The Blue Ridge Parkway (and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountain towns) is heaving with options for amazing outdoor adventures.
But whether it’s a rainy day, unseasonably cold, or a brutally hot scorcher, sometimes you just want to be inside for a few hours.
There are countless museums along the Parkway and in neighboring towns that add insight and historical context to help deepen our appreciation of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Read for our guide to the 10 best Blue Ridge Parkway museums to visit, including attractions devoted to local minerals, transportation, music, and the lives of both indigenous people and early Appalachian settlers.
READ MORE: 30 Fun Facts About Appalachian Scots-Irish History & Culture
1. Museum of North Carolina Minerals
214 Parkway Maintenance Rd (MP 331), Spruce Pine NC • 828-765-2761 • Official Website
2. Mingus Mill
Mingus Creek Trail, Newfound Gap Rd, Cherokee NC • 865-436-1200 • Official Website
Located about half a mile north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee NC, Mingus Mill is a historic grist mill built in 1886.
This mill is special in that it uses a water-powered turbine to power the mill, rather than the more traditional water wheel.
Visitors can walk the grounds, and during the summer a miller is inside the mill ready to demonstrate how corn has been ground for centuries.
You can even buy some freshly ground cornmeal and other baking essentials to take home!
READ MORE: Visiting Mingus Mill in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
3. Mountain Farm Museum
1194 Newfound Gap Rd, Cherokee NC • 828-497-1904 • Official Website
Located right beside the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the Mountain Farm Museum is a recreation of a late 19oos farmstead.
It was created from original farm buildings, cabins, and other structures that were found throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
There’s a barn, an apple house, a working blacksmith shop, and several other structures you can explore. There are often interpretive demos going on, helping you get a sense of what life was like over 100 years ago.
They also offer a 30-minute, self-guided audio tour for rent to help give you a fuller experience.
READ MORE: The Appalachian Culture & History of the Blue Ridge Mountains
4. Museum of the Cherokee People
589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee NC • 828-497-3481 • Official Website
The Museum of the Cherokee People is one of the oldest tribal museums in the country.
It was established in 1948, and is located within the Qualla Boundary, the sovereign land of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the ancestral homeland of all Cherokees.
The museum, which is in the midst of major renovations, seeks to share Cherokee culture and history through a variety of permanent and changing exhibitions.
It does an excellent job of tracing the story of the Cherokee people over the course of 11,000 years, from ancient times to the present day.
READ MORE: Visiting the Museum of the Cherokee People in Cherokee NC
5. Oconaluftee Indian Village
564 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee NC • 828-497-2111 • Official Website
Rated the 3rd-best open-air museum in the country, the Oconaluftee Indian Village gives visitors a chance to experience what life was like for the Cherokee people during the 18th century.
A guided tour will take you through various arts and crafts demonstrations, as well as offering a chance to look inside some historic buildings.
There are often special shows scheduled, such as the “Time of War” traditional dance performance.
They also offer a picnic area and concession stands to get a bite to eat, plus a gift shop where you can buy a souvenir of your visit.
READ MORE: Exploring Oconaluftee Indian Village & Visitor Center in Cherokee NC
6. Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center
One Lodge St, Asheville NC • 800-411-3812 • Official Website
Located at Blue Ridge Parkway MP 382, just 11 miles from Downtown Asheville, the Folk Art Center is arguably the finest collection of Appalachian arts and crafts in the USA.
The Center dates back to 1890, when Frances Goodrich came to Asheville NC to do missionary work. In an effort to help Appalachian women who wove traditional quilts, she founded the Allanstand Craft Shop in 1900.
Founded in 1930, the Southern Highland Craft Guild is the second oldest craft organization in the US. They opened the FAC in 1980, with 3 galleries, a library, an auditorium, and the historic Allanstand Craft Shop.
With over 1,000 artists and craftspeople representing 9 southeastern states, the Guild’s permanent collection features 3,500+ pieces dating back to the dawn of the 20th century.
From stunning quilts, woven baskets, and pottery to turned wood, furniture, and stained glass, it’s an extraordinary testament to the creativity of the Blue Ridge region.
READ MORE: Visiting the Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center
7. Hickory Ridge History Museum
591 Horn in the West Dr, Boone NC • 828-264-2120 • Official Website
If you’re interested in early American history, this popular Boone NC living history attraction is a must-see.
Visitors can take a tour of 6 historic cabins complete with artifacts and paraphernalia from 1785-1805. The outdoor museum recreates life in a small mountain community around the time of the Revolutionary War.
You can see how pioneers survived, living off the land, cooking on open fires, spinning yarn, and weaving. Staff in period dress help immerse you in the life of our colonial ancestors.
This is a great outing for the whole family: Don’t miss their popular performances of the stage production, “Horn in the West”!
READ MORE: The Hickory Ridge Living History Museum & “Horn in the West” in Boone NC
8. Blue Ridge Music Center
Music Center Rd, Galax VA• 276-236-5309 • Official Website
Located right off the BRP at MP 213 in Galax VA, the Blue Ridge Music Center is more than just a museum.
Here, you can learn all about the music of these mountains at the “Roots of American Music” exhibit, which is found at the Visitor Center and Museum.
You’ll explore the region’s rich musical heritage through a collection of family stories, instruments, and interactive displays, and learn about how the banjo and fiddle shaped American music.
Visitors can also enjoy daily live music for free, or get tickets to a summer concert at their amphitheater.
READ MORE: Exploring the Blue Ridge Music Center Near Galax VA
9. Virginia Museum of Transportation
303 Norfolk Ave SW, Roanoke VA • 540-342-5670 • Official Website
The 100-year-old freight station in Roanoke VA now houses the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
This popular Virginia museum has been collecting historical transportation artifacts since 1963, and now boasts an amazing collection of automobiles and trains.
There’s a huge room filled with cool vintage and antique cars from every era (including the first electric car). Outside are enormous trains, many of which look like they were plucked straight from Harry Potter.
In short, you’ll find something at this museum to impress even the most skeptical of folks who claim, “I’m not really into cars!”
READ MORE: Exploring the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke VA
10. Frontier Culture Museum
1290 Richmond Rd, Staunton VA • 540-332-7850 • Official Website
The Frontier Cultural Museum is the largest open-air museum in the Shenandoah Valley, and it’s a top-notch place for family fun in Virginia.
Visitors can learn all about local indigenous tribes, the arrival of European settlers, and the agonizing journey of enslaved people to the first permanent British colony in North America.
You can also learn about what daily life was like for early settlers in the region, who worked the land and practiced traditional skills such as spinning, weaving, and blacksmithing. –by Emma Gallagher; lead photo by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett
