect city to visit for a date as there’s a lot to do. Whether you want to play games, listen to music, see art, do a tour, relax at a spa, or enjoy a drink with a view, the things to do in the city for couples will surprise you!
I made this Asheville date ideas guide with many ideas for a fun date! I included a large variety of activities that aren’t only great for a first date, but also for couples who have been together for years.
Date Ideas in Asheville
Do a Tour at French Broad Chocolates or Go to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge
French Broad Chocolates is a local chocolate company that is based in Asheville. It opened with the French Broad Chocolate Lounge in 2008.
With your date, you can go to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, which is located at 10 South Pack Square in downtown Asheville. At this place, you can try out all kinds of delicious desserts and other sweet treats.
For example, you can get delicious housemade ice cream, cookies, brownies, and much more at the Chocolate Lounge. There are also many vegan options to choose from.
Alternatively, you can do a chocolate factory tour with your date during which you can learn about the history of the chocolate company, learn about the chocolate-making process, and do a tasting of cacao in several forms. Each tour takes about 50 minutes.
Address: 821 Riverside Dr #199, Asheville, NC 28801 and 10 S Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801
Have Fun at the Asheville Pinball Museum
The Asheville Pinball Museum is a fun museum that is located at 1 Battle Square in downtown Asheville.
At this place, you and your date can play more than 70 vintage pinball machines and arcade games. This is one of the most fun things to do in Asheville. The arcade games at this place include classic ones, such as Space Invaders and Pacman.
When you go here you can play the games as many times as you like for a single fee.
If you want to play games at this place, you should keep in mind that it is a very popular museum in the city and there is a player limit of 65, which means that you often have to wait in line.
Address: 1 Battle Square, Asheville, NC 28801
Attend a Show at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
You can go to the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts with your date in Asheville. This is a performing arts complex where you can find three different venues which is located at 18 Biltmore Avenue.
Lots of different types of events take place at these venues. The venues are the Tina McGuire Theatre, the Henry LaBrun Studio, and the Diana Wortham Theatre.
From enjoying a comedy show to seeing great dance performances to listening to live music, there are many different shows that you can see at the venues. This is also one of the best things to do at night in Asheville.
Besides that, you could do classes, such as ballet classes, at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.
Address: 18 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Go on a Coffee Date at Double D’s Coffee & Desserts
Double D’s Coffee & Desserts is one of the best coffee shops in Asheville. It’s a unique coffee shop where you can enjoy a variety of delicious coffee drinks and other types of drinks.
What makes this coffee shop unique is that it is inside a red double-decker bus.
The bus has a cozy interior with several seats where you can enjoy your drink together, and there is an outdoor seating area as well.
You can get many types of coffee drinks at Double D’s, such as cappuccino, americano, lattes, and many others. You can also get a variety of tea drinks, iced drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, and other types of drinks.
In addition to that, you can get delicious locally baked goods and desserts with your drink. For example, you can get warm brownies, cookies, muffins, and much more here.
Address: 41 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Attend a Concert at The Orange Peel
The Orange Peel is a live music venue that’s perfect for a date night in Asheville. The venue has a state-of-the-art sound system and a capacity of 1,050 people.
Throughout the years, lots of famous acts performed at The Orange Peel, including Bob Dylan, Deadmau5, and Post Malone. Besides well-known, national acts, sometimes you can also enjoy great shows by up-and-coming artists.
There are concerts of many different genres of music at The Orange Peel.
In addition to concerts, you can also attend a different type of show at the venue. For example, sometimes you can go to a standup comedy show.
Address: 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Relax at The Spa at The Omni Grove Park Inn
The Spa at The Omni Grove Park Inn is a great spot for a relaxing date. You can buy a spa day pass and enjoy the many relaxing amenities of the spa.
The 43,000-square-foot spa has all kinds of features, such as therapeutic waterfalls, a mountain view hot tub, and eucalyptus steam rooms. You can also find various pools at the spa.
In addition to that, you can enjoy all sorts of relaxing treatments, such as couples massages.
When spending some time at the spa, you can also go to The Spa Café, which is a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating where you can enjoy smoothies, sandwiches, wraps, and much more.
Address: 290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Go to the Asheville Retrocade
The Asheville Retrocade is a video arcade with a large selection of video games that makes for one of the most fun date ideas in Asheville.
There are many different types of games to choose from to play. There are more than 5,000 games in total, which includes both classic and modern video games. You can also play pinball, skeeball, foosball, and other types of games at the Asheville Retrocade.
Besides that, you can enjoy a delicious drink at the Asheville Retrocade. You can get local craft beers, wine, and many other types of drinks here.
In addition to that, Asheville Retrocade has unique memorabilia and there is great retro music.
