About Museum of the Cherokee People
The Museum of the Cherokee People is the best place in Cherokee to understand the people whose homeland surrounds the Smokies. It is a nonprofit founded in 1948 on the Qualla Boundary, the sovereign land of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and one of the longest-operating tribal museums in the country. It was known as the Museum of the Cherokee Indian until October 9, 2023, when it took its current name.
What you will see
The museum tells Cherokee history and culture from the people's own perspective through exhibitions, collections and programs. Changing exhibitions and events rotate through the year. A self-guided visit takes about an hour, so it fits easily into a day in Cherokee.
The museum describes itself as a "museum in transition." Staff are gathering community and visitor feedback to plan a new permanent exhibit, with a grand opening expected in 2027. If the main gallery looks different from photos you have seen, that is why. Check the museum's exhibitions page before you go.
Plan your visit
- Address: 589 Tsali Boulevard, Cherokee, NC 28719
- Phone: (828) 497-3481
- Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Ticket sales close at 4 p.m.
- Admission: adults $15, children ages 6 to 12 $8, children 5 and under free
- Closed: the day before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
Tickets are sold at the box office and online through the museum. Prices and hours are from the museum's own site as of October 22, 2026, and can change.
Where it fits in Cherokee
The museum is in Cherokee's cultural district, close to Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Oconaluftee Indian Village and Mountainside Theatre, home of the outdoor drama Unto These Hills. The village runs through the end of October and the drama is a summer show (it ran May 30 to August 22 in 2026). So in late fall and winter, the museum is the anchor of a Cherokee day.
A good order is the museum in the morning, lunch in town, then an hour at Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual to see the work of enrolled Cherokee artists. If you have time, finish with a drive to Mingo Falls.
Getting there
Cherokee is about an hour from Gatlinburg through Great Smoky Mountains National Park on US-441, and about an hour from Asheville. In winter, US-441 over Newfound Gap can close for ice or snow, so check the National Park Service road status before you leave Tennessee.
Good to know
The museum is a place for slow reading, so give older kids a chance to ask questions. The visitor guidelines and accessibility information are on the museum's website.
Good to know
- How much does Museum of the Cherokee People cost?
- Tickets typically run $8-$15. Check the official website for current prices and online discounts.
- How long should I plan for my visit?
- Plan on about 1 hours.
