On Animal Enrichment Day, guests see firsthand how Grandfather Mountain cares for its resident animals. An enrichment is a special treat, new toy or even an unfamiliar scent given to the animals to break up their routines and help keep them active and intellectually stimulated.
Make time for yourself on Wednesday evenings for a weekly mindfulness and meditation Group. The gatherings will explore meditation, mindfulness and consciousness. Combining years of meditation practice experience with his lifelong passion of living in service to others, Eric DeVere will be guiding the weekly meditation group.
Sarah Vaughn’s Considerations exhibition explores the nature of stones, the memories they keep, and the stories they tell. To further celebrate this exhibition, join Appalachian State University Geology Professor Lauren Waterworth as she tells the story...
The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across.
This exhibition explores key milestones in the history of color theory through seven case studies, each centered on a single work of art from BRAHM’s Permanent Collection. Alongside these works, diagrams and historical models illustrate how color has been classified, studied, and understood over time. By examining these varied approaches, The Shape of Color invites us to consider the ways in which color influences our perception, emotions, and the visual world around us.
Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct explores the development of Tonalism, a distinctly American artistic movement responding to early modernist impulses in painting. Emerging in the latter half of the 19th century, Tonalism was characterized by subtle color harmonies, soft atmospheric effects, and contemplative, mood-driven scenes. Often emphasizing twilight or dawn landscapes, tonalist works evoke introspective, serene, or even ominous atmospheres, prioritizing mood and emotional resonance over detailed realism.
This exhibiton presents a selection of ceramic works and drawings by MaryLou Higgins (1926–2012), an artist active in North Carolina throughout her prolific career. Best known for her illustrative approach to ceramics, Higgins worked across multiple media, creating a body of work defined by intricate draftsmanship and a focus on the female figure.
This intimate installation of ten “memory paintings” by Arlee Mains (1935–2019) offers a vivid and affectionate portrait of early 20th-century life in the mountains of western North Carolina. A lifelong resident of Watauga County and a self-taught artist, Mains drew upon family stories, personal recollections, and regional traditions to create painted scenes of everyday Appalachian life.
At the heart of Andréa Keys Connell’s work is a question: how can the things we make help us hold time, memory, and care? Her ceramic sculptures—often fragmented, patterned, and emotionally charged—explore what it means to endure, to remember, and to repair.
Make time for yourself on Wednesday evenings for a weekly mindfulness and meditation Group. The gatherings will explore meditation, mindfulness and consciousness. Combining years of meditation practice experience with his lifelong passion of living in service to others, Eric DeVere will be guiding the weekly meditation group.
The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across.
Make time for yourself on Wednesday evenings for a weekly mindfulness and meditation Group. The gatherings will explore meditation, mindfulness and consciousness. Combining years of meditation practice experience with his lifelong passion of living in service to others, Eric DeVere will be guiding the weekly meditation group.
Disconnect from the business of daily life and settle into the presence, peace and quiet of nature on a weekend trip that will leave you feeling rejuvenated and inspired. You will learn all you need to know - from water filtration to what not to wipe with- and be provided with all necessary gear to safely, successfully, and joyfully backpack.
xplore the mountain after hours with your own personal guides during our Grandfather by Night series! You’ll discover some of the park’s nighttime wonders, watch a stunning sunset (weather permitting) and experience the mountain as never before!
The Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival is a four-day, open enrollment plein air painting event. It takes place in the beautiful mountainous area surrounding the town of Blowing Rock in western North Carolina, from Tuesday, August 19th, to Saturday, August 23rd, 2025.
Make time for yourself on Wednesday evenings for a weekly mindfulness and meditation Group. The gatherings will explore meditation, mindfulness and consciousness. Combining years of meditation practice experience with his lifelong passion of living in service to others, Eric DeVere will be guiding the weekly meditation group.
The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across.
Make time for yourself on Wednesday evenings for a weekly mindfulness and meditation Group. The gatherings will explore meditation, mindfulness and consciousness. Combining years of meditation practice experience with his lifelong passion of living in service to others, Eric DeVere will be guiding the weekly meditation group.
The Twilight Hike version will include a hike after sunset to discuss and look for the creatures that are more active after the sun goes down. The group will explore a unique forest ecosystem from top to bottom in search of salamanders, owls, flying squirrels, fireflies and any other creatures they might come across.