The Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site preserves the historic boarding house in downtown Asheville known as the Old Kentucky Home. The house, a National Historic Landmark, has been a memorial to Asheville’s native son and North Carolina’s most famous author Thomas Clayton Wolfe since 1949.
Thomas Wolfe lived in the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse from 1906 at age six until he left for college in 1916 at age 15. The historic home interior is much like Wolfe would have remembered it as a child. Today it provides an excellent opportunity for students of all ages to learn about Asheville history, early 20th century household technologies, and a giant of American literature, Thomas Wolfe.
Field Trip Information
With a group reservation the program is $2.00 per person (plus 7% sales tax). A visit to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial will last about 1 hour. Due to the limited capacity of the house and adjacent visitor center we can accommodate approximately 50 students onsite at one time. Once scheduled, you will receive a written confirmation of your trip along with important information.
Explore our website and view the Tours and Activities page for our current program offerings. The programs can easily be adapted to a number of age groups and courses. Please feel free to use the History pages from our website and the pre-visit and post-visit activities offered at our Lessons and Programs page.
To schedule your field trip please call our Education Specialist, David Rayburn, at (828) 253-8304 or email him at david.rayburn@ncdcr.gov.
Post-Visit Survey
After your visit please consider completing a quick survey and give us your feedback about your experience. We are committed to making a field trip to Thomas Wolfe Memorial a memorable part of your student’s classroom experience.
“Our fourth graders have visited the Thomas Wolfe Memorial for the past several years and we are always welcomed, the staff is very patient, and the students learn a tremendous amount. Visiting the Old Kentucky Home goes right along with the North Carolina Heroes theme that fourth graders explore. Furthermore, the site’s education specialist comes to our school for a pre-visit and orients the students with Thomas Wolfe and the site by showing them artifacts and a PowerPoint. The Thomas Wolfe Memorial is a great experience.”
-Debra Coleman, West Buncombe Elementary