5 Kid-Approved Indoor Adventures To Escape The Cold In Asheville

Located in the western part of North Carolina between Charlotte and Knoxville, Tennessee, Asheville is an artsy city full of eclectic fun. It entices visitors with access to some of the most stunning trails and outdoor recreation in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But when cold weather closes nature's playground, families need engaging, indoor options for the kids. 

From a palatial trampoline park that parents say is the best they've ever visited to a pinball museum with 80 games and unlimited play, Asheville offers more kid-friendly, indoor fun than you might expect. This includes options for children from toddler-age all the way through pre-teen years and beyond.

Our recommendations highlight highly-rated, indoor-only activities designed for children (not with children as an afterthought) that kids actually enjoy. Recommended by parents and caretakers, each place offers an adventure experience (either physical or mental) that keeps kids engaged when it's too cold to play outside. Although Asheville enjoys warm summers, temperatures in winter can drop as low as freezing with the chance of snow.

The Mountain Play Lodge offers a main play zone and a toddler-friendly play space, both guaranteed to tire your kids out when they can't get outdoors. Putting to shame the elaborate McDonald's jungle gyms from the 90s, there's even a replica of Downtown Asheville, complete with plastic playhouses that look like historic buildings. Designed with ample space, it doesn't feel crammed, and kids actually have room to run, crawl, hop, jump, and otherwise move around indoors.

Parents with kids as young as 15 months report a stellar experience, but the equipment engages kids all the way up through late-elementary. "It's raining on our trip here and not going to let up. This was such a perfect way to let the kids blow off all that energy for a couple hours," a parent shared in a Google Review. The entire space is climate-controlled, and parents note that the temperature is comfortable for active kids running around and parents sitting.

The pricing tiers work well for multi-kid families, too. For instance, if you pay for an older child, your babies under 11 months can enter for free. Otherwise, kids between 3 and 12 pay full price, while babies and toddlers under 2 can enter with a discounted rate. The entrance fee gets your kids access for the entire day, so you don't have to worry about time limits. You can also leave and come back on the same day at no additional charge. Make sure you bring socks to wear in the play zones.

In terms of broad-ranging appeal, the Asheville Pinball Museum is a unicorn. For such a niche interest, the fact that this little gem has almost 3,000 Google Reviews and a 4.7 rating on Tripadvisor is impressive. Located in Downtown Asheville, within walking distance (even on a cold day) of historic Grove Arcade's shops and renowned food, this museum entertains adults (the young at heart, mind you), kids, and even teenagers. For the price of entry (currently $17 per person), kids can play unlimited games on 40 vintage pinball machines and have access to 40 retro video games, mostly from the 1980s.

You can feel the owners' deep appreciation for arcade history and gameplay in every detail. Not only are the games in good repair, but the space encourages maximum enjoyment. For instance, dim lighting in the arcade game room makes the colors really pop, and the pixilated chirps and beeps of points won and lost punctuate the darkness.

 "From 7-year-old kids to Grandmas that came with us, we all had a great time playing and challenging one another. Staff was awesome, kudos to y'all," praised one family in a Google Review. There's no official minimum age limit listed on the museum's website, and non-players don't have to pay, but very young kids might feel overstimulated. The museum limits the players to 70 at a time, so we recommend coming early to avoid joining the waiting list at this one-of-a-kind arcade in Asheville.

Featuring centers in 34 states, We Rock The Spectrum – Asheville is an inclusive play space designed to stimulate the five commonly recognized senses, plus the vestibular sense (how our bodies respond to movement changes) and the proprioception sense (the awareness of where our body parts are). This branch is particularly well regarded by parents, with a 4.7-star rating on Yelp and a similar score on other review sites. During the daily open play hours, children can enjoy unlimited use of the play areas, and your kids don't have to be "on the spectrum" to play at the center.

