This visitor center is only about 5 years old. And you can tell. The buildings are polished and real sleek. Very new and very nice. You’ll get great service at the counter and inside the shop. They’re glad to tell you all about the surrounding sights, hikes, waterfalls, and more. You’ll find the interior exhibit(free, of course) very engaging and actually worth a visit. Some adventurous folks would rather romp around outside to explore the natural world rather than spend any time in a museum. Well, to that I would say that you need to balance it out with actually *understanding* what you are exploring. Don’t be squeamish! This museum is fun and interactive; buttons to push, drawers to pull out, and multimedia that are informative and engaging. But oh man… one of the best features of this visitor center is in fact the outdoors. They have a sweet deck with rocking chairs for you to enjoy the view. And the mountain farm exhibits on the trail are awesome! I promise you’ll actually feel what it was like to live on a homestead like this one. From here you’ll be about 45 minutes from Gatlinburg or the Cherohala Skyway, give or take traffic.
