Thomas Wolfe Memorial
The boardinghouse behind Look Homeward, Angel
⏱ 1-1.5 hours👤 All ages$
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Wolfe's relationship with Asheville is part of the story: his portrait of the town in Look Homeward, Angel was so recognizable that he stayed away for years, and he wrote that "you can't go home again" in a later novel whose title became a proverb. When he did return in 1937, he was welcomed as a celebrity. He died the following year at 37 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Asheville's Montford neighborhood.
Visit craft: start in the visitor center's exhibit and film, then join the next tour (they leave at the bottom of the hour). Afterward, pick up the self-guided downtown walking tour booklet to trace Wolfe's Asheville, or drive to Riverside Cemetery. Groups should reserve tours in advance.
Practicals and fit: 52 North Market Street, downtown Asheville; open Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm; visitor center free, guided house tours modestly priced. Fit: first-timers, couples, literary travelers and families with older kids.
What to Expect
Format
A state historic site: free visitor center with exhibits, film and bookshop, plus guided tours of the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse at the bottom of each hour for a modest fee.
Best Time
Any weekday or Saturday; mornings are quietest. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Duration
About an hour, including the visitor center and the house tour.
Tips
Arrive a little before the bottom of the hour to catch a tour. Pick up the self-guided downtown Wolfe walking tour. Groups should reserve ahead.
⚡ Quick Picks
Best For
History and literature lovers who want a characterful downtown hour.
Families
Good for older kids and teens; the boardinghouse rooms bring early-1900s life to life.
Couples
A thoughtful downtown stop before lunch or a walk to Pack Square.
Pair With
The Asheville Art Museum and the Grove Arcade nearby, and the Carl Sandburg Home for a second literary site.
Time Needed
An hour to ninety minutes.
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Get Tickets →Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Thomas Wolfe?
An Asheville-born novelist whose 1929 debut, Look Homeward, Angel, fictionalized his family, this boardinghouse (as Dixieland) and the town itself.
How much does it cost?
Admission to the visitor center is free. Guided house tours have a modest fee, with reduced rates for seniors, military and youth.
When are tours?
Guided tours run at the bottom of each hour during opening times, Tuesday through Saturday.
Is the house original?
Yes. It was damaged by an arson fire in 1998 and carefully restored, with many original furnishings returned.
Where is Wolfe buried?
In Riverside Cemetery in Asheville's Montford neighborhood, where the memorial offers seasonal tours.
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Downtown Asheville
A walkable, lively downtown with one of the Southeast's best collections of Art Deco architecture — the historic Grove Arcade, indie shops and galleries, a celebrated food-and-beer scene, buskers, and bohemian charm. Free to explore.
Grove Arcade
A 1920s neo-Gothic shopping arcade of terra-cotta, wrought iron and skylights in the heart of downtown — free to wander, with local shops, cafes, and the Southern Highland Craft Guild's new craft gallery.
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
The poet's farm at Connemara in Flat Rock — free grounds and trails, a goat barn with descendants of Lilian Sandburg's prize herd, and low-cost house tours of a home left much as the family lived in it.