"As the only kids' gym that offers an inclusive philosophy, we have found all children can benefit from our uniquely designed sensory equipment that is specifically designed to aid children with sensory processing disorders," says We Rock The Spectrum's website. Examples of sensory equipment include the trampoline, more swings than you can count, and the crash pit. You'll also find a replica kitchen, a climbing wall, arts and craft areas, and a calm down room with dim lighting and soft beanbags. 

The zipline gets the most enthusiastic kid stamp of approval. "Best indoor play space I have ever been in," praised one grandparent of her 5-year-old grandson's experience in a Google Review. "The zip line and the punching bag were his favorites, but he loved everything there." Although billed as "all ages," caretakers agree that children aged 2 to 10 get the most out of the space. 

Whether your kids are experienced escape artists or escape room newbies, Fox-N-Otter Adventure Escapes – Asheville is the place to break a mental sweat on a cold day. For a few years, escape rooms seemed to pop up all over, but this one stands out due to the number of five-star reviews and the effort put into each narrative. 

Technically located in Arden (an area considered a part of greater Asheville), this Fox-N-Otter location is only a 15-minute drive from Downtown Asheville. Complete with thematic soundtracks, the narratives range from the action-packed quest for stolen military technology to a low-key gameshow-inspired scenario. Teams of up to 12 players have 60 minutes to "escape," requiring not only logical reasoning, but collaboration and time management. 

Like so many of the family-friendly activities in Asheville, kids of all ages can participate. However, if the players are under 15, an adult must be in the room to supervise and help with some of the more challenging clues. Alternatively, you can hire a staff member to serve as the game "host" and supervisor. "I took 4 children ages 6-11 to Fox-n-Otter today to enjoy our snow day," shared a mom in a Google Review. "The kids can't stop talking about it and are planning to go to the other rooms at this location."

Located in the Forest Ridge Shopping Center, 15 minutes outside Downtown Asheville, Big Air Asheville is a paradise for all things adrenaline-pumping, jumping, diving, flying, and bouncing. If you have extremely active kids and getting their wiggles out is non-negotiable, this is the place to go. Here, kids can test out their skills on massive trampoline fields, towering climbing walls, a zipline, trapezes, and obstacles that look straight out of American Ninja Warrior. In total, there are 30 attractions, but the Bear Den (basically a mechanical bull) and Orbit (a rotating beam you have to dive over and under) are huge hits with kids. 

Despite the size, the place remains exceptionally clean and safe. "I appreciate that there were a lot of staff members dedicated to keeping the kids safe while jumping," noted a parent in a Google Review. "It's so nice to have a great indoor option for cold winter days in Asheville. We will definitely be back!"

However, some parents find the check-in process too long and consider the 1.5- and 2-hour passes poor value. If the weather's terrible and this is your main activity for the day, consider shelling out for the unlimited pass. Even though there's a mini little kids jump area and a toddler climbing gym, Big Air Asheville is better suited for older kids and teenagers. For little ones (under 48 inches), the Mountain Play Lodge is a better option, or you can attend Big Air's bi-weekly toddler hours. 

For these recommendations, we specifically looked for highly-rated indoor activities in Asheville, North Carolina, loved by kids and engaging enough to keep them happy on days when it's too cold for outside fun. To this end, we excluded places targeted toward adults that may allow children, but aren't necessarily where kids would choose to spend the day. Also, we only included places with a 4.5-star rating or higher. 

To satisfy the "adventure" criteria, we prioritize attractions that allow kids to run around and use their bodies or ones with an adventurous narrative (like an escape room). For this reason, you won't find highly-rated indoor arts and crafts studios or places where observation plays a greater role than participation — for instance, House of Black Cat Magic, a local cat lounge. 

Our research relies on firsthand accounts shared by parents on Tripadvisor, Yelp, Facebook community groups like Asheville Family Activities, Google Reviews, and Reddit. All reviews have been fact-checked using information provided by the individual businesses and tourism promotion groups like Explore Asheville. Our recommendations don't include places in Hendersonville, North Carolina's "City of Four Seasons," because it's technically not in Asheville. However, if you're willing to drive, Hands On! Children's Museum has over 13,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, including firetrucks, indoor water play, and more.