Address: 800 Haywood Rd #100, Asheville, NC 28806
Enjoy a Drink With a View at The Montford
The Montford is a rooftop bar that is located at 199 Haywood Street in Asheville. This rooftop bar is open every day of the week.
You can find The Montford on the 8th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. From the rooftop bar, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the city while having great food and drinks.
You can get hand-crafted cocktails, local craft beers, and lots of other drinks at this rooftop bar.
In addition to that, you can get delicious food items here. For example, you can get incredible truffle fires, delicious winter squash hummus, local apple salad, and much more here.
Address: 199 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801
Bowl at Sky Lanes Bowling
Sky Lanes Asheville is a bowling alley that opened in 1963. You can find the bowling alley at 1477 Patton Avenue.
The bowling alley has modern lanes and is a fun place place for a date. You can also find several arcade games at the bowling alley.
In addition to that, you can get great food and drinks from the bar, including great local beers.
Address: 1477 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28806
Go to an Event at Lexington Glassworks
Lexington Glassworks is a glassblowing studio and gallery that is located at 81 South Lexington Avenue.
You and your date can see all kinds of beautiful hand-blown objects made from glass at this place. These objects were made using materials from the region and using old techniques.
You can see the pieces and buy a piece if there’s one that you like.
In addition to that, you can attend live glassblowing demonstrations at Lexington Glassworks. During these demonstrations, you can see and learn about the process of making hand-blown objects.
Address: 81 S Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Get Donuts at Vortex Doughnuts
Vortex Doughnuts is a donut shop that makes for a fun date idea in Asheville. This donut shop focuses on creating the tastiest donuts you’ll ever eat.
You can get amazing donuts here that are made, whenever possible, using locally-sourced ingredients.
For example, the flour that Vortex Doughnuts uses comes from Lindley Mills in central North Carolina and Carolina Ground in Asheville.
At Vortex Doughnuts, you can choose from all sorts of creative flavors, including many vegan ones that are very delicious.
In addition to that, you can also get great coffee from 1000 Faces Coffee here. There are many different types of coffee drinks to choose from.
Address: 32 Banks Ave #106, Asheville, NC 28801
Explore the Art Galleries at Grovewood Village
Grovewood Village is a historic site that you can find in Asheville. This is a destination in the city where you can see art during a date.
You can see this art at the Grovewood Gallery, which is a gallery that dates back to the year 1992. You can see all kinds of objects here made by more than 350 artists. The objects at the gallery include textiles, works of glass, and much more.
Another highlight of Grovewood Village is the Biltmore Industries Homespun Museum. This is a museum where you can learn about the history of Biltmore Industries, which was one of the world’s largest producers of handwoven wool.
Furthermore, you can find several working studios at Grovewood Village.
Address: 111 Grovewood Rd, Asheville, NC 28804
Play Miniature Golf at Tropical Gardens Mini Golf
Tropical Gardens Mini Golf is a wonderful, family-owned recreational center that dates back to the year 1991. At this place, you can have a fun time playing miniature golf with your date.
The 18-hole miniature golf course can be quite challenging and has all kinds of unique elements, such as volcanoes, water elements, and sculptures of animals.
There’s also a small arcade where you can play several games.
In addition to that, you can get “tropical ice sno-cones” at Tropical Gardens Mini Golf. You can. choose from some of the most popular flavors, such as blue raspberry and grape, but you can also create your own flavor of sno-cone.
Address: 956 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28806
Enjoy Delicious Crepes at Twisted Crepe
Having delicious crepes at Twisted Crepe is one of the most romantic things to do in Asheville for couples.
You can choose from many different types of crepes, including breakfast crepes, savory crepes, and sweet crepes.
The crepes come with all sorts of unique toppings.
One of the best sweet crepes is “The Anthony”, which is a crepe that has maple syrup and powdered sugar on it.
A great savory crepe to have is “Unlawful falafel”. This is a vegetarian crepe that comes with falafel, tomato, cucumbers, tzatziki sauce, and more.
Alternatively, you can customize your crepe. You can choose all the savory or sweet toppings you like to create the crepe you like best.
Address: 62 Haywood St, Asheville, NC 28801
See a Game of the Asheville Tourists
The Asheville Tourists are a baseball team that competes in the Minor League Baseball. The team is a High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and plays in the South Atlantic League.
The team plays their home games at McCormick Field, which is a historic stadium that opened in 1924 and has a capacity of 4,000.
Seeing a game at this stadium is an exciting activity that you can do with your date.
You can also enjoy food before or after a game at a nearby restaurant. A great restaurant that you can find near McCormick Field is Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive. This is a restaurant where you can get delicious food.
Address: 30 Buchanan Pl, Asheville, NC 28801
Shop at the Grove Arcade
Grove Arcade is an indoor shopping hall that opened in 1928. It was the first indoor shopping mall in the country and the building of Grove Arcade, which has a beautiful architectural style, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shopping at the many great stores there is a romantic thing to do in Asheville. You can find many different stores where you can shop for books, art, jewelry, and much more, and you can find many local boutique shops at Grove Arcade.
