Introduction
The Great Smoky Mountains, largely determining the border between the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, is identified as a region of cultural significance, with many of the thrill attractions on the Tennessee side in Sevier County while the historical museums of the area are predominantly on the North Carolina side of the border.
Tennessee
The most important tourist draw to the Great Smoky Mountains is the Tennessee side of the area, containing such communities as Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge. While Gatlinburg is most notable for the cultural and artistic significance as a mountain retreat with cultural similarities occasionally resembling Asheville more than Knoxville, Pigeon Forge contains many of the most significant tourist destinations, including lighter thrill rides, zip line cultures, and notable figures in modern popular culture. While Sevierville, the county seat of Sevier County, may not be as much of a tourist destination, the community also contains honorary references to figures situated elsewhere within the county.
North Carolina
On the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains, civilization can vary quite dramatically, from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians around Cherokee and Bryson City, including Swain and surrounding counties, to the numerous museums and related cultural aspects regarding Scots and Scots-Irish culture and even a few minor universities in the region.
Though quite a distance from the mainstream Smoky Mountain attractions, Cherokee County is most notable around the Town of Murphy for the Cherokee Historical Museum. A separate museum is dedicated to the Cherokee people and is located within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the community of Cherokee within Swain County. The Kuwohi (formerly Clingman’s Dome) Observation Deck is located directly at the high point of the Great Smoky Mountains and the highest elevation dividing the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, partially in Sevier County and partially in Swain County. The historical places associated with the region include Mingo Falls, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, the Mountain Farm Museum, the Mingus Mill, the Chasteen Creek Cascade, and a number of scenic overlooks intended to represent the natural beauty of the region. Within Bryson City, the most important tourist draws are the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and the Appalachian Rivers Aquarium.
Outside the major attractions of Swain County and the Cherokee County Town of Murphy, additional communities and counties also contain distinctive tourist attractions and draws. Macon County contains Quarry Falls, the Cullasaja Falls hiking area, the Wesser Bald Fire Tower, and the larger community of Franklin. Within Franklin, Nikwasi Mound and the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts alike represent significant cultural features and traits, while the local attractions in the community include the Scottish Tartan Museum, the Franklin Terrace Bed and Breakfast, the Macon County Historical Museum, the Gem and Mineral Museum at Franklin, and the Uptown Gallery. Further west is the Town of Andrews, which contains the community attractions of the Valleytown Cultural Arts and Historical Society and the Andrews Valley Rail Tours.
Further east is Transylvania County, home to the community of Brevard, which serves as the county seat. Brevard is home to Brevard College, the Transylvania Heritage Museum, and the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.
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