This is a great little place, to visit for the day. A lot of little shops and no trolls or zombies…read moreout and about. If you looking for a quick visit, this is your place. When looking for the elks and they couldn't be found.

After visiting Navajo Monument Valley last year, coming to Cherokee Indian Reservation made for a…read morefascinating afternoon. The area is beautiful, and it breaks my heart that the Cherokee were forced to leave it on the trail of tears. We were fascinated by the street signs in Cherokee language. Unfortunately, due to the Covid, the tribal village was closed and the outdoor pageant had been cancelled for the whole year. I would have loved to experience both of those and maybe ride a tube down the river as we saw many tourists doing. Driving down mainstreet Cherokee, we saw a few small Native American dance performances. I absolutely realized they were put on for tips and to lure tourists into the gift shops, but I couldn't help to stop and watch. I would love to come back during a "regular" year and experience more of the authentic Cherokee culture. True, there is an ugly casino and cheap tourist trap stores, but there are also some authentic trading posts and much of value to see here. I would recommend making a trip to Mingo Falls if you pass through, very beautiful and accessible without a long hike.

This was a trip back in time to enjoy the tribe showing the ways of crafting, weapons making and…read morethe classic housing. With the finale being the dances of the tribe. This is well worth visiting to see the culture and the wonderful people.

Oconaluftee Indian Village is a great place to visit to learn more about the Cherokee and how they…read morelived in the 1700s. As I bought a combo ticket with Unto the Hills and wasn't given a ticket for the Village I arrived with my receipt and ticket for the show. That was scanned and allowed me in. Tours start about every 15 minutes or when a large enough group is formed. The tour is guided and we stopped at stations to learn about weaving; bead work; woodworking. Some of the stops were at dwellings and ritual sites. We saw traps for animals. They had a unique way to catch fish with the trap that was placed in the water. Some of the stops didn't have anyone working so the guide just talked about it. One guide took us on the tour and two separate guides talked with tour groups mixed together about the customs and rituals in the Council House. There was no dancing done at the dance grounds. They did talk about the different tribes.

BLUF: A very impressive collection of Lionel model trains including a train layout with a few…read moretrains running. Although I like to joke that I am an LGB G scale purist, I was impressed by this collection of model trains which are mostly O gauge trains from Lionel. The display cases are nicely displayed and labeled and the plexi-glass was super clean. Plus, this is a massive collection! While many people will enjoy watching the trains zip around the large layout and pushing the buttons for the interactive layout, my husband loved looking for items from the B&O railroad while I enjoyed looking at models of my favorite locomotives. It was really cool to see models in this collection of some of the greats like Norfolk and Western J-611 and Union Pacific "Big Boy." For kids the museum offers a scavenger hunt but I think my husband and I would have had fun doing that ourselves! Admission to the museum is included with a train ride on the GSMR. We were able to visit the museum the day before our train ride by showing our ticket to the staff at the gift shop. We appreciated their flexibility in letting us visit the museum a day ahead of our train ride so we weren't rushed.

Very cool place especially if you love trains.. lots and lots of history in trains from different…read moreplaces and toy models you can see.. very interesting to learn and speak to employees.. I love watching the trains.. there is huge display you can walk around see something different from different angles..

Excellent historical displays filled with fascinating artifacts. Free entry, donations appreciated…read more Extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff. A must-visit stop for history buffs!

If you're in Franklin NC, I recommend stopping in to the Macon County Historical Museum to take-in…read moresome of the local history of the area. Entry is free and donations are appreciated. There are two floors with a lot to see, the creaky wooden floors are fun too. The left side of the museum is setup as a timeline dating back from the 1900's to 10,000 BC and showcases Native American and Cherokee artifacts. The right side of the museum covers WWI history leading up to the modern era. Volunteers here are friendly, welcoming, and will take time to answer any visitor questions. We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Franklin, so we had to breeze through rather quick, but I could have easily spent 45-minutes here looking more deeply into the stories behind many of the artifacts. Like Nancy mentioned in here review, there is a lot of dust in here, and she wasn't kidding. I wasn't bothered by it as much as her; however, she is allergic to dust and had to get out before congestion sets in; so, keep that in mind if you do stop by. All-in-all, great way to learn about the local history while in town but definitely needs a good dusting service performed throughout.

We were in the area and came across the Wheels Through Time museum. I am a rider, though my mother…read moreis not, but it still interested her so we decided to go for a walk through. What they have done here is quite frankly astounding. A significant portion of the motorcycles on display are still running, and are fired up on a regular basis for patrons to hear, see, and receive the visceral impact of what those bikes are truly like. The bikes are primarily of American heritage, with very few European or Japanese bikes making a showing, but that is alright. The representation of manufacturers, many of them now defunct, is excellent. For any motorcycle enthusiast, this is definitely a place that they should visit at some point. The scenery in the area is amazing for a rider, and the historical heritage that is represented inside this museum is top notch.

This place truly is something special! Good for all ages…read moreyoung and mature. The displays are awesome and gives you quite the history lesson. Everything in the museum runs and they will start anything for you. They have employees that go around and ask if you have any questions about anything on display. Two floors filled with awesomeness! They also have a gift shop area filled with goodies to take home with you. The employees there are very friendly and helpful. Also, they are currently raffling off a motorcycle that you can have a chance to win. Lastly I want to mention that they switch out the displays so if you've been here before they are always adding in new stuff. Do yourself a favor and go check this place out!

