Permanent Exhibits | Mountain Gateway Museum

Row of Black prisoners working on the Western Carolina Railroad

The Price of Progress

The WNC Railroad was the first to cross into the mountain region, opening it to trade and tourism. Learn about the people who worked and suffered there in the mid-1800s.

A photo of butterfly weed, an orange flower

A Cure for What Ails You

Western North Carolinians used natural remedies for medicine. Explore how folk medicine was a significant part of Appalachian culture.

Miners working during Carolina Gold Rush

Waking Rip Van Winkle

In the early to mid 1800s, North Carolina experienced a gold rush. Learn how the western region played a role in gold mining.

Cultivation of Cultures

Many early western North Carolinians were farmers. Discover the many tools, foods, and animals involved in this region's agriculture.

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