Cades Secrets Revealed

Cades Cove Museum

Cades Cove, in the Great Smoky Mountains, boasts a history as fertile as the farmland that sustained the pioneering families who settled there in the early 1800s. That history has been preserved in several structures along the Cove’s 11-mile, self-guided loop road.

Millions have traveled that road and toured the buildings, but few have seen Adeline Shields’ dress with the “snuff” handkerchief pinned to the bodice, the ornate wood-burning stove that once heated the Missionary Baptist Church, the tattered quilts that kept icy mountain winters at bay, or other treasures – furniture, household items, tools, toys – that turned the houses into homes.

These artifacts and many others, on-loan or donated by former Cades Cove residents and descendants, have found a home at the Cades Cove Museum, approximately 20 miles from the Cove in Maryville, Tenn.

A visit to the museum, in the historic Thompson-Brown House, one of the oldest, two-story, dog-trot log buildings in East Tennessee, will enhance any Cades Cove experience or simply provide a glimpse into the community’s fascinating mountain culture.   

For more: CadesCovePreservation.com

You Might Also Like:

This is a landscape photograph of the night sky with the Milky Way over rural Bryson City during summer in the Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina.

Skywatch: September/October 2026

Summer is winding down.
Coyote (Canis latrans) wandering out from the forest into the loop road on a summer late morning.

Critters Crossing! 

States across the Blue Ridge are investing in wildlife crossings to protect animals and improve roadway safety.
Eugenia Williams House. Photo courtesy of Bruce Cole

A Mystery on the River

The once-private estate of enigmatic heiress Eugenia Williams is now open to visitors. 
Spotted Lanternfly

The March of the Spotted Lanternfly

Don't let the striking appearance of this troublesome pest fool you.
Virginia Creeper Trail in Damascus, photo by Town of Damascus. Photo courtesy of the Town of Damascus.

Damascus Renaissance

A project to repair the Virginia Creeper Trail is spurring growth in this beloved AT town.
At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.
This is a landscape photograph of the night sky with the Milky Way over rural Bryson City during summer in the Great Smoky Mountains North Carolina.

Skywatch: July/August 2026

How many stars can you see?
©Duncan Seaman

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.
NightFlight Expedition Takes Off at Dollywood

NightFlight Expedition Takes Off at Dollywood

The new coaster is the Tennessee theme park’s largest single attraction investment to date.
Ron Messina | Courtesy of the Department of Wildlife Resources

Historic Easement Protects SWVA Land, Opens It to the Public

Lovers of wildlife, woodlands, and waters will soon have a vast area to explore in Southwest Virginia.