News

Monday, June 14, 2010 - Please consider a gift to Pack Place as we look forward to our fiscal year end on June 30th. Your support is essential to our continued operations.

Monday, June 14, 2010 - Please consider a gift to Pack Place as we look forward to our fiscal year end on June 30th. Your support is essential to our continued operations.

Monday, May 31, 2010 - Pack Place will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday May 31st.

Saturday, May 29, 2010 - On Saturday, May 29th, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, the servers that host packplace.org will be undergoing maintenance. During this maintenance, our web site may be unavailable and email delivery may be delayed as services are upgraded and reconfigured. The upgrade should take less than 1 hour if there are no problems. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Thursday, May 20, 2010 - Please be advised that The Health Adventure will be CLOSED Saturday and Sunday, May 22 and 23. The museum is preparing to open two traveling exhibits next week: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Eyes on Earth. The museum will be back to our regular operating schedule on Monday, May 24 at 10:00 a.m. If you have any questions, or need additional information, please contact Allison Dyer Inman at: The Health Adventure Asheville, North Carolina (828) 254-6373, Ext. 332 www.thehealthadventure.org

Sunday, April 4, 2010 - The Health Adventure will be closed on Sunday, April 4th, Easter Sunday. The Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Earth Science Museum, Diana Wortham Theatre and YMI Cultural Center will operate regular hours, from 1pm-5pm.

Saturday, March 20, 2010 - Coming this month: Pack Place is proud to host PhilanthroPEAK Live! On Saturday, March 20th, PhilanthroPEAK Live will feature over six hours of music, visual arts, theatrical performances, live filming, as well as tabling for community businesses and nonprofits all united under one roof at Pack Place and the 500-seat Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville, located at 2 South Pack Square. The all ages event starts at 5:00pm and tickets are only $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show. To purchase your tickets visit www.dwtheatre.com or call 828-257-4530.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 - Winter Weather Update: Pack Place will close early today fir the safety of our patrons and staff. The museums and theatre box office will close by 1pm. Stay safe.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 - "Always Expect Miracles" - Tickets now on sale NOW at Pack Place! Asheville, NC – Nearly 100 actors and performers have volunteered their time and talents to create a spectacular community play to benefit Homeward Bound of Asheville. The extravaganza, called “Always Expect Miracles,” is the first production of Homeward Bound’s newly-formed community performance project, Just Home in the Mountains (www.justhome.org) The production will be performed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, plus Saturday matinees, from Feb. 11 until March 6, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Tickets are on sale now at the Pack Place Education, Arts, and Science Center Ticket Desk (828-257-4500), with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit Homeward Bound of Asheville.

Friday, January 8, 2010 - Friday, 01-08-2010 ::WINTER WEATHER UPDATE:: Pack Place will open at NOON today.

Sunday, December 20, 2009 - WINTER WEATHER UPDATE: The museums of Pack Place will remain closed today. Diana Wortham Theatre performances will continue as scheduled.

Saturday, December 19, 2009 - WINTER WEATHER UPDATE: Pack Place will remain CLOSED today, Sat. Dec.19th. Stay safe & warm.

Friday, December 18, 2009 - WINTER WEATHER UPDATE Pack Place will be CLOSED today, Fri. Dec. 18th at Noon. The performance in the Diana Wortham Theatre has been rescheduled. Check www.dwtheatre.com for more details. Be safe out there...

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - Pack Place Holiday Schedule Posted. Please visit the About tab above and select "Visiting Pack Place" to view the holiday closings.

Monday, November 2, 2009 - The Pack Place website will be down from approximately 8am to 9am on November 2nd for routine maintenance. All packplace.org email will also be unavailable at this time.

Sunday, November 1, 2009 - Effective November 1, 2009, the Colburn Earth Science Museum will raise its ticket prices to $6 for Adults and $5 for Students, Seniors (ages 65+) and Children (ages 4-11).

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - Asheville Film Festival Tickets NOW ON SALE AT PACK PLACE! The 7th Annual Asheville Film Festival will be held November 12-15th, 2009 For more information, visit: www.ashevillefilmfestival.com

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - Effective October 13, 2009, the Asheville Art Museum will raise its ticket prices to $8 for Adults and $7 for Students, Seniors (ages 65+) and Children (ages 4-12).

Sunday, August 30, 2009 - PACK PLACE NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!! Pack Place now open on Mondays for The Health Adventure & Diana Wortham Theatre year-round! The Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Earth Science Museum and YMI Cultural Center will remain closed on Mondays.

Monday, June 15, 2009 - PACK PLACE OPEN ON MONDAYS DURING SUMMER, 2009 for the Health Adventure and Diana Wortham Theatre. The Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Earth Science Museum and YMI Cultural Center will remain closed to the public on Mondays so they can focus on the summer camps in session those days. Tickets to community events & attractions will also be available through the Pack Place Ticket Office, including discounted, 2-day passes to the Biltmore Estate; tickets for NC Stage performances, Asheville Historic Trolley Tours, Gray Line Trolley Tours, LaZoom Bus Tours, Chimney Rock Park and the Smith McDowell House; and, for the sale of A.I.R. Dining Certificates, Cemetery Tour CD's and WNC Insider Memberships. Call 828.257.4500 for more information.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 - PACK PLACE MARQUEE SCHEDULED FOR REMOVAL The marquee in Pack Square, the landmark display sign on the corner of Biltmore and Patton Avenues at the entrance to Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center, is scheduled for removal at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 11th. With support from the Janirve Foundation, the marquee was erected in 1999 to aide Pack Place in communicating the variety of activities and organizations within its facility. Over the years, it has effectively increased the number of visitors to Pack Place and its partner organizations. "Many people do not know what Pack Place is or what it has to offer," said Heather Nelson, Pack Place Business Manager. "It will be a challenge to communicate that message without the marquee; but repairing the current sign is simply not an effective use of already limited funds or an efficient use of electricity." Pack Place considered replacing the display boards that use over 4,000 incandescent bulbs with a greener and more effective LED display, but the more than $35,000 cost to upgrade the lighted panels was too high to justify repairs, in addition to operational costs. Initial estimates indicate that Pack Place's power consumption may be reduced by up to $5,000 per year by removing the incandescent display. On May 19, the City of Asheville's Board of Adjustment granted Pack Place a variance to allow colorful banners to be attached to the facility until replacement signage can be identified. The new signs, provided in part through a donation by FastSigns, are to be installed in the coming week. The Pack Place Board of Trustees is offering the sign for sale and hopes to recycle the structure. Interested parties should contact Pack Place Business Manager Heather Nelson at 828-257-4544 x 303 or hnelson@packplace.org. For more information, call 257-4500 or visit www.packplace.org.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Pack Place's Marquee on Pack Square will be removed. Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center has announced that it will remove the large display sign on the corner of Biltmore and Patton Avenues. The sign has been in place for 12 years, highlighting the various events and exhibitions at Pack Place, its Museums and Theatre, with a lighted display of regular programming opportunities. According to Pack Place Chair Karen Tessier, over the last year, the sign’s systems became increasingly faulty rendering the display inoperable and the repair overly expensive in the face of new technologies that might provide a better long-term solution. With the sign’s removal and as an interim measure, Pack Place will install a series of colorful signs on the front façade of the building until such time as the museums can research and determine the best new signage opportunities. When the center opened in 1992, the name “Pack Place,” over the building’s entrance, served as the only signage. “For the partnering museums theatre, there was a need to communicate individual programs to the public. Over the years, the sign has helped to increase attendance at various events. With the removal of the current sign, Pack Place is committed to finding new and more dynamic ways of communicating its exciting programs,” said Tessier. In place of the current sign, a small stage and landscaping will be set within the circular seating wall in the forecourt of Pack Place for the public’s enjoyment. Construction of the area is expected to be completed as part of the design of Pack Square Park. The Pack Place Board of Trustees will make the current sign available for sale with hopes of recycling the structure. Interested parties should contact Pack Place Business Manager Heather Nelson at 828-257-4544 or hnelson@packplace.org.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 - Special notice to area non-profits: Pack Place has a small office space available for lease. More information on the "Notices" page.

Thursday, January 1, 2009 - Pack Place will be closed on New Year's Day. Thank you for your support during 2008 as we look forward to another year of service in 2009!

Monday, November 24, 2008 - The AIDS Memorial Quilt: A Tapestry of Lives comes to Asheville November 24 – December 1st. Beginning Monday, November 24th and ending with a candlelight memorial vigil at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 1st, The AIDS Memorial Quilt: A Tapestry of Lives will be on display in Pack Place. To commemorate the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day (December 1) and to pay tribute to those who have died or have been affected by the HIV/AIDS virus, The Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) is bringing the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Asheville. It will be a week long exhibit in the main lobby of Pack Place, featuring various activities, music and speakers. Also, as part of World AIDS Day on the evening of December 1, there will be a Candlelight Interfaith Memorial Vigil at Pack Place. World AIDS Day began in 1988 in an effort to assist the United Nations in keeping the fight against AIDS on the agenda of our global political leaders. It is a day of solidarity around the globe recognizing those who have died, those who are living with the disease and affected by the disease, the advances in science and medicine, the unending funding requirements, the ongoing tragedies resulting from the disease such as AIDS orphans, and so much more. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is an inspirational and intimate memorial to those who have died from AIDS. There are over 47,000 panels that make up the Quilt and over 16 million people have seen it since 1987. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is intended to foster healing, heighten awareness and inspire action in the age of AIDS. WNCAP is proud to be blending these two initiatives together from November 23 – December 1. Asheville and the surrounding areas will have the opportunity to view the Quilt in a public and free exhibit, and then come together to remember the lives of those who have died from AIDS, those who are living with HIV/AIDS, the care takers, the orphaned children, and doctors and nurses, and the countless number of friends and families who continue to grieve. For more information please visit www.wncap.org and click on World AIDS Day or contact the WNCAP office at 828-252-7489. We need your help to make this special week an experience that Asheville will always remember.

Friday, October 24, 2008 - Asheville Film Festival tickets now on sale at Pack Place! November 6-9, 2008 More info at: www.ashevillefilmfestival.com

Friday, August 1, 2008 - Why go all over town for your entertainment needs? Pack Place continues to expand its ticketing partnerships. Pack Place now sells tickets to NC Stage performances! A.I.R. Raffle Tickets are now available at the ticket desk! WNC Magazine and Riverside Cemetery Self-Guided Tour CD's are here! To view our other community partners, just click on "Buy Tickets" in the menu above.

Thursday, July 24, 2008 - Pack Place's public spaces and the following Partner Organizations will be closed Bele Chere weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday (7/25-27). **The Asheville Art Museum will remain open, please enter at the Angel Statue.** Closed: The Health Adventure Closed: Colburn Earth Science Museum Closed: Diana Wortham Theatre Closed: YMI Cultural Center Enjoy the weekend festivities!

Friday, July 4, 2008 - And the winner is... GROVE STONE & SAND COMPANY in Swannanoa, NC Thank you for participating in our 5th Annual Raffle Fundraiser. This year marks the first year that a company has won the Raffle! It's noteworthy to share that Grove Stone & Sand Company has been a supporter of Pack Place and the Colburn Earth Science Museum for years. A special thanks goes to our Raffle Sponsors - Star 104.3 and Clear Channel Radio, Bank of America, Asheville OnTAP Magazine, and Fugazy Travel. Stay tuned in 2009 for details on the 6th Annual Pack Place Raffle!

Monday, May 5, 2008 - The 5th Annual Raffle is underway! Check the raffle page for all the details!

Sunday, May 4, 2008 - New Web Site! Courtesy of Divergent Design, Pack Place has a new look on the web! Take a look around as we work to update the site with more information for you!