Operations will also resume at Minerals Museum, Blue Ridge Music Center during federal government shutdown
(Asheville, N.C., Oct. 3, 2025) - Three facilities shuttered during the shutdown of the federal government will reopen for visitors through funding by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The nonprofit will fund the operations for seven days beginning Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, Museum of North Carolina Minerals in Spruce Pine, and Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Va.
“October is one of the highest-visitation months in the national park as visitors flock to the mountains to see autumn colors,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Foundation. “We are pleased to ensure more facilities are open to welcome visitors.”
The Foundation is collaborating with the National Park Service, America’s National Parks stores, and other partners to provide enhanced experiences for visitors.
The Parkway Visitor Center at milepost 384 will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily through Sunday, Oct. 12. The visitor center offers maps, merchandise, exhibits, and a film about the Parkway.
The Minerals Museum of North Carolina at milepost 331 will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5, and Thursday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 12, offering interactive exhibits that portray the geological and mining history of the area.
The Blue Ridge Music Center at milepost 213 will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5, and Thursday, Oct. 9, through Monday, Oct. 13. Free Midday Mountain Music concerts are hosted from noon to 3 p.m. on the breezeway. The building is home to the Roots of American Music Museum, which tells the story of the region’s rich musical heritage through interactive displays, family and performers’ histories, musical recordings, and instruments.
The Foundation also operates The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park in Laurel Springs. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Oct. 19.
As operational plans evolve at the Department of the Interior, the Foundation will evaluate arrangements for continued financial support.
Travelers can still drive to scenic overlooks, hike trails, camp out, and picnic on the Parkway, but should plan trips carefully in consideration that some facilities will be closed. The motor road will remain open, with the exception of the stretches where continuing road updates and Hurricane Helene recovery projects are taking place.The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping to ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations. Since 1997, the Foundation has provided more than $24 million in support for the country’s most visited national park unit. To learn more, visit BRPFoundation.org.