Beautifully nestled off the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway near Blowing Rock, this historic facility…read moreis worth the visit. Unfortunately we did not check the newly updated times they are open to go inside. On this day they were closed. The setting, grounds and trails are breathtakingly beautiful. Some were picnicking under a tree near the Manor entrance. We saw cows in a nearby pasture. One person was on a horse. The property even includes an Apple Orchard. We will return again when the Museum is open and we can also see the crafts offered for sale.

Our visit came in June of 2021 with the accompanying restrictions imposed by the pandemic and…read moreshortage of staff. That means parts of the manor are roped off, construction work on the house is in progress and the craft shop is operating out of a somewhat cramped space. That said, it's well worth a visit here. The views are amazing, and the crafts are wonderfully diverse yet so attractive (everything from lamps to trays to blown glass) and they are nicely displayed, though we should mention that the Southern Folk Art Center closer to Asheville has much larger collections in its shop and museum. The people working here couldn't be more helpful to visitors. The manor is located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and parking is easy if limited. There are hiking trails nearby and restrooms also. It makes for a delightful stop with lots of do and see.

The ladies working there helped me so much. They explained that their beautiful baskets are…read moreactually machine washable!! They also have quilting supplies, beautiful fabrics, cross-stitching kits, and on and on!

Dear owners of Mountain Threads - I came from Greensboro to…read morevisit your shop. I had the directions and list of materials for a project and wanted to purchase high-quality rope cording. So I approached a very glittery young woman with her bosom about to fall out of her red dress by saying, "I have a project materials list that calls for 100 feet of clothesline cord." She directed me to purchase this at a WalMart. Wow. Isn't selling various sizes of cord what your business is all about? She also told me that clothesline type cording cost $1/foot so I would pay $100 for cording if I purchased it at Mountain Threads. No - it costs $1 per yard. The owner/artisan seated behind a sewing machine in the back room was being monopolized by one female (customer? just curious?) and no one could break into that Q&A/tutorial without being rude. So, basically, there was no one in-the-know available. The store is cute. The staff is friendly (maybe too friendly with people who will monopolize you). The location on Main St is easy to find but beware that parking in Blowing Rock can be very difficult in the "high seasons". The selection of fabrics, machine needles, and cording is strong. You just have to get past the not so well informed staff member in the front room.

I enrolled my 8 year old at the art classes offered here and she loves it. The instructor really…read morecares about his students and teaches the whole group in an age appropriate way. They've discuss topics like light and shadows and perspective and used various materials. I can't recommend this place enough. Make sure to stop in for any art supplies you need and give Ziggy so many pets :-).

My daughter's birthday was this month. She is 1500 miles away, coping with the state of affairs in…read moreher chosen field of medicine during COVID-times. At a loss for any kind of meaningful gift without personal access to N95 masks and other PPEs, I decided to restock her art supplies. Maybe this old love would give a little light. I combed online options to avoid stores and post office. Then I thought to support a local business in my daughter's chosen community. Art Mart & Academy is just minutes from her home. The store was not officially open, but the owner responded to my email. John talked with me at length about what I was looking for, texted me photos and was very helpful in matching the types and quality of products I'd selected online. Though he had no gift bags, he managed to find a sweet way to package all the items then texted me a photo to see if "the presentation" was ok. He also kept the required social distance from my son-in-law during pick-up. He kept a sense of humor, too. Art is a good thing to do in COVID-times. John will help you start or get better. Art Mart and Academy has customer service and the goods!

Just an all-round great little place to stop for goodies. Having a house in the mtns, we stop for…read moredeer apples and boiled peanuts. They have a great assortment of fresh produce, snacks, meats, prepared meals, etc.

Was passing through town and saw the boiled peanuts sign, so had to stop…read more The owners here are very friendly and helpful. Their shop has a variety of fresh produce along with some beautiful hand made wooden bird houses. Everything is reasonably priced. Got ourselves some peanuts and a bird house. Would highly recommend stopping by.

This is a nice little boutique just off Main Street selling a variety of handmade items. On a…read morerecent visit, I bought some earrings, a necklace, and a pottery olive oil keeper. The also have artwork, wooden pens, and soaps/lotions. The prices are what you would expect in Blowing Rock, but regardless, I was happy with my purchases. I'll definitely be back!

Cute little shop with beautiful handmade items. Prices are reasonable and items are great quality…read more Bought a beautiful cheese board handmade close by in the area. They gave a paper with instructions on how to care and clean. Very sweet people. Will come again!

