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Music Trail

Mount Airy Museum of Regional History

A fierce desire for independence led rugged 18^th century immigrants from the port of Philadelphia down the Great Wagon Road and into "the Hollows" of North Carolina. This beautiful valley is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains and became a settling place for pioneers. Their story is told in the well-researched collection on display at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

The Hollows was first surveyed by Joshua Frye and Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson, who mapped the land in 1749. This unique land formation can be seen from the top of the museum's bell tower and in a 360-degree panoramic photograph on display in the museum's main gallery.

The collection of the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History comprises a wide variety of artifacts and photos that depict the history of the Hollows, beginning with the area's natural history, the story of its famous granite quarry (the largest open surface quarry in the world), and the lives of the Saura Indians of the 1600s.

Among the Museum's other permanent exhibits are those that show life in a typical pioneer village, including a cutaway of a log cabin and a general store. Photo exhibits illustrate the rise of many of the small communities that were established by pioneer families and in which many of their descendants still live.

The basement of the Museum is devoted to the history of the Mount Airy Fire Department and contains many artifacts of fire fighting equipment. Exhibited on an upper floor are numerous Victorian era artifacts from the Woodroffe family, founders of the granite quarry.

Hours of Operation:

April - October:            10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday
November - March:    10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday
                                      10 am to 2 pm, Saturday

Admission Fees:

There is a small fee to visit the Museum.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

Location:

The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History is located in a restored mercantile store in the heart of downtown Mount Airy.

Mount Airy Museum of Regional History
301 North Main Street
Mount Airy, North Carolina 27030
336-786-4478
http://www.northcarolinamuseum.org/