Let’s take a walk. It’s good to get a few steps in; it’s even better when your brain is stimulated not only by the scenery and chance encounters you have along the way, but the challenge of finding hidden characters, experiencing art, or learning histories along the way.
Many of Mast Store’s home communities have downtown walking tours to engage visitors and locals of all ages. Some began as school projects – like Mice on Main in Greenville – while others were a community idea – like the Knox Newts. Others started as fundraisers for local non-profits or as a well-thought-out tour through exploring a wide breadth of history and architecture. All of them are different ways to see and experience where you live or a favorite place to visit.
Asheville’s Urban Trail
Started in 1991 by a group of volunteers as an element to revitalize downtown, the Urban Trail includes 30 stops and takes explorers through five periods of the city’s history – the Frontier Period (represented by a horseshoe), the Gilded Age (look for a feather), the Era of Civic Pride (symbolized by a courthouse), the Times of Thomas Wolfe (defined by an angel, of course), and the Age of Diversity (shown as an eagle). These symbols appear in pink granite on the sidewalk and are near the station’s sculpture, which can be grand – like the pigs and turkeys at The Crossroads – or understated – like the Immortal Image captured in a frieze on the Drhumor (pronounced Drummer) Building.
The Trail also winds through some of the best Art Deco architecture remaining in the United States, as well as beautiful representatives of Spanish Renaissance, Romanesque, Neoclassical, Gothic, and more. Also along the way are great shops, arcades, and restaurants where you can take a break and do some “retail exploring.” The trail is just under 2 miles long.
Romantic Asheville has a wonderful reference for the Urban Trail (you’ll find a downloadable/printable PDF for the Urban Trail if you want to print and carry it with you), and THIS is the Urban Trail page on Explore Asheville.
Greenville’s Mice on Main
Jimmy Ryan was the driving force behind Main Street’s Mice on Main public art display. As a senior in high school, he learned about creating a sense of place in a Governor’s School session in the summer of 1999. As his senior project was approaching, he worked with his advisor, who put him in touch with officials at the city, including Mayor Knox White. One meeting led to another, and before he knew it, Jim was connected to sculptor Zan Wells, who is known for her works of public art.
According to an article appearing in the Greenville News, Zan was impressed with her teenage client. He was focused, and avenues just opened up for him. Author Linda Kelly joined the team, and before long, the public art project was so much more than bronze sculptures along Main Street. Each mouse has its own personality and story, and the project includes a children’s book, t-shirts, and a board game.
Thousands of families and individuals of all ages have enjoyed finding all Greenville’s mice. And some of them are not easy to find – each mouse is about 3-4 inches tall, so in a cityscape they blend in. Scavenger hunt clues are available on the Visit Greenville website, and printed versions are available for free at the Mast Store in Greenville. See if you can find them all.
Mice on Main t-shirts and books at Mast Store.
Newts are Taking over Knoxville
The Great Smoky Mountains are the Salamander Capital of the World, with more species of salamanders than any other spot on earth. So, when it came to choosing a guide to explore Downtown Knoxville, it was natural to choose an Eastern Newt.
When Eastern Newts are young, they are bright orange with lighter colored spots encircled in black – a perfect companion for youngsters of any age to experience the downtown vibe and discover history and interesting places along the way.
Members of the Downtown Knoxville Alliance, including Mast Store General Manager Natalea Cummings, wanted to give families, locals, and visitors a fun way to make their way around downtown using a passport filled with clues to find all the newts.
The group collaborated with metalworks artist Preston Farabow and consulted with wildlife experts to make the sculptures as lifelike as possible. Preston spent three months sculpting the newts in clay before casting them in bronze at a local foundry. Eastern Newts are 2.5-5-inches long, so consider the clues and look closely to find all 12.
Knoxville Newt Passports can be downloaded HERE or picked up in person at the Mast Store on Gay Street or the Knoxville Visitor Center at the corner of Gay Street and Summit Hill.
Knoxville Newts t-shirts and stickers at Mast Store.
Bats of Boone
The Bats of Boone were just introduced on Saturday, September 26. Eight bats are your guides to different locations in Downtown Boone, including Town Hall, the Watauga County Library, the fire department, the post office, the Jones House Cultural Center, the Appalachian Theatre, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and the Mast Store.
