We love history, and one of my favorite things about exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains is getting a chance to learn how my Scots-Irish ancestors lived when they settled the region 250+ years ago.
Though survival for those early Appalachian settlers was undoubtedly difficult, there’s something we find intrinsically appealing about their simpler way of life.
The idea of finding a place where you’re surrounded by the beauty of nature, nestled away from the bustling cities, living off the land and being as self-sufficient as possible has a nostalgic allure.
While most of us won’t be raising livestock, churning butter, or making our own clothes, living history museums offer a way to understand how our forbearers lived, and the cultural elements they embraced.
Thankfully there are dozens of these immersive historic attractions scattered throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains, covering everything from the American Revolution and 19th century farm life to Cherokee history, music history, and more.
Read on for our guide to the 10 Best Living History Museums in the Blue Ridge Mountains, including options in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Museums to Visit
1. Birthplace of Country Music Museum
101 Country Music Wy, Bristol VA • 276-285-3831 • Official Website
If you visit Bristol TN/VA, this museum is a must-see, even if you’re not a huge fan of country music. It’s incredibly interesting, focusing on a single recording session that changed the face of popular music.
This 1927 recording session included country music pioneers like the Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers. But there was also blues, hillbilly music, gospel, and other genres, showcasing the region’s unique sound.
The museum features myriad interactive exhibits, original recordings, and the original recording studio (which still functions and broadcasts today).
Visiting the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is one of the more unusual things to do in Bristol, and it’s unique to the city. In our experience, it’s also one of the best things to do in Bristol TN/VA for families!
READ MORE: The 10 Best Hotels in Bristol TN/VA (With Pet-Friendly Options!)
2. Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center
If you have any interest in how Appalachian history has shaped the culture of North Georgia mountains, a visit to the Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center near Clayton GA is simply a must.
Located next to Black Rock Mountain State Park, the attraction dates back to 1966, when students at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School created a magazine about the traditions of southern Appalachia (which later evolved into a popular series of Foxfire books).
This living history museum, built in 1974, currently features 20 different historic buildings and countless artifacts from the region’s pioneer era (1820s to 1940s).
From classic Blue Ridge cabins and a blacksmith shop to a tribute to the Cherokee Indians that once called this part of Northeast GA home, Foxfire is an essential attraction for anyone interested in Appalachian culture and mountain life.
READ MORE: Appalachian Culture & History of the Blue Ridge Mountains
3. 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.
Museum visitors can interact with living history actors who share stories about frontier history and life while mending clothing, caring for animals, and tending the garden.
You can also 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.
The homesteads on the Staunton VA property represent early American, Scotch-Irish, German, and English settlements, all moved from their original sites and painstakingly restored on the museum grounds.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Staunton VA
4. Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
123 Cromwell Dr, Townsend TN • 865-448-0044 • Official Website
Located in less than a mile outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend TN, the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center was built in 2005 to preserve countless ancient artifacts that had been excavated from Tuckaleechee Cove, and to tell the stories of the people behind them.
The museum offers an array of attractions that will thrill history buffs, from authentic 19th century buildings in a Historic Village & Farmstead and historic interpreters in authentic dress to an extensive collection of Native American artifacts.
But they also have lots of educational programming, hands-on activities for all ages, festivals & other special events, and a Summer Concert Series in their covered 375-seat amphitheater.
They also offer guided bus tours of the nearby Cades Cove section of GSMNP, where sightings of black bears and other animals are very common!
READ MORE: The 10 Best Great Smoky Mountains Resorts in NC & TN
5. Hardman Farm State Historic Site
143 GA-17, Sautee Nacoochee GA • 706-878-1077 • Official Website
Located near Helen GA, the Hardman Farm State Historic Site was built in the 1870s by Captain James Nichols. Later owned by GA governor Dr. Lamartine Hardman, the Italianate-style house was named “West End” for its position relative to the Nacoochee Valley.
Today, guided tours include the bedroom that once belonged to Nichols’ daughter Anna Ruby, the namesake of nearby Anna Ruby Falls.
Visitors will also see the property’s horse barn, cow pasture, and a large dairy barn where milk was processed in the early 19th century.
This historic site is also famous for the gazebo-topped Nacoochee Indian Mound, which was used as a burial site long before the Cherokee people made their way into Georgia.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Sautee Nacoochee GA
6. 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 town 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 ever-popular performances of the stage production, “Horn in the West”!
READ MORE: Hickory Ridge Living History Museum & “Horn in the West”
7. Luray Valley Museum & Shenandoah Heritage Village
101 Cave Hill Rd, Luray VA • 540-743-6551 • Official Website
One of our favorite parts of the Luray Caverns complex, this historical museum offers an immersive introduction to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in the mid-19th century. It features a killer collection of local artifacts, most of which date from the 1750s to 1920s.
From there you’ll head outdoors to the Shenandoah Heritage Village, which includes 6 local buildings that range from 135 to nearly 200 years old. All of them contain countless antiques from their respective eras.
The Shenk Farm House (built in 1876) remains on land where the family ran a successful farm for multiple generations. But the Elk Run Dunkard Meeting House (early 1800s), Bell House (circa 1835), Blacksmith Shop (circa 1850), and Burner Barn (circa 1860) were all moved here from a few miles away.
Their newest historical building– the Hamburg Regular School (circa 1885)– is one of the oldest one-room African-American schoolhouses that remains in the state of Virginia.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Luray VA
8. Mountain Farm Museum
1194 Newfound Gap Rd, Cherokee NC • 828-497-1904 • Official Website
Located beside the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Cherokee NC, the Mountain Farm Museum is an immersive recreation of a late 1900s Appalachian 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 other structures you can explore. There are often interpretive demos going on, helping you get a sense of what mountain life was like 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 15 Best Cabins in Cherokee NC for Rent
9. New Echota State Historic Site
1211 GA-225, Calhoun GA • 706-624-1321 • Official Website
Located near the Oostanaula River in Calhoun GA, the New Echota State Historic Site was the site of the tribal capital established by the Cherokee national legislature, and also the site of the first Cherokee newspaper and Supreme Court house.
A faction led by Major Ridge met with U.S. Government officials at New Echota in 1835, ultimately signing a treaty that led to their forced removal of the Cherokee. They claimed to represent the entire tribe, but in fact represented an elite minority of less than 500 members.
The Treaty of New Echota is considered to be the beginning of the Trail of Tears. Once it was ratified by the Senate and signed into law by Andrew Jackson, many Cherokee warriors gathered at New Echota to fight.
Today the Native American historic site includes 12 original and reconstructed buildings, including the Council House, Court House, Print Shop, an Inn, and several private homes.
Visitors can also view interpretive exhibits and purchase souvenirs, or take hiking trails leading to the New Town Creek and a small beaver pond.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Historic Sites in Georgia to Visit
10. Oconaluftee Indian Village
564 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee NC • 828-497-2111 • Official Website
Rated the 3rd-best open-air museum in the USA, 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 & 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. –reviews by Bret Love, Jonathan Engels, Emma Gallagher, Heather Taylor & Jon Weaver
