Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama

For over 50 years, Cherokee players have performed the stirring drama Unto These Hills for over five million people. Under the stars on summer nights, the story of the Cherokee unfolds in dazzling sights and sounds.

Music and dance traditions are woven into the play, as are the rich stories of Cherokee legends. The historical production begins with the arrival of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540 and ends with the removal of the Cherokee from their ancestral lands on the Trail of Tears in 1838. Cherokee heroes are honored in Unto These Hills, including Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee alphabet; Junaluska, the wise leader, and Tsali, the brave chief who gave his life for his people.

The cast and technical staff of 130 recreate the pageantry of traditional festivals, a Cherokee wedding, and the world-famous Eagle Dance. Unto These Hills is set in the Mountainside Theater, an outdoor theater that seats 2,800.

Unto These Hills was first presented in its current form in 1950, but an early version of this play was performed as early as the 1930s at the Cherokee Fall Fair. The cast of Unto These Hills is drawn from local Cherokee people and students of the drama department at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.  Each year's production adds new elements.

The Eternal Flame burns at the entrance to the Mountainside Theater.  The Cherokees believe that as long as the fire burns, they will survive as a people.  The flame was carried to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears and was brought back to Cherokee from Oklahoma in 1951.  The flame still burns.

Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama Hours of Operation:
Unto These Hills is performed nightly, except Sundays, from mid-June through late August.  Showtime is 8:30 pm. Pre-show performances of music and dance start by 8:00 pm.

Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama Admission Fees:
Tickets for Unto These Hills can be purchased on-line, by phone, at the Mountainside Theater box office and at the Cherokee Historical Association office at US Highway 441 and Drama Road.

Reserved seats are $18 (all ages). General admission is $16 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-13, and free for children under 6. Group discounts are available.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama Location:
The Mountainside Theater and Cherokee Historical Association office are located on Drama Road, off US 441.

PO Box 398
Cherokee, NC 28719
(828) 497-2111 or toll-free (866) 554-4557
www.cherokee-nc.com/unto_these_main.php