Museum of the Cherokee People

I had the pleasure of visiting this museum a few weeks ago. Now called the Museum Of The Cherokee People, this lovely place is getting some much needed attention and renewal! Museums need to be updated and kept to current standards held by the communities they represent. I found all the new additional information and signs to be refreshing, and asking some great questions about old exhibits. When a museum represents a people and their culture it is so important that the people behind the museum are said people. It’s so exciting to see new changes such as an exhibition space! Bringing past and present together as it should be! Focusing on Native voices.

We loved very nice friendly staff. They exhibits were nicely done. Would recommend to all my friends to go there when they are vactioning in tje Gatlinburh area. Bit of a drive but worth it.

Wonderful learning experience about the Cherokee people. Ignorant as I was, I had been unaware of the remaining band of Eastern Cherokee who remained in NC during the devastating "resettlement" aka forced removal of the 1800s. They have endured and I am proud to be educated and do my best to further knowledge of their history to my young ones.

Neat museum, took about an hour to go through reading almost all the information on each exhibit. Would have liked more details that tied into local culture and the modern day.

Still under renovation, only two rooms open: pottery (contemporary) and “Sovereignty” exhibition. Very little historical or cultural interpretation. Save your money and visit the Qualla Arts store across the street, buy a gift there. Photos show 3/4 of the exhibits.

Today April 21 was our first visit to the museum. The receptionist who is also an artist , her name is Tyra Many wasn't friendly or polite , she refused to shake hand with my beloved son Marwan and said she is afraid of germs !!!! She shouldn't be the face person of the museum and definitely she gives us a very bad image of the museum. Any how , we completed our visit , you have a good collection which tell the heroic history of the Cherokee nation .

Disappointed. There were only a few things that looked like artifacts, but no notation as to the age. They could have been replicas or they could have been artifacts. The story being told was a bit difficult to follow due to some things being poorly signed and others painted words on the wall with distractions that took my eyes away from the message. It was like there were no narratives to follow.

Date of Visit: December 27, 2024 It was an okay experience. I’m not sure if that’s all they have to offer, but if it is, I hope they’ll consider adding more. I felt like there wasn’t much to help us understand how their tribe or nation started and flourished. Since it’s a museum, I was expecting to see more from the past. There were only two small rooms—on the left was their pottery, and on the right were artifacts from the past, but there wasn’t much to see overall. We were done in 30 minutes.

The museum is the centerpiece of this Cherokee town. Of course, Indian reservations are not common in the Eastern part of the country, a subject which the museum explains at length. The building is a bit old and tired, and was seemingly undergoing some significant work upon my visit, so there was no introductory movie and no art exhibition (save an extensive gift shop). The open part of the museum largely focuses on early history, with archaeological artifacts and stories about the American Revolutionary period and the Trail of Tears. There is not much about the contemporary issues of these people, though one room did memorialize a tribe member's exemplary military service. I suspect the museum has more to offer when fully open, as it was less than an hour for me. However, it is clearly a different experience than the National Museum of the American Indian; being on a reservation and run by the people who live here, one gets the sense this is a perspective you wouldn't get otherwise.

I wanted to like this place. We drove over from Gatlinburg to see it. The museum is really one room and not that much in it. It's a brief history of the Cherokee people but I was wanting more. They had a special exhibit on pottery but it was amateur pottery inspired by a pro. The gift shop was as big as the exhibit room if not bigger. It wasn't much do I felt good helping out the community. It would be nice to have more native art, and more about the people and their history.

This is a nice museum that tells the story of the Cherokee, their culture and their forced removal from the area. We stopped here on the way into Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Not worth the trip or the price. Not much on display but you can buy a hat for thousands of dollars.

The last stop on our family day trip was a visit to The Museum of the Cherokee Indian. My niece treated all of us for the $12.00 admission fee. The people working in the building were friendly, and would ask people where they were from. The tour is self guided with several items on display. This tour reminded of visiting the Lorraine Motel(civil rights museum) in Memphis, TN. The Native Americans were treated so badly and lied to. One of the displays is the Trail of Tears. There's a gift shop at the end of the tour. If you haven't visited The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, stop by for an educational visit. The 4 stars are because the bathroom was dirty.