Celebrated the 75th year of this outdoor musical theater event with my first visit…read more We purchased tickets ahead of time on the website, which was quite easy to navigate. Seats have plenty of space between your knees and the seat back in front of you; if your feet don't quite touch the ground they have footrests you can borrow from the ushers, a nice touch. Parking was easy to navigate and clearly marked. The preshow was jovial and included both music and a closing choreographed piece. This was worth arriving at 7:30 to enjoy. The performance itself was well done, with more dance numbers than I had expected. The occasional cannon and musket blasts kept us alert and the actor/dancers were enthusiastic and fun to watch. The history as presented was consistent with other sources we experienced this trip to Cherokee country.

Head to the Great Smoky Mountains & there you'll find "Unto These Hills". A story of the Cherokee…read morebefore the Trail of Tears up to present day. The outdoor drama is performed in a 2100 seat amphitheater. This is their 75th Anniversary season that runs from 5/31/25-8/23/25. Unfortunately we got rained out & weren't able to see the show, however we did have the Pre-Show Dinner ($20 each). Note, I recommend buying the $5 Performance Insurance since The Smokies are in a rainforest & rain is always likely...bring a poncho & blanket too. My husband saw the show many years ago & said it was amazing, I'm assuming it still is today. The scenery was gorgeous, very lush & green. There were several attendants directing cars & a greeter instructing where to get tickets. Most of the instructions given were quite unclear & confusing. All of us waiting for dinner had no instructions of what to do once we found our tables. Our meal consisted of Pulled Chicken BBQ, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Hushpuppies, a drink & a Cookie for dessert. The dinner was not good & it was not homemade. The meal was very bland & lacked flavor. With that said, next time I'm in the beautiful Smokies I will go to see the show & hope I don't get rained out!

I saw this place on tiktok by Daisytown and also Elkmont. The drive out here is a lil wonky and…read morewill take a long time to get out here. If you are handicap, you dont have to pay for parking. But otherwise you need to get a day pass at the visitor center.

Thanks to Google Maps (and my thorough trip itinerary planning), I had discovered the historic…read more(once a) "ghost town" of Elkmont. For America's most visited national park, it can be difficult to escape the crowds within the Great Smoky Mountains--yet Elkmont is one place to do just that! This Little River Valley was once home to a pioneer Appalachian community, a logging town, and later a resort community. To this day, old relics and abandoned buildings from the past remain--awaiting to be explored. The area was settled in the 1840s as the town of Little River when a logging company was formed. A railroad was later constructed to transport timber for the Little River Lumber Company. This eventually allowed the wealthy from Knoxville to visit what eventually became a resort town. When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was was established in 1934, residents were given the option to sell their homes at full price and relocate, or sell to the National Park Service (NPS) for a discounted price allowing them to live there until they become deceased. By 1992, most of the homes remained vacant or with expired leases leading 70+ historic buildings into a state of deterioration. Thankfully the NPS decided to renovate and preserve 19 buildings in Elkmont for public visitation. You can now find the Elkmont Historic District with cabins along Jakes Creek Road that were completed around 1997. They attempted to keep the buildings in the closest original condition--even their exterior paint colors! Each cabin has information about the tenants and any unique features. Unfortunately, the cabins cannot be brought up to code for renting or staying inside. However, the largest lodge known as the Appalachian Club is available as an event venue. Continue to explore the Old Elkmont Cemetery up a rocky road near the beginning of Elkmont Road, or choose to hike the Jakes Creek or Little River Trails where you will venture past less discovered old chimneys, walls and tractors that still remain. Directions: Coming from Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge or Cherokee, turn to go west on Fighting Creek Gap Road toward Cade's Cove (turn off near the Sugarlands Visitor Center). After the Laurel Falls trailhead, watch for signs to Elkmont Campground. Follow Elkmont Road all the way til it becomes a loop drive at Jakes Creek Trail Trailhead.

The Jackson County Public Library sits inside the old courthouse at the top of the hill, and the…read moresetting alone makes it worth the visit. You can climb the 98 steps if you want the full Sylva experience but it is absolutely driveable and there is a proper parking lot right beside the building, which makes your visit a lot easier. Once inside, the space feels bright and open, with the kind of modern layout that still respects the bones of the historic structure. The windows give the place a calm, airy feel, and a few of the seating areas look out over the city of Sylva that makes you want to linger a little longer. There is plenty of room to spread out, racks of books arranged neatly and a mix of quiet corners and open tables depending on what you need. I was only here briefly and did not have a chance to test the wifi, but everything else about the library suggested a well maintained and thoughtfully run library. It is the kind of place that blends history and everyday usefulness without trying too hard, and it fills like a natural fit for the old historic courthouse rather than a forced reuse of the space. [Review 532 of 2026 - 4627 in North Carolina - 25714 overall]

Visiting from the city & needed to work on my laptop. What a great library! Take the elevator to…read morethe second floor . There were also plugs on the table which made it easy to charge devices.