Oconaluftee Indian Village

This was a trip back in time to enjoy the tribe showing the ways of crafting, weapons making and the classic housing. With the finale being the dances of the tribe. This is well worth visiting to see the culture and the wonderful people.

Oconaluftee Indian Village is a great place to visit to learn more about the Cherokee and how they lived in the 1700s.

As I bought a combo ticket with Unto the Hills and wasn't given a ticket for the Village I arrived with my receipt and ticket for the show. That was scanned and allowed me in.

Tours start about every 15 minutes or when a large enough group is formed. The tour is guided and we stopped at stations to learn about weaving; bead work; woodworking. Some of the stops were at dwellings and ritual sites. We saw traps for animals. They had a unique way to catch fish with the trap that was placed in the water. Some of the stops didn't have anyone working so the guide just talked about it.

One guide took us on the tour and two separate guides talked with tour groups mixed together about the customs and rituals in the Council House. There was no dancing done at the dance grounds. They did talk about the different tribes.

We drove a long way to see this based on the reviews and left disappointed. The replica buildings were in poor repair. The staff were lackadaisical and didn't want to talk to us until they were going to give their once an hour talk.

The talks were informative, but they weren't interested in sharing anything more than their rehearsed program.

The exhibit at Jamestown is far more informative and lively. They could do so much more -especially with the price that they are charging.

We enjoyed our tour with Colin. It was evident he was a very informed young man Who had studied Indian ways and gave us much information about the crafts and living of the Cherokee lives in the past.
We rushed from our hotel for a 9:30 am tour I was told it would not be starting till 9:45 am. The ticket counters were opened a few minutes after 9:30. We were encouraged to go to the gift shop and use the restroom before it started. The gift shop is very small. The restroom had not been cleaned the night before, with trash spilling from garbage can.
Other than that, it was most informative and enjoyable.

The Cherokee people graciously allow visitors a glimpse of their culture and history at this replica village. Finger weaving, beadwork, mask carving and woodworking, bow and weapon making, pottery and basket making are demonstrated and narrated by docents at various stations along the way as small groups tour the outdoor village and grounds. The native docents or guides provide explanations and background at each stop and encourage questions. They are especially attentive to the questions of children. Historically, Cherokee children would begin learning all of these skills around the age of 3 and educating children and perserving Chreokee culture remains very important to the Cherokee. However, don't misunderstand; the village, while family friendly, is a place adults will love!

We had a little difficulty finding a single website for information or consistent info about tickets so here's what we now know: tickets can be purchased on line or in person. They are are not timed, meaning you have no appointed entrance time, but small groups (10 or so folks) are admitted about 15 minutes apart. Strollers may be permitted, but because the terrain is hard-packed dirt, using them might be more trouble than it is worth. 3-5 year ups will be interested for most of the tour, but an 18-month old may have trouble staying quiet as docents make their presentations. However, you can move about with them if needed.

This is is a great stop on a trip to the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My advice is to visit here after a couple of days of busy hiking and dealing with crowds found on the most popular trails and nature spots as everyone tries to experience "the great outdoors" at the same time and place. The village is a peaceful escape and oasis of calm where the Cherokee's strong connection to the land and their values of group harmony and sharing and giving time, talent and treasures are borne out. Visiting here will reset your nature meter.

The village tour includes examples of various types of houses built and lived in by the Cherokee at various stages of history. The narration along this section of the village explains why the houses are different and provides a non-political look into the intersection of the Cherokee way of life with others who came later. At the final two stops of the tour, the emphasis is on the different roles of the seven clans and the political and social structure of the Cherokee people.

Follow up the tour by walking through the garden gate and around the perimeter of the village. It is a short, easy walk through beautiful plants and along moss-covered walls set to the sound of gentle flowing streams.

We visited in October shortly before the close of the season at month's end and Covid precautions were in place. This meant some of the activities, like dancing, were not included in the tour, but we were fully satisfied with our experience and felt like we didn't miss out on anything.

A wonderful learning experience! Learn about the Cherokee people and culture from Cherokee people. The tour of the village was great and our guide was wonderful. I really enjoyed learning more about the real Cherokee people, how they lived, and debunking the myths about their people.

Definitely going to visit in the future when they begin hosting their dances again!

The staff is what makes this place an amazing experience. While older staff supervise and work on traditional crafts and skills, younger staff lead the tours. They discuss their culture and traditions, the meaning behind their art and dance, and how life was lived in a Cherokee village.

The gift shop has beautiful art for sale. Be sure to check it out.

I've been here many times as a kid. Going as an adult helped me to better understand my heritage.

This was a terrific experience! The setting is beautiful and the stops on the walking lecture were so interesting. Watching traditional handicrafts done by members of the EBCI was thrilling to me, as a Cherokee Nation tribal member raised off the res. I would recommend this to anyone enjoying the area.

Clearly, they are not plowing back any of the profits into making it more enriching. You visit perhaps four stations with a guide showing people with their crafts - basket weaving, tool making, pottery, etc. There are also some buildings to visit - basically to just pop your head in.

The guide does all the talking. Ours was so blasé and nonchalant and spoke so quickly, it was clear she had somewhere better to be. She was probably just burnt out. Apparently, the exhibits and experience have not been updated in years.

There was a more animated speaker at the end although some of his points might need some fact checking. It was educational but for the $19 admission, they could do a lot better. Would price this closer to $10-12 and that might be a bit generous.

It took about an hour to go through. There are no signs, videos to watch or additional explanatory materials. Basically, it's really done on the cheap. Very basic. I've seen high school productions that were more authentic. Would have to advise saving the money and rent a video.