Main exhibit was closed when we went. Still got charged full price for the visit. Was only able to see pottery and another small exhibit with a handful of "relics". Really just a bumming experience because there wasn't a whole lot to see

The Cherokee Museum of the Cherokee Indian is well worth a visit if you are looking to learn the history of the area and about the people. Face masks are required to be worn while inside the museum and this was enfor ced. The museum offers discounted admission for AAA Members. Some of the museum was closed so I didn't get to see the overview video. But there were beautiful murals and the exhibits were informative with lots to read. Some exhibits were also hands on. It appeared that some of the exhibits had an audio guide to them. But I didn't see anyone with an audio device so that must not have been an option when I was there. I'd like to go back when the museum is fully open and demonstrations are taking place.

Incredible and informative museum that is a must for any North Carolinian or visitor or Cherokee/the Smokies. My cousins and I learned so much from this beautiful museum. It's full of history that none of us had learned growing up in NC. We enjoyed every bit of the museum. I also got the audio tour, which was a $2 add on. Some orators give you extra details when walking through the exhibit. The history was presented through stories, visuals, several interactives, and of course artifacts, which we all took our time to read and absorb. We were also lucky enough to be able to view the "Disruption" exhibit - a collaboration with native artists sprinkled throughout the museum. Loved seeing the modern art with the historical artifacts. We were blown away by it all. There's also a lovely gift shop at the end of the exhibit where you can support the museum by purchasing books, art, beauty products, and other native made goods. An absolute must visit for anyone.

Do NOT go! I've been here a few times in the past and really thought highly of the museum. Unfortunately, the main exhibit has been closed. They have a very small exhibit available now. They charge a reduced fee of $8 for what should be $1 or $2 max. They don't know when the main museum will reopen but when it does some of the most interesting and well done parts likely will not be there. The point is that any review is outdated and irrelevant due to this closure.

Lovely stop in Cherokee. I loved how the history of the Cherokee Indians were depicted throughout the museum. We bought our tickets from a nice and professional lady there. She gave us a military discount of $2 and excellent service.Adult tickets were $11 for us. Customer service went downhill after we left her. The seven clans and the 7 pointed star symbol of the Cherokees were interesting to me. The hand carved masks were a highlight of the museum. The museum was clean and well kept. 5 stars for the museum. 0-1 star for Customer Service I docked off one star because the staff was very cold and didn't really interact with me. They did interact with a few people. They were all over the museum with tables showing pottery and basket weaving. They ignored me and other people. They seemed sad and despondent. I asked for change to use a coin machine and gave the cashier $20. She messed up on giving me change repeatedly and had to get help from her manager. Crazy! The manager said the cashier was not use to giving that much change (like it was my fault)! Wow. Who knew simple math was hard for a cashier? No offense. Being a cashier or doing retail in a shop is a no brainer job with technology. I have done these jobs especially when the cash register crashed. Luckily, the museum managed to be a delightful visit despite the poor customer service.

This is a very confusing exhibit. There are modern art pieces interspersed with historical plaques and artifacts that make it difficult to tell what is factual and what is interpretive. It looks like there used to be an introductory film that was not running when we were there. It's really small. The scant history is interesting but there is so little of it.

It was okay. Informative with lots to read but very little "artifacts". It spoke a lot about different tribes but not so much on just the Cherokee people. Slightly disappointed the theater was closed and the talking tree which you were supposed to be able to use to say things in their language was not working.

The staff is so unfriendly and the printed statements all over the museum certainly do not make you want to stay any longer. Everything is way over priced

$12 to get in. Shabby and incomplete exhibits litter the walk through. The building clearly needs repairs and upgrades. A video mini theatre was down and so signs were posted to skip that part. The gift shop was 50% empty. The "pity us" story narrative doesn't reflect the great wealth they now possess from the casino revenues. This is conveniently omitted.

This is a beautiful exhibit that must be seen. We went on a Monday at 9:20 am and were almost there alone. A Senior High School trip came in about 20 minutes or so after us. The whole exhibit took us about 90 minutes to see. If you are a AAA or AARP member your entry fee is only $11 and it's well worth it.

Small , but nice exhibits. Excellent when paired with a tour of the Oconoluftee Village up the hill. Wonderful gift shop, and Qualla Arts is right across the street, a must see.

We came on a Sunday on our way back from Smokies. The nearby folk village was not open so we came here. The museum is well done and very informational, but some of the rooms were really dark. There are a few interactive elements, lots of plaques with explanations, and of course a gift shop. You can choose either to breeze through and see the exhibits, or read all the plaques for a greater understanding. Great way to learn about the history of the Cherokee -- both the good and the bad. FYI: They have discounted admission for AAA and other groups.

We've been here many times over the years ... mostly for the gift shop. The museum itself is great for the first couple of times through, but we love the art and merch they offer at the shop. Usually. The last time we went (May 2023) they didn't have much in the way of merch. They might have been remodeling? Hard to tell without any signage. It was a little bit disappointing, but still a necessary stop whenever we're in the area.

tl;dr - moving museum that tells history from a Cherokee perspective This museum presents an intimate history of the Cherokee people from prehistoric times up to modern day. It starts off with ancient artifacts like arrowheads and pottery, then transitions into the colonial era with details of trade and English-Cherokee interactions. There are a couple walls on how the Cherokee adapted to the presence of settlers, including a cool wall about the formation of the the Cherokee syllabary (alphabet), and then different perspectives on resettlement and the Trail of Tears. Finally, it ends off with celebrating a couple of modern Cherokee leaders into a spacious and well done gift shop. The part of the museum on resettlement and the Trail of Tears was personally really moving. Coming from a Texas education (ugh), we barely touched on any of this history, and it was always told from a white-centered perspective. To hear the Cherokee perspective was shocking and sobering, and really makes you sit with the reality of the history of this country. definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Pros: the man beading a beautiful bags very nice gave us his full attention. Wax figures looks realistic. Cons: 4 displays not open or nothing displayed. Lightning on some displays too dim.

This Museum was nice, but it advertised that it was different than other similar Native American Museums, claiming that it was more interactive, but I have been to other Native American Museums and it wasn't all that different from the others. There was some advertisement about being able to make clay pots or weave baskets, but there wasn't anything like that there on the day we went. I don't know if they were just understaffed or what. But we did like the rest of the museum okay. I was just a bit disappointed because I thought it would make it more meaningful to the kids to be able to do what they advertised. But it is still worth going to for the learning it provides.

Gives a lot of information on various tribes in the USA....beautiful pieces of art.... bowls, canoes, statues, bows and arrows, arrow heads.... different tools that they used to make stuff. wonderful place to learn some of the history.

Very informative in the history. Worth the time and good for all ages. Only thing disappointing was the gift shop didn't seem to have much to do with the Cherokee.

Disappointing. The museum was underwhelming. The displays had mostly replicas and very little artifacts. The theater was closed and some of the talking displays were not functioning. There was a wall display with absolutely no description of what we were supposed to be looking at.

We really enjoyed our visit here and highly recommend not just hanging at the casino but get out and visit something cultural! In the busy season it looks like they have demonstrations throughout the museum but we went in January mid week so it was very quiet. The demonstrations would be good if you are visiting with kids because otherwise it is a very read heavy museum and the kids would just run through the museum. That being said we read everything and even though we've read a number of books on the Cherokee we learned a few things! Also if visiting with kids don't worry about the Trail of Tears section, it is tame compared to the reality of what it was.

Great museum about the history of the Cherokee Indians, I enjoyed the details and kindness of the staff, inexpensive to view $11.00 adults. You can visit the gift if you just want gifts, this was a treat in itself! I bought some gems here also. The bldg itself looked dated, not sure if it was because maybe lack of funding. This museum is not to be missed, they also had some staff making some booties, which I enjoyed fully. I only purchased items I felt were handmade from the Cherokee's in the village, some items were from other countries of course. Tip: History is always a good thing, go and enjoy!

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, NC is inexpensive enough to be worth a quick stop. For the most part, the displays are very nicely and artistically executed. The path through the museum is very natural to follow. The place seemed clean, and there was a good amount of reading but not so much as to be totally overwhelmed. Unfortunately, lighting has not been a focus of the designers, and technical maintenance has fallen behind in a few areas. Several of the texts on the displays had no lighting at all and were even written with black ink on medium brown background that was a little difficult to read. The whole place was a bit shadowy. This may have been to create a solemn tone, but a little more lighting would have been helpful. The audio was not playing in a couple of spots that specifically referred to the audio when reading the displays. At least one of the hands-on electronic games did not function, either. Otherwise, the museum is quite enjoyable, with quality mannequins and beautiful artwork. The gift shop area is quite nice and sells nice items. The staff was helpful and friendly, too.

The museum has a lot of history and is good for school age kids. The downfall is upkeep. The small auditorium did not have the video playing. A lot of the exhibits did not have the audio playing for each display, nor did they have plaques available to read. Glad we went because I am always looking for Native American exhibits. With a little work it could be much better.

Nice. Good historical info. But... We didn't read all of the signs and didn't know they had a self guided audio tour available. We enjoyed the visual walk-through displays but some of them were not well lit, lots of shadows, or light bulbs burned out. And some of them had no sound or had super low volume unable to hear. Several artifacts were missing in a couple of displays. And the last display was very interesting but had no caption notes so I assume it's part of a new installation. Still, we enjoyed the education and do recommend to all!

Very nice museum, it was a great experience for the kids and I to learn things about Indian history. This museum isn't long and boring. It's just enough time, and just enough exhibits. It was good to see that although we were there during off season, the museum was still open.

My wife and I drove to Cherokee to visit the museum and learned about Native American history. The information on the signs throughout the museum was very good but difficult to read because the lighting was poor. Some were lit up in the center but not around the edges. Some signage was down close to the floor and you had to bend down to read it. At one point there was a chanting that repeated and repeated. It took a while before we could get away from it. Some of the exhibit items were missing, such as a blow gun, but the brackets were still on the wall. I would give this a five star but as I was leaving I talked to the young man who was selling tickets to ask some questions about the Eastern Band of Cherokee. He was not that friendly when we bought the tickets, but I thought he could help me with some information. After each of my questions he would reply, don't you know anything about American history, don't you read anything. I finally left. We were sitting outside and two men walked up. I started a conversation. One was an officer with the tribe. The other was an administrator with the museum. I explained the situation. They apologized and said they would take care of it. The next time you go, if there's young man taking tickets, ask some questions and you will know if they did anything.

Beautiful museum but felt the ticket desk could have been more helpful. MY ISSUE: Be sure to get the audio guide. It was not mentioned when we bought our tickets. I just happened to see the device when turning the corner. How to use it was not clearly explained either. There are white badges with an emblem, hanging throughout the museum. You just touch the end of the device to this badge and it begins playing the audio. There are also black "scanner-like" boxes on the walls when you enter a room. They are supposed to play when you enter the area, but that did not happen most of the time. If you tap the box with your device, it will start the audio. Several people asked where we got the evice, when I told them, they said they did not know. It is written on the bottom of a small display on the desk, but the cashiers should ask everyone who buys a ticket if they would like the audio guide. It's only $2 and well worth it. This museum was so interesting. It basically takes you through the history of the tribe. This museum focuses on the history, culture and plight of the Cherokee tribe. It starts with some of their origin stories on boards. Very interesting, like a parable. Afterwards, you enter a room to watch a 4" animated film before starting the museum tour. There was a young lady weaving near the display with the confederate flag. She will explain what it really means and why the Cherokee fought with the confederates during the war. She mentioned there are plans to update this part of the history because the audio really promotes the Confederate side of the issue. She also said that most of the information regarding the dress and dances you see around are just for tourist who want photo ops, etc. She was informative about how the nation is doing today, language and culture challenges. This museum was well worth the stop and the money. Displays are beautiful with great example of the skills of these native people. $12 for adults.

My husband and I love museums!! Whenever we travel, we search out museums before we arrive and place that on one of our things to do list. We travel to Cherokee North Carolina for Thanksgiving weekend. This was one of the laces we visited Monday morning after Thanksgiving. The museum has plenty of free parking. Very easy to find using GPS. We did use our AAA discount-- I can't remember the cost right now but it was very inexpensive compared to other museums that I've visited in different states. Due to the Covid pandemic you are required to wear a face mask when you enter the museum. The museum is sort of small but filled with lots of great information as well as artifacts. If there are a lot of visitors, it can get crowded but you can move on to each exhibit on your own and even circle back if there's something you want to do. We were really impressed with the history and the exhibit on display. There was also a live museum worker who was creating some artwork from hand. You can ask them questions about what they're making etc... very friendly and open to discuss. If you are in the area this is a must visit museum! As I stated, the history is very rich and told from their (truth) perspective., which I fully appreciated. There's an awesome gift shop attached to the museum amazing items for purchase to take home and remember your visit. I am very glad we took the time to explore this museum.

As I write this, it is several months after our visit. On that day, hubby, kid, and I were trying to make the best of a torrential summer rainstorm. When the sun came out, I'd hoped to explore the Cherokee Reservation area and maybe do some hiking, play some bingo (yes, bingo), and perhaps try some Fry Bread Tacos... Meanwhile, this seemed like just the place to while away some time and even get educated in the process: I really, really wish I could remember some specifics about the Museum, but have no regrets and found it to be a worthwhile experience. Actually, one thing I do recall is that we had trouble finding the place, plugging the listed address into our GPS. We eventually happened upon it, but I'd recommend bringing a map or getting very specific directions, just in case. I'd also agree with Jamie H. about the freezing temps inside the Museum. I was definitely wishing I'd brought a sweater. The sun never did come out that day, and the rain was relentless, making the area look so glum, not to mention drenched, that we lost our will to try and explore anything else. Instead, we wound up drowning our sorrows with Moonshine... well, the kid had Waynesville Soda... at Elevated Mountain Distillery in Maggie Valley. No regrets there either.

It's a very important story that needs to be told, and that story is well told by this museum. However, the displays are so dimly lit, and some displays are so low to the floor, so as to make it difficult and tedious to see and read. This isn't a matter of keeping light low to preserve delicate artifacts. Signboards and reproduced images and displayed stone tools that have nothing to do with light sensitivity are so darkly presented as to be illegible. Instead of a feeling of education and enlightenment, I came out tired and with eye strain.

A great tour. Reasonably priced, and the mannequins are very, even unnervingly, life-like.

They obviously went to a lot of trouble and expense to build this museum, and I can really point to one thing I found disappointing, but I personally didn't enjoy the experience.

Excellent museum recounting the history of the Cherokee people. This is a first class museum with many dioramas depicting Cherokee history. You will get a really good understanding of Cherokee development through time and their culture. The museum is not to be missed if you have an interest in the Cherokee peopl.

A very informative, self guided, tour. Masks are required due to Covid guidelines. There was a section in the museum that was a bit warm and stuffy. It triggered my sinuses, causing me to get warm & cough. I stepped outside so no one would think I had Covid and to get some fresh air. I didn't have any issues with entering the museum again. The staff was friendly. The gift shop was cute with affordable prices. Lastly and unfortunately, the restroom smelled like someone died inside. I'm not sure if that's the normal smell but I quickly turned around and decided I didn't NEED to go after all.

