Museum of the Cherokee People

Cherokee History & Stories
2026-02-02 17:00 - 18:00 (America/Kentucky/Monticello) | NC

Museum Closed
2026-02-02, 2026-02-02 - 2026-02-03 | NC
MotCP is closed due to ongoing weather conditions.
Please monitor our social media and Google listing before visiting for the most up-to-date information.

Cherokee Language Workshop
2026-01-28 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-01-26 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-01-21 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-01-19 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-01-14 17:00 - 18:00, 2026-01-12 17:00 - 18:00 | Museum of the Cherokee People – Education Wing
Speak more Cherokee in 2026! Local second language learner group Aniyona leads a free Cherokee language workshop, open to all, at Museum of the Cherokee People for the month of January. Arrive early to secure your spot.

Museum Opening Late
2026-01-27 10:30 - 17:00 | NC

Museum Closed
2026-01-26, 2026-01-25, 2026-01-15 | NC

Museum Closing Early at 1pm
2026-01-24 09:00 - 13:00 | NC

Museum & Store Opening at 10:30am
2026-01-13 10:30 - 17:00 | NC
Due to expected winter weather, Museum of the Cherokee People will open on delay. Please check our Google and social media pages for further updates.

Closed For Inventory
2026-01-02 - 2026-01-09 | NC

Museum & Store Closed
2025-12-31 - 2026-01-01, 2025-12-24 - 2025-12-25, 2025-11-26 - 2025-11-27 | NC

Opening Late at 1pm
2025-12-19 13:00 - 17:00 | NC

Holiday Sip & Shop in the Museum Store
2025-12-12 16:00 - 18:00 | Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC, 28719, United States
Find gifts for everyone on your list at the Museum of the Cherokee People Store. From apparel to home goods, books, accessories, and more, shop special deals while sipping on seasonal beverages at this festive celebration.

Cherokee History & Stories Workshop Series
2025-12-07 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-11-02 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-10-05 15:00 - 16:30 | Museum of the Cherokee People – Education Wing
Kathi Littlejohn, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been telling Cherokee stories for more than 40 years at events, festivals, and schools. She has been leading Cherokee history tours for five years to historically and culturally significant places in Western North Carolina. She has produced four CDs of Cherokee stories: ‘Cherokee Legends,’ Volume I, II, and III and ‘Cherokee Stories of the Supernatural,’ available at select gift shops. She also completed a series of YouTube videos named “Cherokee History and Stories, “What Happened Here?”

Tribal Museums Day
2025-12-06 09:00 - 17:00 | Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC, 28719, United States
Tribal Museums Day is back!
Began in 2022 by the Association on American Indian Affairs, Tribal Museums Day celebrates our collective creativity, Indigeneity, and resiliency by offering free admission to tribal museums across the country, including Museum of the Cherokee People.
Visit and enjoy a free self-guided tour of three exhibitions at the tribal museum of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located on the Qualla Boundary in beautiful Cherokee, North Carolina.

Buffalotown Pop-Up Shop
2025-12-05 11:00 - 17:00 | Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC, 28719, United States
Find apparel for everyone on your list at Buffalotown’s pop-up!

Rock Your Mocs 2025
2025-11-15 09:00 - 17:00 | Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC, 28719, United States
Rock Your Mocs is an annual event created as a positive and fun way for Native Americans to express their culture and individuality, and to connect with each other across different tribes and nations. Wear your mocs to the Museum Store and get a discount on your purchase!

Corn Husk Doll Workshop with Laura Walkingstick (EBCI)
2025-11-14 15:00 - 17:00 | NC
On November 14 from 3pm-5pm, join Laura Walkingstick (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) in the Museum Art Studio for a step-by-step workshop and learn to make your very own corn husk doll.

All materials and a doll stand are included with registration price of $50. This workshop is open to enrolled members of federally recognized tribes, and registration is required.

Laura Walkingstick (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) is a multidisciplinary artist and art therapist based in the Appalachian Mountains. Her narrative-driven work explores themes of healing, memory, and intergenerational trauma, with a strong emphasis on Cherokee cultural identity and women’s roles across time.

Laura holds a B.A. in Ceramics from the Institute of American Indian Arts (2014) and an M.A. in Art Therapy from Southwestern College (2018). She integrates her training in therapeutic arts into her creative practice and community outreach, offering workshops and healing-based programs in collaboration with tribal organizations, local museums, and cultural institutions.
Working across a wide range of media—including clay sculpture, marionettes, traditional and contemporary dolls, and mixed media installations—Laura also creates beaded and handcrafted jewelry, continuing the legacy of wearable storytelling and cultural expression. Her jewelry pieces, like her other works, reflect a deep connection to her Cherokee heritage and a commitment to preserving and evolving Indigenous artistry.

