Very nicely done exhibits cover the history of northwestern North Carolina - the Native Americans who were the first inhabitants and the immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania then followed the Great Wagon Road south. These same people built cities and established orchards and farms. Some preferred a most isolated home in the secluded hollows of the Appalachian foothills.
There's also a train layout, tributes to some of the area celebrities, a kid's hands-on area, and several fire engines. Exhibits are still being added. During our visit one exhibit was under construction and third floor was mostly empty.
One of the exhibits is about the famous conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker, born in Siam and brought to the US as eighteen year olds by Abel Coffin for a somewhat exploitative tour. They toured from 1829-1839 but managed the tour themselves from 1832 on. Their last stop was in South Carolina which they liked so much that they bought land and settled down to raise families, only leaving a few times when they needed to raise money. They died on the same day in 1874. They have about 1,500 descendants; many still live in western North Carolina. Since only a small band of band of flesh and cartilage joined them, they could be separated today but probably would have died if it had been tried in their lifetime.
The museum is accessible. It's housed in the 1910 W.E. Merritt Hardware store which was very modern when it was built with electricity, water, sewage lines, and an elevator. I don't think the elevator is the original one but there is one so all the floors are accessible.
Parking is on the street. Museum 36.50175, -80.6085
1500 descendants! Interesting background, fun museum.
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