This is a small but well done museum. I really enjoyed all of the available narrations and the self-guided walking tour. The exhibits are terrific with lots of great material items. I'm already ready to go again!

Not a bad visit for $11 per adult. Pretty neat little tour and amazing stories that you either forgot or never learned in school. Very realistic life-size mannequins in traditinal dress. Great time for the price. Now if you are easily overheated, you will love this place because it's probably 60 degrees inside during the tour. If you sweat in there, seek medical advice because you are probably having a heart attack. I would highly suggest somebody in the cell industry add some additional service in this and other nearby areas. I couldn't check in or see what other spots that I wanted to hit nearby so we drove around like the tourists we were and clogged the roads with others doing the same...and maybe they were looking for the Flute Festival.

What a wonderful museum way bigger than I thought I'm totally impressed.well worth $11 by far the most Indian artifacts I've ever seen. It's a must see if you are in Cherokee we drove from Gatlinburg there what a beautiful drive also

We were essentially charged $20 to go into a gift shop. The rooms with the artifacts were closed. There was a gentleman telling a story and then the opportunity to watch dancing. We certainly appreciated the storytelling and dancing, but then we returned to the main building where we saw a short film. Although the film was interesting and entertaining, we then exited that room to find the only thing left was the gift shop.

We spent the night in Cherokee and glad we went to the Cherokee Museum and really enjoyed the history of the Cherokee Indians! We saw the introductory film and learned how important fire was to the Cherokee tribe! We learned and read about the animals in the first entry hall before going into the theatre. The admission price was $11.00 and you could rent headphones for a extra $2.00. We chose to not rent the headset. My son likes to go at a pace he sets and not be overloaded with information. We do not think the headset is a necessity to enjoy the museum and displays! We did not have to pay a fee to park which is automatically a plus for us! We enjoyed all the displays and the beautiful wall mural displays especially! We say that the museum takes at least two hours to do it the justice it deserves! The gift shop had a lovely variety of tasteful gifts. The art display room which was the last room in the museum was awesome! Everyone that goes to Cherokee North Carolina needs to save time to visit this museum. We really enjoyed the history of the Cherokee people so beautifully represented by videos and displays!

Friday, noon time, July. While visiting the area of Cherokee, NC and driving on the reservation, we thought we should learn all we could about the history of the area and the Cherokee. We were greeted by an elderly Cherokee man, Jerry Wolf, and he signed our museum pamphlet and made us feel most welcome. We thought this museum was very good. It certainly not a huge museum, but it gives the interesting history of the Cherokee people. At the beginning, a short film tells you about the Cherokee creation myth. Then you walk at your own pace to see the exhibits throughout a chronological walk through time. The gift shop is not cheap, but carries more than the usual tacky crap that souvenir shops in the area typically do, including some very nice original art by local Cherokee artists. I bought a Cherokee gourd Bear mask, I love it! Highly recommended.

The Cherokee Museum is a must visit while in this area. The exhibits are high quality and tell the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Some exhibits has recordings for listening. It is updated and modern. The gift store is worth checking out as well

This museum was number 2 on the suggested "list of things to do in Cherokee." We added $2 to the price of each ticket for the audio tour and it was worth it and then some! We learned so much history about the Cherokee and the tragedy of the Trail of Tears. Don't cheat yourself and miss out on the opportunity to experience this museum and the audio tour.

Loved, loved this place! It was very educational and VERY informative. the artifacts are amazing and the stories are incredible!

So- I've been to this theater many times. I've had good service and I've had some not so good service. I've seen some awesome work and dis functionality. But they did something very unexpected that elevated them in my eyes. last weekend when I had to leave quickly at the end of the movie, I left my wallet. I didn't know where I left it but knew the last place I used it was there. Three days later I drop by there. ( I had called and didn't get an answer). But they had it with over$200 still in it. They are usually understaffed and the staff are usually very young. So I'm so grateful for the honesty. They will always have my business after that.