Explore Mystery Hill
This historic Blowing Rock attraction, which dates back more than 70 years, is bonkers in the very best way. But you definitely need to be in touch with your inner child in order to fully appreciate it.
The family-owned Mystery Hill is essentially 13 family-friendly attractions in one. It starts with an unusual gravitational anomaly (discovered on an apple orchard in the 1920s), in which water flows uphill and anyone can execute Matrix-like moves like Neo.
From there, guests move through a Hall Of Mystery filled with eye-popping optical illusions, and a kid-friendly Bubblerama room that offers excellent photo ops.
Once you leave the main building, there’s lots more to explore. Activities include the historical 1903 Doughtery House and Native American Artifact Museum, axe-throwing on Tomahawk Hill, a surprisingly difficult Bull Riding Challenge, gem mining at Prospector Hill, and posing for old-timey photos at Professor Finnegan’s.
