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Museums, History , and Culture in the Blue Ridge Mountains



Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center

Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center
City/State – Mountain City, GA
County – RABUN
Region – North Georgia Mountains
Description – The Foxfire Museum & Heritage Ctr. serves as a functional museum of Southern Appalachia with self-guided tours for visitors, featuring artifact displays in & around 22 log cabins. The Gift Shop offers handmade items, The Foxfire Book series, & a large selection of other books. Gift Shop admission is free; self-guided tours are $6.00 each; children 10 & under are free. Admission includes one souvenir tour booklet per family/group. Mon-Sat, 8:30 to 4:30. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. 706-746-5828

Museum of Radio and Technology

City/State – Huntington, WV
County – CABELL
Region – Metro Valley West Virginia
Description – Largest antique radio museum in the U.S. Over 400 radios in very presentable condition, 1939 RCA World’s Fair TV camera, telegraph items, William Wrigley (chewing gum maker) radio, Predicta Tv’s, much more. http://www.ohio.edu/people/postr/MRT/
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Beverly Heritage Center Local and Regional History Museum
Beverly Heritage Center Local and Regional History Museum
City/State – Beverly, WV
County – RANDOLPH
Region – Potomac Highlands West Virginia
Description – The Beverly Heritage Center is the place to discover the history of the region and its contribution to the First Campaign of the Civil War. http://www.beverlyheritagecenter.org
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Transylvania Heritage Coalition, Inc.
Transylvania Heritage Coalition, Inc.
City/State – Brevard, NC
County – TRANSYLVANIA
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – Transylvania Heritage Museum, in historic house at 189 W. Main St, Brevard, open Wed.-Sat. 10am-5pm. Tour the Museum, browse the gift shop & sit a spell! Donations suggested. http://www.transylvaniaheritage.org
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The Museum and White House of the Confederacy
The Museum and White House of the Confederacy
City/State – Richmond, VA
County – CITY OF RICHMOND
Region – Central Virginia
Description – Come to the Museum of the Confederacy and see artifacts from battles that occurred in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains such as “Stonewall” Jackson’s Valley Campaign, and the Battles of Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. http://www.moc.org
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Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
City/State – Wilmington, NC
County – NEW HANOVER
Region – Costal North Carolina
Description – Standing with quiet dignity and majesty across the river from downtown Wilmington, the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA beckons visitors to walk her decks and envision daily life that her crew faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. http://www.battleshipnc.com
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Settlers Museum of Southwest VA
Settlers Museum of Southwest VA
City/State – Atkins, VA
County – SMYTH
Region – Blue Ridge Highlands – Southwest Virginia
Description – The museum exists to tell the story of the people who settled the mountainous southwest corner of Virginia and to help explain how the area’s unique culture developed. See our restored 1890s era one room school house and farm with original farmhouse and nine outbuildings. http://www.settlersmuseum.com
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Asheville Area Arts Council
Asheville Area Arts Council
City/State – Asheville, NC
County – BUNCOMBE
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – Promoting the arts of WNC, the Asheville Area Arts Council’s 1,400 square ft. Front Gallery represents emerging and established local artists. Some of the Arts Council’s grants programs include Regional Artist Project Grants, Grassroots Arts Grants, and the RBC Centura AIE Initiative Grants. http://www.ashevillearts.com
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The Hollow History Center
The Hollow History Center
City/State – Ararat, VA
County – PATRICK
Region – Blue Ridge Highlands – Southwest Virginia
Description – Open on weekends with summer programs, The Hollow History Center preserves the history of the western part of Patrick County Virginia. http://www.freestateofpatrick.com
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Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
City/State – Asheville, NC
County – BUNCOMBE
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – The boyhood home of North Carolina author Thomas Wolfe, the historic Old Kentucky Home boarding house was made famous as the setting of Wolfe’s 1929 novel “Look Homeward, Angel.” Today the home stands as both a literary landmark and a reminder of a bygone era in American life. http://www.wolfememorial.com
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Walnut Grove Plantation
Walnut Grove Plantation
City/State – Roebuck, SC
County – SPARTANBURG
Region – Upcountry South Carolina
Description – Walnut Grove Plantation is a 1765 backcountry home with several outbuildings, nature trails and a family cemetery. The first weekend of October, the site hosts FestiFall, a colonial living history festival with the raid of “Bloody Bill” Cunningham. Take I-26 to Exit 28 in SC. http://www.spartanarts.org/history
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Old Salem
Old Salem
City/State – Winston-Salem, NC
County – FORSYTH
Region – North Carolina Piedmont
Description – Old Salem includes the historic 1766 town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, the Toy Museum, and the Children’s Musuem. For more information, call 1-888-653-7253 or visit http://www.oldsalem.org
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Scottish Tartans Museum
Scottish Tartans Museum
City/State – Franklin, NC