Grove Arcade also has many dining options and the shopping mall is home to Makers Market, which is a daily outdoor market where artisans sell their craft items to the public. From homemade jewelry to soap to musical instruments, you can shop for all sorts of items here. If you’re looking for fun rainy day activities in Asheville, Grove Arcade is also great.
Address: 1 Page Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Get Ice Cream at The Freeze of Asheville
The Freeze of Asheville is an ice cream store that you can find at 1091 Patton Avenue.
The ice cream store specializes in soft-serve ice cream, but you can get many different types of ice cream at this place.
For example, you can choose from many different flavors of sundaes. Some of the best flavors are the chocolate and strawberry flavors.
You can also choose to get a delicious milkshake at The Freeze of Asheville.
Other desserts to choose from include a banana split, shortcake, floats, and much more.
Address: 1091 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28806
See Art at the Asheville Art Museum
The Asheville Art Museum is an art museum with a collection that includes American works of art from both the 20th and 21st centuries. It’s one of the best museums in Asheville. The collection includes about 7,500 works in total.
The museum focuses on displaying art from Western North Carolina, and you can see art made by artists who studied at Black Mountain College, as well as other artists.
The collection includes very diverse types of art. For example, you can see paintings, wood carvings, works of glass, contemporary crafts, and many other items in the museum’s collection.
Besides the permanent collection, the museum also showcases temporary exhibitions of art.
When going here to see art, you and your date can also check out the Perspective Café, where you can get snacks, beverages, and lunch fare with a panoramic view of the skyline of the city and the surrounding mountains.
Address: 2 S Pack Square, Asheville, NC 28801
Have Fun Throwing Axes at the Axeville Axe Throwing Club
Axeville is an indoor venue for guests that are 18+ where you can experience the activity of axe throwing. This is an activity during which you throw axes at a target.
Axe throwing is a lot like darts, but instead, you throw with hatchets at a wooden target and try to hit the center of the target.
If you don’t have experience with this, there are throwing coaches that can teach you how to throw.
In addition to throwing axes, you can also enjoy a drink and listen to music at Axeville, which is also why going there is a fun date idea in Asheville. There are beer, wine, cider, and other drinks to choose from.
Address: 99 New Leicester Hwy #20, Asheville, NC 28806
See a Movie at the Fine Arts Theatre
The Fine Arts Theatre is one of the best theaters in Asheville. It opened in 1936.
At the movie theater, you and your date can see great arthouse and independent films, as well as some of the latest Hollywood films. Besides that, you can sometimes go to a special event at the theater, such as a festival.
The theater’s cozy and intimate atmosphere, and great options for snacks and drinks, such as delicious popcorn, make the theater great for a date too.
Address: 36 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Have Pizza and See a Movie at the Asheville Brewing Company
The Asheville Brewing Company is a fun place where you can enjoy delicious pizza and see a movie. The space opened in 1998 and you can find it at 675 Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville.
This place is a craft brewery where you can enjoy all sorts of craft brews with your date.
In addition, there is a dine-in theater with 150 seats where you can many different kinds of movies throughout the year. Many of the movies that you can see here are classic ones, but you can also see new movies at the movie theater.
Besides that, this location of the Asheville Brewing Company is a pizza joint as well. You can choose from many different types of pizzas. in several sizes.
Address: 675 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Go to a Seasonal Event at Biltmore
Biltmore, one of the most iconic landmarks in Asheville, is the largest privately owned building in Asheville. The historic building was built for George Washington Vanderbilt II at the end of the 19th century and is one of the finest examples of a Gilded Age mansion.
Lots of seasonal events take place at Biltmore throughout the year that you can attend with your date.
For example, you can go to the Christmas at Biltmore event, during which you can see thousands of lights, listen to live music, and see beautiful Christmas decorations.
Besides that, you can sometimes attend art exhibitions at Biltmore, and there are many other types of events that are great for a romantic time.
Address: 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803
Explore the Western North Carolina Nature Center and See Animals
The Western North Carolina Nature Center, which is also known as the WNC Nature Center, is a zoo where you can see 60 different species of animals which makes for one of the best date ideas in Asheville. The zoo dates back to 1973 and used to be called the “Asheville City Zoo”.
The animals that you can find at the zoo live or previously lived in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Most of the animals at the Western North Carolina Nature Center can not survive in the wild on their own or they are endangered species.
Examples of animals that you can admire and learn about at the WNC Nature Center are the American Red Wolf, the American River Otter, and the American Black Bear.
Address: 75 Gashes Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28805
Have Food at The S&W Market
The S&W Market is a food hall that you can find in downtown Asheville.
