River Arts District: Creativity and History

Experience the vibrant River Arts District (RAD) with a tip-based sightseeing tour. Explore galleries, learn about the history, enjoy local snacks, and discover the legends of the French Broad River.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Trackside Studios - The journey begins with an artist-led demonstration showcasing how their artwork is combined with videography to craft a distinctive multimedia experience.
  • The Grey Eagle - Attendees will enjoy an exclusive tour of this historic music venue, featuring captivating stories about the musicians who have graced its stage and…
What's Included
  • Entrance to venues
  • Tastings
  • Live demonstrations
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Join us for an unforgettable adventure through the heart of the River Arts District, where history, creativity, and resilience come alive. This community has overcome significant challenges, including a historic flood in 1916 and the recent 2024 flood, known as the thousand-year flood. This vibrant community of artists has emerged from the devastation,…

Location
Trackside Studios
Depot Street
Outside of the studio is where we will meet. I recommend parking at the free parking lot right beside the studio. Also if you want to park at the end, you can park at the visitor center in the river arts district at 3 River Arts Place.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(39 Ratings)
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Leam405
Sep 24, 2025
Great way to spend a few hours and explore the the arts district - We thoroughly enjoyed our time spent with David our tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and extremely proud of his home town. Would recommend this to anyone interested in the Arts (and some other history of the area).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peggy
Jul 26, 2025
Very Informative - Joe was very informative and knew many of the local artists. He was able to tell us about them as well as the 2024 flood and how it affected them. They have all pulled together and are supporting one another. I’m so glad we chose to do this tour, it was different than the normal “town” tour, kind of like a peak under the curtain!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Beachkatk
Jun 14, 2025
A great experience! - Our guide, Mike, was knowledgeable, friendly, and very accommodating to what we wanted to see and learn about. A wonderful introduction to the arts scene in the RAD- past, present, and future.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris_m
Jun 7, 2025
Learned a lot, bought a lot! - David was extremely knowledgeable about the RAD history and musical history in Ashville. Loved seeing artists at work and talk with them. Bring your credit card because you’ll want to purchase some of the art you see in the studios.
Review provided by Viator
Michellephillipss
Jul 21, 2024
Even better than we expected! - We have been coming to Asheville for 30 years and never really explored the RAD. Our guide David was amazing, sharing a thorough history in an entertaining way. Highly recommend!
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Emily_b
Apr 27, 2024
Great gift! - I bought this for my parents as a Christmas present. They loved it. It was just the 2 of them on a private tour with David. Even though they live near Asheville, they still learned so much about the history and the art industry. They were very appreciative!
Review provided by Viator
Alexandra_g
Dec 24, 2023
Fantastic experienxe - Dave was an excellent guide. He explained us the history of Asheville and guided us through the district with nice stories and introductions to artists Beautiful area Highly recommend the tour and Dave as a guide Thank you
Review provided by Viator
Stewart_g
Oct 13, 2023
Great guide and history - We especially loved the history of the area. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting. Recommended
Review provided by Viator
478sallyb
Aug 14, 2025
Uninformed guide for uninteresting tour - Came here on a Wednesday afternoon. Our guide said he hadn’t given the tour much since hurricane Helena and it showed. Told us a bit about the artists and about his experience during the hurricane. But overall it was not very informative or interesting. How about some of the history of the area besides just the artists? And then he took us to the end of the tour where the building had been completely washed away and said “oh. We used to come here and get gelato to end the tour but I guess that is gone now.” Really? He didn’t check out the area beforehand? He couldn’t even tell us details about the extent of the hurricane damage or other obvious details. Would not recommend this - waste of time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nwillens
Oct 8, 2023
Somewhat disappointed. - Heard about businesses s we passed them, actually visited a bout 4-5 places and walked briefly thru a park. Mostly passed abandoned places, felt like a city tenement area and was basically disappointed, Only one other couple besides myself and my wife, Saw highwater mark painted white where water rose during a prior flood. At least weather was agreeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $5
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).