Museum of the Cherokee Indian

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The Cherokee Indian 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 the 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 Indian, starting back 12,000 years ago and concluding at the present situation of the tribe in Cherokee, NC. 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 museum 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 the 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 Museum of the Cherokee Indian opens daily at 9:00AM. They are open almost every day of the year. Admission is $9 for adults and $6 for children. While staying at Cherokee Cabin, you will definitely get a great history lesson by visiting the Cherokee Indian Museum.

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