Oconaluftee Indian Village

What an amazing vacation we had in Cherokee. this was one of our best family trips ever! i highly recommend visiting this vilage if you are in the area.

A very solid experience is waiting for you at the village. Not a «tourist trap» by any definition. In fact, it was the best part of visiting Cherokee.

Amazing. Would have liked it to be a little more open-​style, rather than a trail. The brochure seemed to indicate it was more like a living-​breathing village. It wasn’t — however, it was authentic, educational, staffed by friendly people and one lady took the time to teach my wife the basics of finger weaving (my wife does crocheting, so it’s a cousin-​craft).
The fight scene and council meeting was great — but please, visitors, keep your kids quiet — crying or disruptive kids ruins it for everyone.

Pretty cool guided tour, with lots of «cast» demonstrating the way of doing things. I left with a better appreciation of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian, how they lived, etc. A great way to learn the history of these people, and develop an understanding of them.
The con, and perhaps I’m just cheap, I thought it was a tad pricey.

This attraction is a recreation of a Cherokee Indiana village around the year 1800. You’ll see fences, buidings, tools, and some animals.
Good: No waiting. For the most part, guests pull into the parking lot and walk around the village at their own pace.
Bad: Kids could get bored fast, though I do think it will hold their interest if moving pretty quickly from the different features.
If passing between Gatlinburg/​Smokies and Cherokee NC, absolutely pull in and browse around. Take as long as you’d like. Oh yeah… it’s FREE.

I found myself amazed at how many people left here saying «This sucks.» These people would probably pay money to go into Disneyland, and leave after an hour, without going on any of the rides, and complain that, it too, sucked.
So before you go, make sure you understand a few of basic fundamental things:
1. This is not an amusement park. This is a humble recreation of a Cherokee village, as the Cherokee lived before and during the time when European settlers moved in.
2. It is interactive. Don’t plan on going from exhibit to exhibit gawking at people for thirty seconds, then move on. Ask questions, inquire, make statements, and just plain interact. That’s why they are there!
3. Don’t expect it to be a village that’s been portrayed in a movie you may have seen. Chances are, the movie will be wrong when compared to the facts (here’s a hint –Cherokee generally did not and do not live in teepees
4. If you go, choosing to ignore the previous three things, don’t complain.
That being said…
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is an interactive replica of a typical 18^th century Cherokee village that once was commonly found throughout the region. The center itself, operated by the Cherokee Historical Association, refers to the village as a «living museum» that has gone to great strides to be as authentic to the mid-1700’s as possible. Regular exhibits include traditional pottery making, basket weaving, blowgun making and accuracy demonstrations, mask making, and re-​enactments of daily life. As previously noted, this is an interactive exhibition in more ways than one. In addition to the daily interactions and displays, you and/​or your kids can sign up for craft classes.
Next to the village, and sometimes overlooked, is the botanical garden. Not so much a garden as much as it is a quiet walk in the woods, the various indigenous plant life has been labeled, along with brief descriptions of their traditional uses. An actual vegetable garden can be found, though near the end of the garden walk, along with a preserved 19^th century cabin that easily could still be occupied to this very day. It’s highly recommended to take your time on this, and quietly at that; no talking, no cell phones, no music players. Just yourself along with the sights and sounds of nature –nothing else is needed.
Spending an afternoon at the village, without a doubt, is an enriching experience on more levels than one. Just come with an open mind, and leave all preconceived notions in the parking lot.