The first people to inhabit this beautiful South Atlantic region arrived in what is now North Carolina over 10,000 years ago. And since that time many have called this land home. Today a new museum in a centuries-old building has committed itself to telling that story. And we’re here for a visit. Welcome to the Asheville Museum of History.

Located inside the Smith-McDowell House – Asheville’s oldest brick structure built around 1840 – the museum is the first physical space in Asheville dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of the mountains through interpretation, education, collection, and collaboration.

The museum in its current form got its start in 2023 – converting what was very much a period house museum here (interpreting the history of the property)… into an experience that spans the whole history of the region.

Inside the museum, visitors first encounter a permanent exhibition exploring the diverse history of Western North Carolina through images, text, artifacts, and interactive elements. The exhibit interweaves environmental, political, social, cultural,
and economic histories of the Western North Carolina region to explain how we got here and what that means for our future.

You can take guided behind-the-scenes tours of the historic building and grounds that highlight the stories of the people who have lived and worked on the property.

You can also experience rotating exhibits such as The Photography of Andrea Clark: Remembering Asheville’s East End Community. Here you can take in images from the past of this historic African American community that is dramatically different today.

In addition to the permanent and rotating exhibits on display here, the Asheville Museum of History also hosts engaging programs such as guest lecture series, an outdoor concert series, as well as literary and preservation awards ceremonies.

In today’s world where we grapple with the present to determine our course for the future… it can often be best to learn from the past. And that lesson is here for all of us at the Asheville Museum of History.