The Tennessee Magazine, published monthly by the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, hosts an annual reader’s choice awards. In the October 2018 publication, the resulting winners of the 28 categories were announced, with more than one million readers voting the Museum of Appalachia as the best museum in East Tennessee.
The attractiveness of the Museum of Appalachia is a don’t-miss experience. There is no other museum with a collection of buildings and artifacts as extensive and comprehensive. The Museum of Appalachia, an internationally acclaimed living history farm/village, is home to a unique collection of early pioneer artifacts from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and host to a variety of special events throughout the year. A non-profit organization, the museum’s mission is to preserve Appalachian artifacts and instill in the community—regionally, nationally, and internationally—a greater knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Southern Appalachian heritage.
The Shop at the Museum of Appalachia features handiwork from Appalachian artisans, books authored by regional writers and unique "Made in America" gifts. The museum's quaint restaurant offers hot country style lunches, fresh-from-the-garden vegetables, and mouth-watering home-style desserts.