The Mountain Gateway Museum will have a soft opening and Christmas open house at its temporary home! Ready to celebrate holiday cheer, visit us at 78-C Catawba Ave., from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 14 before the annual Old Fort Christmas parade.
Decorated for Christmas, the temporary location will also have a special exhibit on holiday traditions in Western North Carolina. The many communities that called Western N.C. home all had special winter celebrations. Along with Christmas, people also celebrated the Scottish New Year, Junkanoo, and others. Visitors can learn about all of them while enjoying Christmas decorations, free hot cocoa and fun holiday crafts thanks to the Old Fort Community Forum.
We hope to see you at this free event and you will have a chance to visit the rest of Old Fort as other businesses and organizations will be celebrating Christmas that day too. For more information, contact RoAnn Bishop at roann.bishop@dncr.nc.gov or visit our website, mgmnc.org for more information.
About Mountain Gateway MuseumA regional branch of the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, the Mountain Gateway Museum & Heritage Center (MGM) is the westernmost facility in the N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources’ Division of State History Museums.
Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of historic Mill Creek in downtown Old Fort (McDowell County), the museum uses artifacts, exhibitions, educational programs, living history demonstrations, and special events to teach people about the rich history and cultural heritage of the state’s mountain region, from its original inhabitants through early settlement and into the 20th century.
As part of its education outreach mission, MGM also assists non-profit museums and historic sites in 38 western NC counties with exhibit development & fabrication, genealogical research, photography archives, traveling exhibitions, and consultations.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
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