You can find the food hall inside the historic S&W Building, which is a building in the art-deco architectural style from the 1920s.
At the food hall, which you should not confuse with a food court, you can find six different food stalls. You can get different food and drinks from each stall.
One of the stalls is “Bun Intended”, which is a vendor where you can get delicious Thai street food.
You can also find “The Hop Ice Cream” at The S&W Market, which is an ice cream store where you can get creative and locally-influenced flavors of ice cream made with local ingredients.
Address: 56 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Try Out Many Types of Tea at Dobra Tea
Dobra Tea is a tearoom that serves all kinds of high-quality loose-leaf teas from all over the world, including countries such as Korea, India, China, and Vietnam. Each tea is brewed according to the tradition of the country where the tea is from.
Dobra Tea has several locations in the United States and Europe, and three of these locations are in Asheville, NC.
You can also get various delicious sweet treats at Dobra Tea. For example, you can get all sorts of cookies here.
In addition to being great to visit because of the tea and food offerings, the tearoom is great to visit as well because of its cozy atmosphere.
Address: 78 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Attend Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum
The North Carolina Arboretum is an arboretum and botanical garden with many different types of gardens where you can see certain, specific types of plants or flowers.
Throughout the year, you can attend various events at the arboretum.
For example, you can often do a weekly guided trail walk here. Each walk makes it possible to see and learn about nature, and each walk is different.
Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum is an annual event that can be great to attend as a date.
This event is an open-air walk-through light show during which you can see more than one million lights in the North Carolina Arboretum. You can see all kinds of incredible light displays during this event, such as a very tall lighted Christmas tree.
The North Carolina Arboretum is also great if you’re looking for free things to do in Asheville.
Address: 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806
See a Show of The Montford Park Players
Seeing a show of the Montford Park Players is one of the most fun date night ideas in Asheville. This is a Shakespeare theatre company that produces great shows. The company was founded in 1973.
You can see the shows of the theater company at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, which you can find at 92 Gay Street in Asheville.
Each season, there are several great productions, including shows during certain holidays of the year.
Address: 92 Gay St, Asheville, NC 28801
Do a Wine Tasting at the Biltmore Winery
Biltmore Winery is a winery that is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains at Biltmore Estate.
You can visit the winery and learn about the portfolio of wines of the winery. The wine hosts at Biltmore Winery can help you choose from more than 20 wines.
At the winery, you can find an indoor tasting room and a wine bar.
You can get a complimentary wine tasting at the tasting room, while you’ll also learn about the history of the vineyards of Biltmore and the process that goes into wine-making. The wine tastings do not require a reservation.
At the wine bar, you can also enjoy a wine by the glass or bottle, or you can try a wine flight.
Have Incredible Food at The Admiral
The Admiral, which is a restaurant that you can find at 400 Haywood Road, is a great place to enjoy incredible food.
The dishes at this restaurant all have great flavors and look amazing. You can get a variety of pasta dishes, including gnocchis, and other types of dishes.
In addition to that, The Admiral’s service is great, and the restaurant has a romantic ambiance.
Address: 400 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Go to an Event at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville
The Botanical Gardens at Asheville is a 1-acre botanical garden that has native plants from the Southern Appalachian. You can find the garden at 151 WT Weaver Boulevard.
Lots of events take place at the garden throughout the year, and many of these make for a romantic activity in Asheville.
For example, one type of event that you can attend here is an author reading event. Sometimes, you can also attend a workshop during which you can learn about gardening or other nature-related topics.
Some of the events that you can attend at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville are free.
Address: 151 WT Weaver Blvd, Asheville, NC 28804
Have a Cup of Coffee at Liberty House Cafe
Liberty House Cafe is a cafe that opened in 2016. The cafe is located in a 1920s cottage that is located at 221 South Liberty Street.
At the cafe, you can get delicious coffee, and there are many coffee drinks to choose from.
Besides great coffee drinks, you can also have delicious food at Libert House Cafe. For example, you can get great baked goods while having a coffee drink.
You can also go to this cafe and enjoy breakfast or brunch. You can get delicious avocado toast at the cafe and the sourdough pancake that you can get here is great as well.
The cafe also has a nice patio where you can sit to enjoy your food and drinks.
Address: 221 S Liberty St, Asheville, NC 28801
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Weekend in Asheville itinerary
Things to do with kids in Asheville, NC
Asheville Date Ideas Tips
Some of the places that I mentioned in this Asheville date ideas article are very popular and require an advanced reservation.
For example, some of the restaurants are popular and by making a reservation you can be sure that you can have dinner at the time that you intend to go there.
You can also consider showing up to places on this list at an earlier time to avoid crowds. For example, you can go to the Asheville Pinball Museum when it opens.
Date Ideas in Asheville Map
As you see, there are a lot of fun and romantic things to do in the city for couples. I hope you liked these date ideas in Asheville!