One of the final things we did on our recent trip to the Smoky Mountains was visit the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend, Tennessee. If you haven’t been, it’s a wonderful museum both inside and out explaining the rich history of the area.

In the main building, the museum is laid out beginning with when Native Americans inhabited the land and ending with present day. Displays full of artifacts weave their way through each time period, including structures and vignettes showing how life was in the eastern Tennessee area.

To the right of this area, there is a transportation museum containing an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century vehicles that were used in everyday life in Southern Appalachia.

Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch, I managed to lose all photographs I took of these two areas.

However, I was able to preserve the photographs I took of the Historic Village that is located in the back of the property. Here, thirteen buildings have been restored and rebuilt from properties around the area, recreating what life was like in the 19th and early 20th century. From pole barns to an old moonshine still, this area was fascinating.

The property also includes an amphitheater and gift shop. The museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 12-5. Admission is $10/adults, $8/Seniors 60+, $7/children 6-17, and children 5 and under are free.

We highly recommend this stop on your tour through the Great Smoky Mountains.

Jennifer Skinnell is the author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon. Click here for all the details.