Cherokee Indian Museum

Cherokee presence in Cherokee, NC is vast and strong. Just being in Cherokee makes you want to learn more about their culture and past. There is no better place to gain some knowledge than Cherokee Indian Museum.

 

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian first opened in 1948 and has been at its present location since 1976. The museum went through a major rennovation in 1998, adding an additional 12,000 square feet.

 

The museum recently added a new exhibit which combines computer generated audio, video, and special effects as you go through a self guided tour and browse through the artifacts. The tour tells the story of the Cherokee Tribe, starting back 12,000 years ago and concluding at the present situation of the tribe in Cherokee, North Carolina. In the middle of the tour, there is a section dedicated to the Trail of Tears, when the Cherokee were forceably removed from their homeland.

 

The archive section of the gallery is fairly significant, boasting over 4,000 books, 1,000 photographs dating back to the 1880's, 900 reels of microfilm, and some original material on Cherokee language.

 

Unfortunately, they do not have a geneology section, but if you are interested in tracing roots they will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

The gift shop is loaded with Cherokee tradition. Locally crafted items for sale include baskets, wood carvings, pottery, and beadwork. They also have a very good offering of books on the tribe that covers their history, language, culture, and geneology.

 

In June of every year, the institution sponsors "Cherokee Voices Festival". During the festival, Cherokee people tell their tribal stories, perform music, and share their craft making abilities. The festival also includes classes where you can learn about things such as their language and basket weaving. This is a great time to visit as you can get some hands on training that cannot be gained anywhere else in the world.

The museum opens daily at 9:00AM and closes at 5:00PM. During the summer months, they usually have extended hours in the evening. They are open almost every day of the year, with the exceptions being Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Admission is $9 for adults and $6 for children. If you are the browsing type, you can plan on a tour of the facility to take between one and two hours. However, if you really want to learn about the history and traditions of Cherokee culture, expect to spend between two and four hours during your visit. While staying at Cherokee Cabin, you will definitely get a great history lesson by visiting this very interesting and interactive museum..

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