Through her studio, Rez Dog Art Studio, she produces handmade dolls, ceremonial figures, narrative artworks, and jewelry that reflect the evolving stories of Cherokee people—past, present, and future.
Her work is in museum collections at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, NM., The Museum of the Southeast American Indian, Pembroke, NC., Mountain Heritage Center Museum, Cullowhee, NC., The Museum of the Cherokee People, Cherokee, NC.

Fear As A Teacher: A Qualla-Ween Mini Exhibit
2025-10-01 09:00 - 2025-10-31 17:00 | Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC, 28719, United States
Fear as a Teacher: A Qualla-Ween Mini Exhibit is presented as a part of Qualla-Ween highlights the Cherokee legends that use fear to teach important lessons.
Featuring Cherokee art that embodies motifs of these important lessons, Fear as a Teacher is an expression of Cherokee oral history and will highlight the importance of following our Cherokee lessons and values present in the power of story that has and always will exist as a central part of Cherokee culture.

Celebrate Halloween all month long with multiple activities in the cultural district of Cherokee, NC!

Fear as a TeacherThe Museum of the Cherokee PeopleOctober 1st – 31st9am to 5pm
In Cherokee stories, fear isn’t just a warning—it’s wisdom. From the Raven Mocker to the Nunnehi, Cherokee legends use fear not to scare, but to teach. In Fear as a Teacher, discover how traditional stories and haunting imagery pass down values, protect our people, and preserve culture. The exhibit features original Cherokee artwork and oral history, reimagined through visual storytelling
Fear as a Teacher is appropriate for all ages and included with museum admission. motcp.org

Legendary Fears: The Raven Mocker ScreamsMountainside TheatreOctober 16th-18th, 23rd-25th, 30th-Nov 1st7pm to 10pm
Step into a Cherokee legend on a terrifying haunted trail wherethe Raven Mocker awaits. Face the spirit. Survive the night.
The Raven Mocker Screams includes loud noises, fog, and flashing lights. The haunted trail includes walking on an uneven path and stairs. Not recommended for children under age 13.
Tickets and more info: https://cherokeehistorical.org/…/quall…/legendary-fears/

Legendary Fears: The Sgili HuntOconaluftee Indian VillageOctober 16th-18th, 23rd-25th, 30th-Nov 1st7pm to 10pm
Something Walks in the Village After Dark… Tour Oconaluftee Indian Village by night. Hear true tales from our staff and join the hunt for the paranormal.
The Sgili Hunt includes walking on uneven surfaces after dark and stairs. This activity is not recommended for children under 10-years-old.
Tickets and more info: https://cherokeehistorical.org/…/quall…/legendary-fears/

Long Man Murder MysteryDowntown CherokeeOctober 24th & 25th10am to 6pm
Who Killed Cricket Jackson? A beloved river guide is dead. The whispers of Long Man grow louder. Can you solve the mystery Join the Long Man Murder Mystery, a town-wide interactive whodunit through downtown Cherokee. Visit 12+ local businesses, gather clues from live actors, and uncover the truth behind Cricket Jackson’s chilling demise. Follow the clues. Catch a killer.
The hunt starts at the Outdoor Pavilion in front of The Museum of the Cherokee People. Free to participate and appropriate for all ages

Crafty CannibalsQualla Arts & Crafts MutualOctober 24th & 25th9am to 3pm
Come to Qualla and be a Crafty Cannibal! Get your hands messy in the best way at Crafty Cannibals, a hands-on Halloween-inspired craft event for all ages! Make spooky, stylish, and totally fun creations at Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual.
Activities include decoupage masks & ornaments, DIY sugar scrub, pottery bead necklaces, and an iron-on patch station. Bring your creativity and maybe a little courage as you learn about the Cherokee legend of the water cannibals
Appropriate for all ages! Prices vary depending on DIY project

“A Raven’s Call” Film PremiereMountainside TheatreOctober 25th only7pm to 8:30pm
Join us for the exclusive Cherokee premiere of “A Raven’s Call.” This one-night-only event features the premiere of the horror short film “A Raven’s Call,” directed by Corbin Rowell, as well as a talkback with the two Cherokee actors in the film.
Synopsis: Set in the early 18th century, two Cherokee Indian friends encounter a sinister entity based on a real Cherokee legend: the Raven Mocker.
The theatre is accessible. The film is not recommended for children under age 13

Quallatown Makers
2025-09-30 16:30 - 18:30 | Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee, NC, 28719, United States
Quallatown Makers is a free community opportunity for fellowship and artmaking. With the goal of perpetuating Cherokee art and knowledge-sharing, the Museum of the Cherokee People Art Studio will be open from 4:30-6:30pm biweekly on Wednesdays beginning June 18. Bring your own craft (all artforms welcome!), sip coffee (bring your own snacks if you like), and work on your project with like-minded makers. This opportunity is open our Qualla Boundary community. No registration required: just show up.