This Mast General Store was the 2nd of it's kind to open, apparently about 100 years after the…read morefirst...but still an OG. The store offers a small throw back to simpler times, selling anything and everything one would need for their household under one roof. They even had a slogan early on of "if you can't buy it here, you don't need it". The store offers homewares (glassware, plates, pots, pans and cast iron), decor, snack items, jelly's/jams, milled products, soaps, gifts, clothing, camping gear, and even barrels upon barrels of candy by the pound. With 2 floors fully stocked of product, it offers a glimpse of how things were in olden times. Pricing on many items is very fare, from what I saw and was able to compare. Staff were all very friendly, checking in as we shopped to see if there is anything we could be helped with. It's a fun store to poke through, with lots of nostalgia

Such a cool place to visit with unique items and is really an old vintage store. We got items for a…read moregreat value and everyone is really nice and good service

Super cute quilt shop. Stopped in while traveling to get a gift for a friend. Great selection and…read morefriendly staff.

Ladies were friendly but the selection of fabric was less than inspiring. Not sure I will go out of…read moremy way again.

Beautiful Art on display in various rooms. Paintings, sculpture, jewelry and woodwork make for a…read morerelaxing afternoon. The grounds are just as beautiful as the art inside. I have passed by here for years and never stopped. So glad I finally did! Beautiful!

This is a gorgeous gallery full of amazing fine art! A wide variety of artists are represented here…read moreincluding Toni Carlton. Come here to window shop and be amazed or to purchase that one exquisite piece that will be treasured for a lifetime and beyond. It also offers lovely handmade jewelry for a perfect birthday or holiday or anniversary gift. Not to mention the beautiful textiles...hats, gloves, jackets. There is a surprise around every corner. Oh and they offer lessons!

great antique store with thousands of sometimes unique items. the store owner and help are pleasant…read moreto deal with. prices are generally affordable and reasonable.

This antiques place is in Trade, NC - part of the Pisgah National Forest. There are roughly 6 car…read morespots up front and the lazy guy at the front desk did not even make an effort to say 'hello!'. This is a large indoor collection of old tools, signs, duplicate magazines, fudge, furniture and carpets. Locked items are in small glass vitrines, which do not allow you to even look at anything. No greeting. No A/C. There was 1 couple browsing in the whole shop! Rebel review: 4 star overpriced, but big

We have been to several Mast General Stores in various locations and knew the original store was…read morelocated on our weekend travels. We like Mast and always enjoy the products and atmosphere. We drove on our road trip to Johnson City, Tennessee from our home near Winston-Salem. It was getting late so we noted the location and decided to stop on our return trip home when we anticipated we would have more time. We arrived in the early afternoon of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and after following the line of cars to the back parking lot, we were amazed to see how many people were there! The small front parking area was full and the much larger rear parking lot was almost full. We did not think it was possible that everyone was visiting the general store, partly because it looks much smaller from the outside. As we walked toward the rear porch entrance, there was a Boy Scout Troop making kettle corn with a large kettle, butter, sugar, salt and corn and stirring it with a big paddle. It smelled delicious and we knew we needed to buy some on our way back to the car. After entering the building, we could see the entire parking lot contained all those people inside the general store, it was very busy but it appeared they had an adequate amount of employees. Mast features outdoor gear, home decor, knives, shoes, clothing, gift related items and food. They also have a large barrel candy area. We picked up a few things we felt we could not live without. On our way out, we purchased a bag of the kettle corn from the Boy Scouts and enjoyed munching on it while also supporting a good cause. It was so delicious with the combination of butter and sugar. A definite treat that we hadn't eaten in a long time. The original store is a must stop if you are driving through the area. We also recommend stopping at any of their other locations as well. They have many items you may not find elsewhere.

When in this area, you "just gotta" stop here and wander through. My wife ended up with $24.99 Teva…read moreflip flops, well made, supportive, and cushioned with the toe/foot strap a geometric pattern, so yes we bought them. Away from that small shoe building, half each for men and women, we went to the main building a seemingly turn of the century wooden floored building where there is a candy section and, yes, I bought some old time candy, which was $5.99 a pound as I recall. Lots of old time kitchen utensils, ceramic cookware, kid's toys, hunting and outdoor wear. Then to the main hiking and hiking shoes for men where they had some which were 25% off. Jim, a clerk, came up as I was looking around and politely asked if he could help me find something in the Keen shoes I was poking through. Told that I was looking for an 11 1/2 size, but there were no half sizes. As sometimes shoes can run a bit large he asked if I wanted to try on an 11 and he would go look for an 11 1/2 if the 11 would not fit. I had just determined that the 11 wasn't for me, and Jim came back. Now you know how I came to purchase my Keen Targee IV WP MEN, size 11.5 at 25% off. Checking us out was another friendly, chatty and efficient employee (as all of their folks are) named Rhonda. Like I said, you "just gotta" visit, and maybe spend a few bucks. We did!