Free & Cheap Things to Do in Boone

Parks & Nature

A 3,500-acre former Cone family estate at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 294, with 25 miles of gentle carriage trails winding past trout lakes, meadows, and forest. The centerpiece is Flat Top Manor, a 13,000-square-foot, 23-room summer home built around 1900, now home to the Southern Highland Craft Guild shop, an NPS visitor information desk, and an America's National Parks store.

Address: Milepost 294, Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Tip: Free parking at the manor; trails open year-round. The craft shop and visitor desk are seasonal (mid-April through November). The easy 2.6-mile Bass Lake loop is the most family-friendly carriage trail. Manor is 8 miles south of downtown Boone.

Parks & Nature

A 4,200-acre Blue Ridge Parkway park at milepost 297, three miles south of Moses Cone and directly adjacent. The centerpiece is 47-acre Price Lake — open to kayaking, canoeing, and fishing — with a paved trail looping the shore. The picnic area is one of the largest on the entire parkway, and the campground has 197 sites for tent and RV camping.

Address: Milepost 297, Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Tip: Day-use parking is free. Kayak and canoe rentals are seasonal (May–October) and not run by NPS — bring your own or check rental cost on arrival. The 2.4-mile Price Lake Trail is one of the most family-friendly hikes in the High Country.

Parks & Gardens

A small, beautifully kept garden just outside downtown Boone with over 200 species of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in a progression of seasonal blooms. Open daily during daylight hours May through October, weather permitting, with horticulturists often on-site in summer to answer questions and share local plant knowledge. A $5 donation supports the all-volunteer garden.

Address: 651 Horn in the West Drive, Boone, NC 28607

Tip: Cash or credit accepted for the $5 entry donation. Dogs not permitted (service animals welcome). Fairy Day is a popular family event each July. The garden shares a campus with the Hickory Ridge History Museum — easy to pair in one visit.

Shopping & Strolling

Main Street Blowing Rock is a postcard mountain village 8 miles south of Boone, where 19th-century clapboard storefronts house independent boutiques, antique stores, art galleries, fudge shops like Kilwin's, and specialty cafes. The bronze "Boys on the Bench" statue marks the center of town, and St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church anchors the historic side of the walkable four-block downtown.

Address: Main Street, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Tip: Free side-street parking; downtown Main Street meters charge a small fee in summer. The actual Blowing Rock cliff outcrop (the named attraction) is a separate paid stop (~$10) just south of the village. Glen Burney Falls trailhead is a short walk from downtown for a free 1.5-mile waterfall hike.

Shopping & Strolling

Two historic general stores 8 miles apart — both free to wander, both stocked with old-fashioned candy by the barrel, work clothes, hearth-and-home goods, and Appalachian crafts. The 1883 Original Mast Store in Valle Crucis is on the National Register of Historic Places and still has a pot-bellied stove and 5-cent honor-system coffee; the 1988 Old Boone Mercantile on King Street is the walkable downtown Boone branch.

Address: Boone: 630 W King Street, Boone, NC 28607 | Original: 3565 NC-194, Valle Crucis

Tip: Both stores are open 7 days (Original opens 9 AM weekdays, Boone opens 10 AM). The Original in Valle Crucis is the National Historic Landmark draw; the Boone King Street store is easier to combine with downtown errands. Free coffee at the Original — drop a nickel in the can.

Arts & Culture

Appalachian State University's free public art gallery in downtown Boone, with five exhibition spaces, an outdoor sculpture collection, and a rotating slate of contemporary art shows. Admission is always free and exhibitions change every few months — recent shows have featured paper sculpture, the creative legacy of bell hooks, and Caribbean-influenced work by Etienne Charles. The Bloomberg Connects app offers free audio tours.

Address: 423 W King Street, Boone, NC 28607

Tip: Open Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–6 PM, Friday until 8 PM. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The First Friday Art Crawl (first Friday of each month, 5–8 PM) brings live music, drop-in artmaking, and free receptions. Free parking in metered downtown spaces after 5 PM.

History & Culture

A living-history village of six 18th- and 19th-century log cabins moved to the Daniel Boone Park site and carefully reassembled. Period-dressed interpreters demonstrate hearth cooking, candle-making, spinning, and blacksmithing on a typical visit, with focus on the 1785–1805 settlement era of the western North Carolina high country.

Address: 591 Horn in the West Drive, Boone, NC 28607

Tip: Guided tours Tuesday–Friday at 10 AM, last tour at 3 PM (about 45 minutes). Self-guided Saturdays 10 AM–1 PM. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Pair with the Daniel Boone Native Gardens — same campus, a 2-minute walk between entrances.

Arts & Culture

A 1908 Queen Anne house at the top of downtown Boone, sold to the town in 1983 and now run as a free community arts venue. The Mazie Jones Gallery rotates monthly artist exhibitions, and the lawn hosts the free weekly Summer Concert Series (Fridays at 5:30 PM, June–August) and an old-time acoustic jam session every Thursday evening.

Address: 604 W King Street, Boone, NC 28607

Tip: The free three-day Boonerang Music & Arts Festival is held on the Jones House grounds and around downtown Boone each June (June 19–21 in 2026). Bring chairs or a blanket — lawn seating only. Free downtown metered parking after 5 PM on concert nights.