The Swannanoa Valley Museum, which reopened for the season on April 1, houses a unique collection of photos, artifacts and Swannanoa Valley Museum hands-on exhibits that explore and interpret the rich history of the Swannanoa Valley. Whether you’re an old-timer or are new to the area, put a visit to the museum on your “must do” list.

New exhibits this year include artifacts and stories from a historic community in the North Fork Valley that was displaced by the city of Asheville watershed. Over fifty families were removed from their land before the entire community was submerged under water.

The Swannanoa Valley Museum is housed in the former Black Mountain Fire House, designed and built in 1921 by Richard Sharp Smith, supervising architect at the Biltmore Estate. The museum is located at 223 W. State Street in Black Mountain, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Suggested donation is $5.

To read a recent Mountain Xpress article about the Swannanoa Valley Museum and its new 2015 exhibits, please click here. To visit the museum’s website, please click here.