The Mountain Farm Museum is a fascinating historical site located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park
15 Minutes
Spring & Fall
~$5 per Vehicle
Overview
This open-air museum gives visitors an idea of what it was like to line in and work on mountain farms over 100 years ago. The chestnut wood log farmhouse is surrounded by other farm buildings from past old farms that were found in their original site across Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The log cabin and other buildings were relocated to make one museum.
Mountain Farm Museum Plan
Before getting to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center when we entered Great Smoky Mountains National Park through the Cherokee Entrance, we didn’t even know the Mountain Farm Museum was there. We only had a day to spend in the park, and the only thing we planned to do without a doubt was Clingmans Dome. The rest we just decided on a whim as we drove through and explored the park.
When we stopped at the first visitor center to get a parking tag, go to the gift shop, pick up a Junior Ranger book, and get a Passport Book stamp, we found the Mountain Farm Museum behind the building. One of the rangers had a telescope pointed out to the herd of elk in the field. He told us about the elk, the Oconaluftee River Trail, and the Mountain Farm Museum.
Once we finished in the visitors center, we decided to start our day here. We walked on the Oconaluftee River Trail for about half a mile before turning around to go back to the Mountain Farm Museum on the way back to the parking lot.
Getting There
Location
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located in the Appalachian Mountains on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. The park is split by the state border line. There are three main entrances from Cherokee in North Carolina, Gatlinburg in Tennessee, and Townsend in Tennessee.
Best Time to Go
The best seasons for Great Smoky Mountains National Park are spring and fall. Temperatures aren’t blistering hot like they can be in the summer, and there’s no snow on the ground. We were here the first week in October and the weather was perfect. In the higher elevations, we needed a jacket on over our pants and T-shirts. At the lower elevations, such as in the Mountain Farm Museum, we were fine without the extra layer.
Mountain Farm Museum
Who Can Go?
The Mountain Farm Museum is situated along the first quarter-mile of the Oconaluftee River Trail. The trail is packed gravel making it suitable for both wheelchairs and strollers. From the trail, you can see all of the buildings in the museum, but it may be a little difficult to get closer since you have to go through the grass to get up to the buildings.
What You'll See
The Mountain Farm Museum is a recreation of what it would have been like for early settlers in the late 19th century in the Appalachian region. All of the authentic log structures were found around the park and relocated from their original locations to make one farm.
The buildings include The John E Davis house which originally stood in the Indian Creek area north of Bryson City. This log house was built from chestnut logs before the chestnut blight devastated the American Chestnut in our forests in the 1930s and 1940s.
Some of the other structures include a barn, a working blacksmith shop, a hen house, a hog pen, a smokehouse, an apple house, a corn crib, a meat house, and a springhouse. Visitors will also see what the historical gardens and agricultural practices were at that time, including the livestock. There are even chickens running around the area.
What to Bring & Wear
Bring your camera to take photos with the historic buildings and sturdy shoes for walking on the hard gravel trail.
Where to Go
The Oconaluftee Visitor Center and the Mountain Farm Museum are located just inside the park boundaries at the Cherokee Entrance on the south side of the park.
How Long Does it Take?
We spent about 15 minutes wandering through and around the old buildings. The park also offers a 30-minute self-guided audio tour for rent in the visitor center. It covers topics such as gardening, social life, and beekeeping in the mountains.
Cost
There’s no charge for the Mountain Farm Museum, although if you plan to be there for more than 15 minutes you’ll need a parking tag for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park itself doesn’t charge an entrance fee, but you must have a parking tag. This tag is good throughout the entire park for the day.
Tips for Mountain Farm Museum
- During the summer months, park staff and volunteers grow squash, corn, and tomatoes in the outdoor gardens.
- Check the schedule for interpretive programs and demonstrations from staff and volunteers in period costumes at the farm. Live demonstrations often include blacksmithing, weaving, or cooking over an open fire.
- If you like historic buildings, you can also check out the Mingus Mill, a historic gristmill with a water wheel used to