Page 62 - Cityview_Jan_Feb_2014

SMOKIES SPOTLIGHT

by Katy Koontz
FUN FAMILY

MUSEUMS IN

THE SMOKIES

S

ure, the Great smoky
Mountains National Park is all

about celebrating nature and models of folks in full body tattoos are only
the great outdoors—but the the beginning of the strange discoveries

park does have a few fine indoor
you’ll make at Ripley’s odditorium.
offerings, too. both the Sugarlands and

the oconaluftee visitor centers include
small but sweet museums that can add

immeasurably to your appreciation and
understanding of the Smokies. Like the

park itself, they’re free, and well worth at
least a brief visit.

The museum at Sugarlands teaches
about the plants and animals in the

park, and it’s organized by the park’s
many different ecosystems (such as

heath balds, wet places, and southern
hardwood forests).

The most popular exhibit is probably
the black bear, but kids love the owls

and red and gray foxes, too. be sure to
check out the model of the hellbender

(the park’s largest salamander species), Just outside is the popular Mountain RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT ODDITORIUM
and take a glance at the wildflower farm Museum. This is a working farm, don’t be alarmed at the exterior of

exhibits so you can identify what’s complete with a fully furnished farm- this museum in downtown gatlinburg.
blooming at the moment.
house, vegetable gardens, a cornfield, The building really hasn’t been ripped

on the North Carolina side of the live chickens and hogs, an apple house, a apart by an earthquake (although the
park, the relatively new and extremely smokehouse, a springhouse, a black- clever architectural details are cer-

eco-friendly oconaluftee Visitor Center smith’s shop, and a huge cantilevered tainly convincing). on display here are
offers a fun museum highlighting the barn. The various log farm buildings some of the oddest things nature has

park’s cultural history. It starts with Na- date mostly from around 1900 and were ever created (including an eight-legged
tive Americans in prehistoric times and moved here from elsewhere in the park.
piglet and a two-headed calf born lo-

goes through the arrival of the Euro- of course, the gateway towns of cally), not to mention some downright
pean settlers, the advent of the Smokies’ Pigeon forge and gatlinburg have their freaky stuff that man himself has fash-

logging industry, and the establishment own fun family museums. here’s a look ioned (including a real shrunken head
of the park itself in the 1930s.
at the highlights.
from Ecuador).

60 cityviewmag.com maRcH aPRiL 2014