What’s New in What’s Old
What’s New in What’s Old: Get to know local history through new exhibits at area heritage museums
photo courtesy of the Transylvania Heritage Museum
Rural Heritage Museum » Mars Hill University
All aboard for the museum’s newest exhibit, How the West was Won: Trains and the Transformation of Western North Carolina, which highlights the impact railroads had on the region through videos, photos, narratives, and artifacts. Through January; (828) 689-1400; www.mhu.edu/museum
Highlands Historical Society Museum » Highlands
The museum presents A Botanical History of the Highlands Plateau: In the Footsteps of the Ancients, showcasing how the flora of the high country developed from prehistoric times to today. Through October; (828) 787-1050; www.highlandshistory.com
Catawba County History Museum » Newton
In the new exhibit Something Special: The Pappy Sherill Story, the museum pays homage to Homer “Pappy” Sherill, a legendary bluegrass fiddler from the area. Through mid December; (828) 465-0383; catawbahistory.org
Henderson County Heritage Museum » Hendersonville
The museum’s latest offering is The Ridges, an exhibit documenting the history of rural communities in the eastern edge of Henderson County.
Opens late September; (828) 694-1619; www.hendersoncountymuseum.com
Smith-McDowell House » Asheville
Pioneering botanist William Bartram put the mountain region’s biodiversity on record. The Smith-McDowell House’s new display, Bartram’s Journey: The 1775 Journey of William to Western North Carolina, shows how he collected and documented plants and got to know the Cherokee Indians. Through October; (828) 253-9321; wnchistory.org
Transylvania Heritage Museum » Brevard
Transylvania’s rich, century-long history of hosting campers is honored with the exhibit Camp Country: Where America Comes to Play, which shows how the county’s camps impacted visitors and local communities.
Through November 14; (828) 884-2347; www.transylvaniaheritage.org
North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial Library » Asheville
The exhibit Asheville Tourism Souvenirs, 1880s-1950s, curated by local librarians, presents an eclectic assortment of hundreds of items that were sold to remind visitors of their time in the mountains. Through September; (828) 250-4740; www.packlibraryncroom.wordpress.com