History
Want to learn about the history of the Great Smoky Mountains? Check out all of these great places in the area that offer a variety of educational and historical information for you and your family and friends to enjoy.
Museum of the Cherokee Indian
An educational and interactive experience that retraces the 11,000 year history of the Cherokees.
Location: Cherokee, NC
Phone: 828-497-3481
Oconaluftee Indian Village
You`re transported back to witness the challenges of Cherokee life in the 1760s.
Location: Cherokee, NC
Phone: 828-497-2111
Toll Free: 866-554-4557
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual
The oldest Native American Arts cooperative in the US. Pottery, basket weaving, carving, and tool-making on display and for sale.
Location: Cherokee, NC
Phone: 828-497-3103
Cades Cove
Lush valley surrounded by mountains. Wildlife sitings, historic buildings
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cataloochee Valley
Elk can be seen regularly in the fields, especially in the early morning and evening hours. Other wildlife commonly spotted include bear, deer, and turkeys.
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill
100-plus-year-old log house and farm buildings.
Location: Cherokee, NC
Stecoah Valley Center
Summer music series in renovated schoolhouse. Artisans gallery open all year.
Location: Stecoah, NC
Phone: 828-479-3364
Smoky Mountain Trains Museum
7,000 Lionel(TM) engines, cars, and accessories, impressive operating layout, children`s activity center.
Location: Bryson City, NC
Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians
Through exhibits and videos, you`ll learn about legendary “Stream Blazers”, the evolution of rods and reels, basic knots, fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, regional fishing waters, and the history of fly fishing in the Southeast.
Location: 210 Main Street Bryson City, NC 28713
Toll Free: 800-867-9246
Swain County Heritage Museum
Located in the historic courthouse from 1908 in downtown Bryson City, NC, the Swain County Heritage Museum tells the story of Swain County and its people.
Location: 255 Main Street Bryson City, NC 28713
Toll Free: 828-488-7857
Road to No Where
After the original Highway 288 was buried under the waters of Fontana Lake in the 1940s, the National Park Service promised to reroute the highway along the north shore of the lake through the park. The lake project displaced more than a thousand families and cut off access to family cemeteries. Construction of six miles of the road was completed in the early 1970s. But environmental issues stopped construction and started years of debate about completion. In 2010, the project was finally put to rest and Swain County accepted a $52 million payment from the federal government not to complete the road.
Location: Old Highway 288