Lisa Cooper has long wanted a program similar to Greenville’s Mice on Main and the new Knoxville’s Newts. She worked with Alyssa Hughes, the founder of Barefoot Baby apparel, and Lane Moody, Boone’s Main Street coordinator, to bring it to fruition.
Free scavenger hunt sheets are available at Mast Store in Downtown Boone, and the book Bats of Boone, which shares the quirky personalities of each character, as well as information about bats and how they fit into our eco-system, is also available for purchase.
“This project will bring a playful new element to downtown while encouraging visitors and residents to explore, discover new places, and spend a little more time in our downtown. We love that it combines public art, placemaking, and a bit of Boone’s personality into an experience we hope people will enjoy again and again," said Lane Moody, downtown development director.
Here’s where you can find Bats of Boone items.
Bearfootin’ in Hendersonville
This is a bear hunt everyone can comfortably participate in. It’s an art walk that began in 2003 as a fundraiser and a way for tourists and locals to see what’s new downtown. Bear molds were chosen because they better fit the size of Hendersonville’s sidewalks, and black bears are native – and seen quite often – to the area.
The bears are brought out of hibernation early in the year. Local artists begin working their magic to create unique designs that are unveiled in May. The bears are displayed throughout Downtown Hendersonville for strollers to enjoy throughout the summer and early fall season. In October, the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville holds an online auction. Part of the funds go to DHI to fund next year’s Bearfootin’ and other events, while the other part is donated to the non-profit organization affiliated with the bear.
The bears change every year, so there’s always a good reason to visit again and again. Here’s where you can LEARN MORE about Bearfootin’ and the upcoming auction.
Sally Salamander in Columbia
Sally Salamander, a spotted salamander, which is South Carolina’s state amphibian, is your guide to 20 stops in Downtown Columbia. The tour was started by the Leadership Columbia class of 2009 as a way to highlight the city’s beautiful architecture and cultural icons. Along the way, you’ll see public art, learn a little history, and have a lot of fun. You’ll also need to look carefully in spots high and low for Sally. These sculptures are life size – between 5 and 8 inches long.
To begin your tour, stop by the Columbia South Carolina Visitors Center (1120 Lincoln Street). That’s the first stop and also where you can pick up Sally Salamander’s brochure to show the next stops on the hunt. Be sure to share your selfies with @columbiasc with the hashtag #sallysalamander.
You can learn more about Sally HERE.
Quilts & Public Art in Waynesville
Waynesville has two routes to take for your walking tour – and one of them can expand beyond a short walk into a long hike or, more likely, a drive.
Decorating barns began over 300 years ago in Europe, but the birth of the modern barn quilt was the idea of Donna Sue Groves in Adams County, Ohio. She painted a quilt block to honor her mother, who was a noted quilter, on her family’s barn. Sue thought it would be more like a “real” quilt if more blocks were added and suggested that a sampler be created to be enjoyed along a driving trail. Since 2001, thousands of barn quilts have appeared across the country with many of them in rural areas.
The Haywood/Waynesville Quilt Trail has several blocks located downtown – the Mast Store has two blocks – the North Carolina Star and a Red, White, & Blue Flag. Several others are nearby at the Teresa Pennington Gallery, the Corner Building on Main, and the Police Station. Others can be found in nearby Canton, Clyde, and Maggie Valley. Some are traditional patterns and others are modern or freeform. Here’s a LINK to more information.
The Waynesville Public Art Trail is ever expanding and includes installations from 1986 to this year, 2026. From the whimsical Old-Time Music sculpture to the mural depicting Waynesville’s namesake General “Mad” Anthony Wayne, there’s something for everyone. There’s even a sculpture showcasing the Plott Hound, North Carolina’s official state dog, which is a breed developed in Haywood County in the mid-1700s by the Plott family. This WEBSITE has a recording about each stop along the way. And a new scavenger hunt is on the way to deepen the experience.
Put on your walking shoes, fill your water bottle, scout out a great restaurant for a bite to eat, and enjoy some time seeing your favorite downtown in a different way.