Townsend has two small museums that tell the story of the land you are exploring: the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center and the Little River Railroad & Lumber Company Museum.
One covers more than 10,000 years of Native American and Appalachian history. The other shows how a logging railroad built the town and shaped the national park. Both are easy to add to a day in Cades Cove, and both make a great plan when it rains.
Here is what to see at each, when they are open and how to fit them into a Townsend trip from Tremont Lodge & Resort.
The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center opened in 2006 near the Townsend entrance to the national park. It has more than 17,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits about the people who lived in these mountains.
Inside the museum: a main gallery split between Native American history and pioneer mountain life, a transportation gallery with wagons, railroad and early automobile exhibits, and a rotating gallery for traveling exhibits. There are hands-on activities for kids, too.
The historic village: nearly a dozen original and relocated buildings, including the Cardwell Cabin, Wilder’s Chapel AME Zion Church, a moonshine still, cantilever barns, a smokehouse, a granary, a sawmill and the Montvale Station.
The center also hosts a summer concert series in its covered amphitheater and festivals throughout the year. Admission is charged. Check GSMHeritageCenter.org for current hours, prices and events. The center is at 123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend, TN 37882.
Before there was a national park, there was a logging railroad. From 1901 to 1939, Col. W.B. Townsend’s Little River Lumber Company and Little River Railroad harvested timber from the mountains, and much of that land, including Elkmont and Tremont, later became part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The town of Townsend still carries his name.
What to see:
Hours and admission:
Confirm current hours at LittleRiverRailroad.org or call (865) 661-0170.
Steps from Tremont Lodge & Resort
Little River Railroad & Lumber Co. Museum
7747 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy
Townsend, TN 37882
Both museums are great any time you need a break from the trail, but each season brings its own events.
The railroad museum reopens on weekends in April. In early May, the Townsend Spring Festival & Old Timers Day brings bluegrass, clogging, crafts and Appalachian skills demonstrations to town.
Both museums are open and make a perfect midday break from the heat. The Heritage Center hosts its summer concert series in the outdoor amphitheater.
Late September is festival season, with the Fall Railroad & Heritage Festival at the railroad museum, the Fall Heritage Festival & Old Timers Day and the Blue Ribbon Country Fair.
The railroad museum building closes for the season, but the Shay engine and outdoor exhibits stay open. Look for holiday events like Christmas at the Museum in early December and the Heritage Center’s holiday festivals.
Just down the road from both museums, Townsend has two visitor stops facing each other on E Lamar Alexander Parkway, and both are worth ten minutes at the start of your trip.
The Great Smokies Welcome Center at 7929 E Lamar Alexander Parkway opened in 2024. It is run by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association with the National Park Service, and it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop in for park information, trail maps, guidebooks and educational exhibits before you drive into the park.
Across the road, the original Townsend Visitor Center at 7906 E Lamar Alexander Parkway is home base for local tourism. Pick up dining and lodging ideas and festival schedules there; its green space hosts many of Townsend’s festivals, including the spring and fall heritage festivals. Call (865) 448-6134, or plan more at SmokyMountains.org and the National Park Service.
Cades Cove is a living history lesson, with historic churches, cabins and a working grist mill along the 11-mile loop. Visit the Heritage Center first and the cove makes even more sense.
Ride the same mountain trails early settlers used. Guided trail rides leave from stables near Townsend and inside Cades Cove, a fitting follow-up to the pioneer exhibits at the Heritage Center.
Make it a full rainy-day plan. Tuckaleechee Caverns stays about 58°F year-round and hides a 210-foot underground waterfall, just minutes from the museums.
Both museums are an easy walk or short drive from Townsend’s cafes, barbecue spots and river patios. Find our favorites in the guide.
Rain in the Smokies does not have to ruin the day. Try this easy plan:
When the sun comes back out, trade the galleries for trails with our guide to things to do in Townsend and our family-friendly Townsend guide.
The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is at 123 Cromwell Drive in Townsend, TN, near the Townsend entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Indoor galleries on Native American history, pioneer mountain life and early transportation, plus an outdoor village of historic buildings including a cabin, a church, a moonshine still, barns, a sawmill and a railroad station.
The Heritage Center charges admission for the museum and village. Check GSMHeritageCenter.org for current prices and hours.
Yes. Admission and parking are free, and donations are welcome.
The museum is open daily from May through October and on weekends in April. From November through March the building is closed except by appointment, but the grounds and outdoor exhibits stay open.
Townsend is named for Col. W.B. Townsend, who ran the Little River Lumber Company and Little River Railroad, which logged the area from 1901 to 1939.
Shay Engine #2147 is a 1909 geared steam locomotive on display at the Little River Railroad Museum. Shays were built to handle the steep grades and tight curves of mountain logging lines.
Visit the Heritage Center and the railroad museum, tour Tuckaleechee Caverns, try a local tasting room or relax in the indoor pool at Tremont Lodge.
The Townsend Visitors Center is at 7906 E Lamar Alexander Parkway. Call (865) 448-6134 for hours.
The Little River Railroad Museum is just steps down East Lamar Alexander Parkway from Tremont Lodge & Resort, and the Heritage Center is a few minutes’ drive toward the national park entrance.
Tremont Lodge & Resort sits right on East Lamar Alexander Parkway, steps from the Little River Railroad Museum and a few minutes from the Heritage Center and the national park entrance.
Spend the morning in the museums, the afternoon in Cades Cove and the evening by the fire pit.
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