The Cherokee Museum - Smoky Mountains in North Carolina

[ Back to Cherokee ] [ Rod's Guide Magazine ]

The Museum of The Cherokee Indian Authentically presenting and preserving thousands of years of Cherokee history and culture are the objectives of The Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Within its walls visitors will find one of the finest exhibits of Indian artifacts in the United States and through audio-visual presentations and displays learn about untold generations of Cherokee history. On the Museum's entrance grounds is a twenty-foot, hand-carved statue of Sequoyah, the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet. Made of California redwood, the monument was chiseled over a four month period in 1990 by Peter Wolf Toth, a Hungarian sculptor who has completed several other statues across the United States featuring Native Americans. The statue has become one of Cherokee's most popular photo locations. [ continued ]

nside the museum visitors set their own pace. One of the first presentations informs guests about how the Cherokee came to this region, how much territory they once claimed and how, through various treaties, lost much of their original lands.

Throughout the spacious facility, Indian artifacts from throughout North America are displayed along with those whose makers were Cherokee. Farming utensils, weapons of hunting and war, clothing, copies of the first photographs taken of the Cherokee people, pottery, baskets and hosts of other historical items are attractively and educationally displayed.

A small theater shows visitors the Cherokee of today through a brief but highly informative video presentation. It highlights the progress which has been realized in recent years on the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary) through many innovative ideas and the determination of tribal leaders and the members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The museum is well-known for its offering of Cherokee books and hand-crafted items available in its gift shop area. A large art gallery adjacent to the shop attractively displays art and photographs by Indian and non-Indian artists.

During late 1997 and early 1998, the Museum will undergo a major renovation. One of the planned new exhibits is a "walk" along the Trail of Tears plus many other interactive exhibits.

Open daily except New Years, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the museum is located on US 441 at Drama Road. An admission fee of $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for children six through 12 is charged. Group tour and general information may be obtained by phoning 704-497-3481.

 

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