The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a 42-acre (17 ha) zoological park in Western North Carolina operated by the City of Asheville. It was originally opened in 1925 and known as Recreation Park Zoo, Craig Park Zoo, and Asheville City Zoo and housed a wide variety of native and non-native wildlife.
The North Carolina Arboretum (434 acres or 176 ha) is an arboretum and botanical garden located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest.