Explore Boone is excited to invite the community to the Open House of its new Visitors Center and offices on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The event will take place at 171 Grand Blvd. in downtown Boone, located behind the Jones House Cultural Center. Doors open at 3:30 PM, with a ribbon cutting at 3:45 PM.
Swing by anytime before 6 PM to tour the beautifully restored historic home, meet the Explore Boone team, and enjoy tasty bites from Lost Province Brewing Co. Whether you’re a longtime local, a community partner, or just curious, we’d love to see you there!
This event also celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week (May 4–10), a time to recognize how travel supports our local economy and the people who live here. Here in Watauga County, tourism helped save residents $649.11 in taxes in 2023 alone.
After a tough fall for Western North Carolina, this visitors center represents more than just a new resource for travelers, it’s a step forward in welcoming visitors back to the NC High Country and a chance to show off all the reasons people love visiting Boone.
“We’re proud to have preserved the historic A.E. and Roberta Hodges home and reimagined it as a space that honors Boone’s past while supporting its future,” said Wright Tilley, Executive Director of Explore Boone. “We hope folks will come by, say hello, and see how this new space helps us share the incredible area we all love, while encouraging thoughtful, responsible travel that benefits the entire community.”
About Explore Boone
Explore Boone is the Watauga County District U Tourism Development Authority (WCTDA), a local tourism development authority, operating jointly with the Boone Tourism Development Authority, authorized by the state (North Carolina) and local government (Watauga County) to
promote travel, tourism, and corporate travel, sponsor tourist-related events, and activities, and finance tourism-related capital projects in Boone and the unincorporated areas of Watauga County, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.exploreboone.com.
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