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Family Attractions

Bring the whole family to the North Carolina Smokies to spend quality time together and explore all the mountains have to offer. Parents, grandparents and children of all ages will love outdoor adventures on hiking and biking trailszipline tours and area waterways. Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City is a popular spot for whitewater rafting, ziplining, or just enjoying a family meal beside the beautiful Nantahala River.

Learn about the culture and history of the Smoky Mountains at an area museum. Or take a trip back in time as you ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad as it twists through scenic Nantahala Gorge. Visit a clear mountain stream or a local trout farm to experience the thrill of catching your first trout, or mine for precious stones like ruby and sapphire at a gem mine. Pick berries and apples from a mountain orchard, or make friends with bison, llamas and goats at a local farm.

Indoor attractions are fun in any season — even on rainy days! Jump for joy at a trampoline park and engage in a fun family competition at the bowling alley, arcade or go-kart track.

Check out these favorite family attractions, and begin planning your next family vacation to the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.

NC Smoky Mountain Family Attractions

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The Scottish Tartans Museum contains the official registry of all publicly known Tartans. A non...

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The Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum is located downtown in the historic 1850's jail. There...

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The Wheels Through Time Museum is home to the world’s premier collection of rare American...

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Whether you're visiting in the mountains or live here year 'round, put Western Carolina University...

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23rd Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival - FATHER's DAY WEEKEND - Historic Franklin -...

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The Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center is a non-profit corporation formed by a group of...

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The Oconaluftee Indian Village is a re-created village of the 1700's. Visitors experience the everyday...

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The Museum of the Cherokee Indian takes visitors all the way back to the beginnings...

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Nation's oldest folk school founded in 1925. Crafts, music, dance, other Appalachian traditions are taught...

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Discover Foxfire! Come hike through history at our Appalachian village, made up of over 20...

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We are now open in our new location at 117 Island Street, next door to...

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Built in 1943 on the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, the Cowee School...

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The museum is housed in a historic Carnegie Library building in downtown Murphy.The Museum's exhibits...

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Our American Museum of the House Cat is a Mecca of antiquities and oddities that...