Grove Arcade

Cool Architecture!
Arcade in the Olde sense of the word. We were looking for A Gallery that used to be here and decided to have a look at everything else, everything else being of little interest except the Bookstore and we decided to take a break and sit at one of the tables to play a few games of Chinese Checkers… As with a Drink though it should be obvious that the Common Space Slopes, more dramatically than I have seen in any Mall or Such place and it is a Cool Feature! I’m guessing this place has seen Hardier and Heavier Times than now! This place has a TON of Potential

Beautiful architecture — loved the wrought iron balconies inside. Personally, I wasn’t too impressed with the shops — not for me. Definitely worth checking out though — it was a pleasant respite from the hot weather.

Cool place, should open the higher levels for more shops!

Every time I come to Asheville — I come to the Grove Arcade. This is a mall before mall’s even existed. Truly a marvel in early collective commerce! I really enjoy the layout and the architecture. I understand this is from the 1920’s and, to me, is the center of AVL commerce. I navigate using this location as the zero-​point.

Geez! Grove Arcade has a lot going on! Incredible historical architecture is only the beginning! This place was built by the creator of The Grove Park Inn as a public market back in the twenties! Renovated and recently reopened in 2002. This place is massive and contains tons of boutiques, restaurants and galleries! If you have enough money, I think they even have apartments!!! You could spend a whole day in just this one city block!

I enjoyed my time here … little shops here and there, but i didnt find the stores that appealing… a bit pricey too. BUT it was a fun little stop over anyway. We walked here from the hustle and bustle of the downtown/​square area and it was a nice little retreat from the cold.
I suggest to check it out, but dont go way out of the way for it.

In true Asheville fashion, the Grove Arcade is a 1920’s era building that offers a limited assortment of eclectic shops, galleries, and arts & crafts stands. Of note, aside from the period architecture, was the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar. There was also the Four Corners Home shop (an «organic modern» furniture and home wares shop), Appalachian Strings (musical instruments), Tic-​n-​Time (fine clocks), and Fresh Quarter Produce (market).
While we explored, we were entertained by a very talented busker who performed acoustic classic rock and folk songs (The Beatles, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, etc.). He had a good folksy voice and acoustic guitar sound.
While the Grove Arcade is limited to the point where it precludes it from being a destination unto itself, it is certainly worth peeking in to see if you’re already exploring the downtown area on foot.

Small shopping center.
Beautiful art stores but not practical for shopping. The architecture inside is very nice but I don’t think it is worth planning to make as a part of your trip to Asheville.

Really interesting 1920s era shopping space that was recovered from the clutches of the federal government about a decade ago. For that alone it is worth a stroll, but there are many interesting little shops and such tucked into the building.
Just be mindful that some of the fare is more local than other stuff — and for me the local stuff is what I’m most interested in. I’d include it on any hearty tromp thru downtown Asheville, but probably not a destination in itself.

Great place to browse for unique gifts and shops that are out of the ordinary. We visited on Black Friday and I was very surprised to see a lot of the shops closed and not a whole lot of people here. We got there later in the day and stayed until it closed at 6pm. I’m sure they know their market of people but I would think that on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, they should have considered staying open later. I’m glad we checked the closing time before we headed over. Otherwise we would have missed out. I recommend stopping in. It’s worth the visit. I’m giving it 4 stars because of the closing time seems a little short for the weekend and how busy this section of town is in the evening. I think they are missing out.

By far one of my favorite places in downtown Asheville! Built in 1926 – 1929, it was restored in 2002 and is one of those rare finds that you just keep coming back to! This and the Mast General Store are musts whenever I visit. There’s a really neat ‘Rock Shop’ that sells geods and fossils and is one of those places that makes you appreciate the earth and what it produces.

Lovely old building. Well kept together. But, the store prices are ridiculously over priced. You can get many of these same items for far less in the River Arts District. It is more for tourists so if you don’t know where the good shopping places are then I guess the prices are typical for your tourist stops. The building is definitely worth checking out.

Very cool architecture and worth a visit. The shops however are a mix of blah and junk. Haven’t tried any of the restaurants, so can’t speak to the quality of their offerings. But unless you are coming to eat, can’t imagine spending more than 10 minutes for walking around and taking a couple pictures.

Interesting building, a handful of interesting shops. When we stopped in, some of them were open and some were not — had they all been open, it would have made for a better visit.
Those that were definitely made for a good time, however. We stopped at a yarn shop (yes, really) and had a lovely chat with some ladies there, leaving with some nice gifts for my mom. We looked at a booth (really about too small for a shop) that was almost a farmer’s market on its own — had some nice samples of produce from around the area. Nice to see a good variety of product in such a small place.
There were also some other eclectic gift shops, some clothes — pretty much all sorts of things. There was even a sampling of gingerbread houses the weekend we were there, as it was during the competition held at Grove Park Inn (these were from the younger kids). Unfortunately, I think they set these out and forgot about them, as many had collapsed.
All in all, a nice shopping space, set in a very interesting building, and all right downtown Asheville. Worth a visit if you’re in the area!

Where the heck am I? I feel like I am home in Brooklyn. Tattooed hipsters, artsy characters, scary hairy bikers… Cute little shops and fancy food places.
Love. It. (Yea, I fit right in!)
But enough of the scene — Groove Arcade is worth seeing not only for selection of shops but for it’s amazing architecture. Built in 1926 – 1929 (mind blown!) it was restored in 2002 and it shines like an architectural jewel in downtown Asheville. Copies of original architects’s drawing set in arches are very cool to browse thru.
Great shopping, from watches and clocks to souvenirs and jewelry. Good places to eat as well.

Architecturally, one of the most beautiful buildings in the area.

Super cool architecture and iron work. Must see when in Asheville.

A very cute shopping center to wander through on a rainy day, not very big, but the architecture was interesting. Also, family friendly. Check out Battery Park books, which you can access from the outside only

We kept seeing signs for Grove Arcade all over Asheville and started following. In my mind I was hoping for a video game arcade, but deep down I knew this wouldn’t be the case. Grove Arcade is actually a large building housing a bunch of different stores.
The stores/​shops here are pretty diverse, ranging from crafty boutiques to furniture to restaurants. Like other shops in Asheville the wares tended to be a bit on the pricey side, targeting the tourists flocking to the area. Still, the diversity of the place makes it an interesting point of time killing. I particularly enjoyed the clock store, since I have a love for Grandfather and coo coo clocks. On the Saturday we went there were also some local vendors set up outside with stalls of crafts and some foods.
Not exactly a «must-​see» but an interesting way to kill some spare time if you have it, or if you enjoy buying over-​priced hippy-​made crafts.

Stunning historical building in central downtown Asheville with all sorts of interesting and unique boutique shops — high-​end chocolate, pet toys, jewelry, art, restaurants. All very neat but nothing that I really wanted. Without a doubt, worth a stop and a wander.
Signs detail the history of the building, which was opened in 1929 and then taken over by the Federal government as part of the effort to win World War 2. It was reopened to the public in 2002.