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.
| An educational and interactive experience that retraces the 11,000 year history of the Cherokees. |
| Location: |
Cherokee, NC |
| Phone: |
828-497-3481 |
| 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 |
| - 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 |
| Lush valley surrounded by mountains. Wildlife sitings, historic buildings. |
| Location: |
Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
| 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 |
| Vanderbilt home, gardens and winery. |
| Location: |
Asheville, NC |
| Toll Free: |
800-411-3812 |
| 100-plus-year-old log house and farm buildings. |
| Location: |
Cherokee, NC |
| Summer music series in renovated schoolhouse. Artisans gallery open all year. |
| Location: |
Stecoah, NC |
| Phone: |
828-479-3364 |
| 7,000 Lionel(TM) engines, cars, and accessories, impressive operating layout, children`s activity center. |
| Location: |
Bryson City, NC |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Phone: |
828-488-7857 |
| 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 |