County – MACON
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – The Scottish Tartans Museum is a non-profit heritage center focused on the tradition of Highland Dress. Exhibits also on the Scottish migration to western NC. Scottish gift shop. On line ordering. http://www.scottishtartans.org
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Wheels Through Time Museum
Wheels Through Time Museum
City/State – Maggie Valley, NC
County – HAYWOOD
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – Come and visit the Museum That Runs with over 200 rare American vintage motorcycles most of which are still operated regularly. Learn about the history of American transportation and see a rare collection of cars, memorabilia and collectibles. http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com
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Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
City/State – Forest, VA
County – BEDFORD
Region – Central Virginia
Description – Discover Jefferson’s retreat now undergoing award-winning restoration and archaeology. Tours Wed.-Mon., April-Nov. except Thanksgiving, 10-4. Hands-on history in summer, 11-2. Independence Day celebration. (434) 525-1806, http://www.poplarforest.org
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Smith-McDowell House Museum
Smith-McDowell House Museum
City/State – Asheville, NC
County – BUNCOMBE
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – Discover Asheville, NC’s first mansion, built around 1840 as the center of a mountain plantation. Now restored with period rooms spanning 1840 to 1900, and changing history exhibits. Located less than 2 miles from Biltmore Estate. http://www.wnchistory.org
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Red Hill - Patrick Henry National Memorial
Red Hill – Patrick Henry National Memorial
City/State – Charlotte, VA
County – CAMPBELL
Region – Central Virginia
Description – RED HILL. Patrick Henry, “Voice of the Revolution” and Virginia’s first governor, lived at Red Hill. Self-guided walking tour includes Henry’s grave, law office, reconstructed home and dependencies. Visitor center, museum, gift shop. http://www.redhill.org
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Colburn Earth Science Museum
Colburn Earth Science Museum
City/State – Asheville, NC
County – BUNCOMBE
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – See the fantastic shapes and colors of minerals from around the world and discover the vast hidden treasures that lie beneath North Carolina’s soil. At the Colburn Earth Science Museum, discover how Earth Science is a part of your everyday life. http://www.colburnmuseum.org
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William King Regional Arts Center
William King Regional Arts Center
City/State – Abingdon, VA
County – WASHINGTON
Region – Blue Ridge Highlands – Southwest Virginia
Description – The Arts Center features museum-standard galleries, classes in the visual & performing arts, & school programs on-site & directly in the schools, as well as resident artist studios, an outdoor sculpture garden, museum store & historic house museum. http://www.wkrac.org
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Blue Ridge Institute & Museum
Blue Ridge Institute & Museum
City/State – Ferrum, VA
County – FRANKLIN
Region – Blue Ridge Highlands – Southwest Virginia
Description – Located at Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA, this institute is the official Blue Ridge Folklore Center of the state of Virginia. http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/
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Museum of Culpeper History
Museum of Culpeper History
City/State – Culpeper, VA
County – CULPEPER
Region – Central Virginia
Description – We have a wonderful collection of artifacts, photos, & memorabilia from Culpeper Counties historic past. Hours of Operation Monday thru Saturday 11AM – 5PM. http://www.culpepermuseum.com/
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Frontier Culture Museum
Frontier Culture Museum
City/State – Staunton, VA
County – STAUNTON CITY
Region – Shenandoah Valley
Description – The Museum of American Frontier Culture is a unique museum which offers 17th, 18th and 19th century European and American history as an experience, featuring appropriate furnishings, crops, animals, foods, and a knowledgeable staff of costumed interpreters that help create a living illustration of life in Europe before immigration to America and the culture they built on one of America’s first frontiers. http://www.frontiermuseum.org/
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Historic Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park
Historic Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park
City/State – Tazewell, VA
County – TAZEWELL
Region – Blue Ridge Highlands – Southwest Virginia
Description – Located in Tazewell, Virginia.A wonderful site with lots of information about calendar of events, demonstrations and more at the museum. http://www.craborchardmuseum.com/
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Historic Long Branch
Historic Long Branch
City/State – Millwood, VA
County – CLARKE
Region – Shenandoah Valley
Description – Exquisitely restored 1811 Greek Revival Mansion situated on a 400 acre working horse farm at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Opulent collection of period furnishings and beautiful gardens. http://www.historiclongbranch.com/
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The Vance Museum
The Vance Museum
City/State – Weaverville, NC
County – BUNCOMBE
Region – Western North Carolina
Description – Located in Weaverville, NC. Features the birthplace of Zebulon Baird Vance. The five-room log house– reconstructed around original chimneys–and its outbuildings are furnished to interpret the period from 1795 to 1840. Also included is the history of Vance’s famous mountain family. http://www.nchistoricsites.org/vance/vance.htm
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