-
January 2024 by Tom Kellogg
We were lucky to have a personal tour as the weather was cold and wet, so few folks out and about. During warm weather buying tix in advance would be a good idea. What an amazing house. How on earth Mrs Wolfe could cram 40 guests into that building... 85% of furnishings were there from the start! Quite the time capsule!! Highly recommend a visit to one of the two houses where young Thomas stayed. He said he had two houses and no home as he was shuttled between his Mother's boarding house ( tour home) and the home down the street ( no longer extant) where his Father and siblings lived! A tragically short but ever so brilliant life!!
-
September 2023 by Lesley Mullen
If you want to feel and see the history that is a large part of what makes Asheville penetrate the heart and inspire the soul visit the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Museum.The Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse takes you back to a time when life was relaxed about privacy and generous with a sense of community that creates characters that are unforgettable.
-
August 2023 by arimyd55
I had a private tour of this well preserved property that thrived during the 19th to 20th century transition period. Although not familiar with Mr. Wolfe’s work I am interested in the history of this place and am thrilled that it still exists. If only the walls could talk. Imagine the characters and their stories that passed through this boardinghouse. All the result of one very hard working woman who figured out how to play the cards she was dealt. Well done Julia Wolfe!
-
August 2023 by Alex Anton
The childhood home of American author Thomas Wolfe offers a glimpse not only into the home/board house where Wolfe came of age but also of life in Asheville in the early years of the 20th century. Board houses were a cottage industry at this time, and it is fascinating to learn about who lived in them and what their live were like. Great docent/tour guides lead you through the house and are fonts of relatable information. The grounds are accompanied by a museum. Price of admission is a reasonable $5 and well worth it.
-
June 2023 by Savannah B.
Definitely a fun and inexpensive way to get out of the heat of mid-day! For only $5 you get a fully guided and very knowledgeable tour of the home Thomas grew up in as well as a short informative movie as well as entry to a museums style walk through with many artifacts from Wolfe and his family's life! We ended up getting a personal tour as we were the only ones present! Very cool!
-
June 2023 by Athena Reel
David and staff are knowledgeable friendly and if I say so hilarious. I highly suggest “the Old Kentucky Home” tour for everyone! 5$ is the best deal in Asheville for any experience.Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville in 1900. He grew up shuffled around the boarding house mentioned above. Those experiences became the fodder for his literary life. He wrote raw poetic rhapsodic prose. Like a symphony from the angels on high.Look Homeward Angel his first novel was released in 1929. Even during the Depression it became a best seller. Cementing his world wide fame. Look Homeward Angel is in my top 10 books of all time. I would tell you more about his life but I won’t. I implore you to learn about Thomas for yourself and take a copy of “the book” homeward.
-
October 2022 by Jill S.
We loved our tour with Tom, the guide. We watched the video first, which plays every hour on the hour. Then took the house tour, which is offered on each half hour. The house is full of original furniture and photos; Tom offered many insights into Wolfe's family and was able to answer all our questions. There is also a small self-guided exhibit on Wolfe's life.
-
July 2022 by Steve Crayne
What a great surprise this tour was. The guide Tom, was one of the best tour guides, a true storyteller. Put on your must visit list when in Asheville
-
June 2022 by Ivy Newhouse- Abbadessa
Having read the works of Thomas Wolfe seeing this home was a pleasant experience.
-
May 2022 by Otto
I love this place “The Thomas Wolfe House Memorial and Museum” isa great place to stop while in Asheville. The museumand film are free to view but house tours are $5 plussales tax. The tours run every hour starting at9:30am and the last at 4:30pm. The guided housetour takes around 45 minutes.The introductory film about Thomas Wolfe's life runsabout 20 minutes and provides a lot of backgroundinformation.The Museum is also very informative. I liked the newexhibit that showed how the house was originallyand then how it was after the first additions and thesecond additions.1 had an informative guide that provided me with agood sense of what it was like growing up and livingin the boarding house. The house is well kept andfiled with many historical treasures.There is a small gift shop in the museum that sellsbooks about Wolfe; Wolfe's books; toys; photos andpostcards.Free parking in front of the house.
-
February 2022 by Ruben Acurio
Historic house museum restored and preserved as it was when Thomas Wolfe lived there in his childhood. He went on to write ‘Look Homeward Angel’ based on when the place was a boardinghouse, his family, Asheville itself, and the various characters that came in and out of the house. A must see if you’re looking to take a pause and step back in time for a moment.
-
December 2021 by JR Boelkins
Really nice guided tour.. Learned a lot about the author and his childhood / young adulthood. The bed and breakfast was interesting to visit.
-
November 2021 by Steven P.
I visited this museum on a whim, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my vacation in the Asheville area. After watching an interesting 22-minute film about the life of Thomas Wolfe, I saw the house with a guide named Sara who provided a delightful and informative tour. Her passion for the subject matter was evident and has inspired me to read Look Homeward, Angel. The rest of the museum, with a chronology of Wolfe’s life and some of his personal effects, was also quite good. Highly recommended.
-
October 2021 by Jack Regan
Excellent tour with a great docent.
-
October 2021 by Rob Chaloupecky
Interesting house tour. If you read Look Homeward Angel, it brings to life the many scenes from the book. If you haven't, it's a well preserved piece of history from the early 1900's and gives a glimpse into Asheville at that time.
