The Pioneer Village

The Mountain Farm Museum is located at the Ocunaluftee Visitor Center at the entrance to the Smoky Mountain National Park on the NC side.
 
Mountain Farm Museum
 

The Smoky Mountain National Park was established in 1934 comprising parts of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.  It comprises over 520,400 acres.  

The Ocunaluftee Visitor Center is at the entrance to the Park on the North Carolina side.  
 
Farm House

Adjoining the Visitor Center is the Mountain Farm Museum.  It is a unique collection of original farm buildings.  The buildings were gathered from various homesteads throughout the Park to create a replica of a working farm in the 1800’s.
 

The old farm house is the focal point.  It is surrounded with a meat house, the proverbial “outhouse”, wood shed, 2 types of corn cribs, chicken coop and apple house to name a few.
 

There is a beautiful barn with a very unusual over hang all around it.
 
Sorghum Mill

It even has a sorghum mill.  The farm grows its own cane.  For many years now the local high school turns the cane into sorghum molasses.  It takes most of the day with many people helping to process about an acre of the sorghum cane.  This event usually takes place on the 2nd Saturday in September.
 

The creation of molasses from beginning to end is a very interesting process to watch.  If you live within a 2 hour drive, its worth the trip.
 

The Farm Museum is manned with many volunteers as well as Park staff.  They all are very willing to share what they know about early farm life.  The Museum is open daily.
 
 

To get to the Museum:
 

To get to the Museum from the North Carolina side take Hwy 441 through Cherokee, NC, to the Park’s entrance.  
The Visitor Center and Farm Museum are on your right.  It is  # 11 on the map.
From the Tennessee side, enter on Hwy 441 through Gatlinburg, TN.