The Mitford Museum

The Mitford Museum This North Carolina literary landmark, founded by # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jan Karon, offers exhibits, programs, and a bookstore.

Our mission is to examine, document, and celebrate the American small-town ethos and support the legendary musical, literary, art, and folk cultures of the North Carolina mountains and foothills.

๐Œ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐Ž๐ฎ๐ซ ๐‰๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ž๐ฌ.The Candace Freeland Photography of Merit Award is now open for entries, and youth photographers from ac...
06/17/2026

๐Œ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐Ž๐ฎ๐ซ ๐‰๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ž๐ฌ.
The Candace Freeland Photography of Merit Award is now open for entries, and youth photographers from across the United States are invited to share their creativity and unique perspectives through the lens of a cell phone camera.

Entries will be judged by an outstanding panel of photographers and educators:

๐Ÿ“ท Maggie Flanigan โ€” North Carolina artist, educator, and Director of the AFA Visual Arts program at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute.

๐Ÿ“ท Tim Barnwell Photography โ€” Acclaimed Asheville photographer, instructor, and author whose work has appeared in โ€œTimeโ€, โ€œNewsweekโ€, โ€œSmithsonianโ€, and many other national publications.

๐Ÿ“ท Tom Rankin โ€” Photographer, writer, and Professor of the Practice of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies at Duke University.

Founded by award-winning photojournalist Candace Freeland, this contest encourages young photographers to tell powerful stories through images. The 2026 theme, โ€œFood and Familyโ€, offers countless opportunities to explore the people, traditions, and connections that matter most.

Full contest details, prizes, and entry information are available at themitfordmuseum.org/meritawards.

Tag a young photographer who should enter!

As every Mitford fan knows, Father Timโ€™s faithful dog Barnabas behaves when spoken to with scripture. Inspired by Mitfor...
06/15/2026

As every Mitford fan knows, Father Timโ€™s faithful dog Barnabas behaves when spoken to with scripture.

Inspired by Mitfordโ€™s most memorable canine companion, The Happy Endings Bookstore at The Mitford Museum offers an exclusive Mitford Pets collection.

Among the collection are collars and leashes featuring Philippians 4:13: โ€œI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.โ€ Whether your dog responds to scripture as well as Barnabas or simply enjoys a good walk, these accessories are a wonderful way to celebrate your love of Mitford and your four-legged friend.

Shop the collection at themitfordmuseum.org/product-category/barnabas

๐ƒ๐จ๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐Œ๐š๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ƒ๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž.At The Mitford Museum, our docents and volunteers do more than guide tours; they welcome gue...
06/13/2026

๐ƒ๐จ๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐Œ๐š๐ค๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ƒ๐ข๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ž.

At The Mitford Museum, our docents and volunteers do more than guide tours; they welcome guests, share stories, answer questions, and help bring Mitford to life each day.

Their kindness, knowledge, and heart help create the experience visitors remember long after they leave.

We are so thankful for the incredible people who give their time to make the museum special.

Interested in joining our team? Please contact Alison at the Happy Endings Bookstore at the Mitford Museum at 828-572-1511 or [email protected] for details.

For the Dad Who Has Everythingโ€ฆThis Fatherโ€™s Day, shop our Dude Corner in the Happy Endings Bookstore at The Mitford Mus...
06/11/2026

For the Dad Who Has Everythingโ€ฆ

This Fatherโ€™s Day, shop our Dude Corner in the Happy Endings Bookstore at The Mitford Museum for gifts Dad will actually use:

โ€ข Soap
โ€ข Socks
โ€ข Bible Covers
โ€ข Pens & Journals
โ€ข Books
โ€ข Keychains
โ€ข And more!

Spend $100 on gifts for him in our Dude Corner and get a FREE paperback John Grisham novel! While supplies last.

Shop at: themitfordmuseum.org/product-category/gifts-for-him.

๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐  ๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ!The Candace Freeland Photography of Merit Award is now open for entries, and we want to see ...
06/09/2026

๐‚๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐  ๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฉ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ!

The Candace Freeland Photography of Merit Award is now open for entries, and we want to see the world through your lens!

Youth photographers ages 8โ€“22 from across the United States are invited to participate and share their creativity, talent, and unique perspective through photography.

This yearโ€™s theme is โ€œFood and Family,โ€ and full details are available on our site at themitfordmuseum.org/meritawards.

Tag a young photographer who should enter in the comments!

๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐Œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ. One of the greatest blessings of The Mitford Museum is meeting readers whose lives have been touched by...
06/07/2026

๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐Œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ.
One of the greatest blessings of The Mitford Museum is meeting readers whose lives have been touched by Jan Karon's stories.

Clockwise from Top:
๐Ÿ“– Lindsay traveled from Ohio with her mother, Dee, and Dee's lifelong best friend and family. Dee moved to America from England when she was 19 years old, and the two friends have remained close ever since. Lindsay planned this special trip for them, and they shared that the experience was truly a blessing and a delight. Before leaving, Lindsay wrote on our chalkboard: "I've read your stories multiple times. These are my favorite books I have ever read. Thank you!"

๐Ÿ“– We were also delighted to welcome another Mitford-loving family from Georgia: Beth, Sarah Ann, Skye, Eleanore, and Andee. As avid readers and world travelers, they have shared many adventures together, and we were honored that Mitford was one of their destinations.

๐Ÿ“– And then there was Julie from North Carolina. A longtime Mitford fan, Julie was introduced to the books by her mother. This year, Julie's husband surprised her with a birthday visit to the museum. To make the day even more memorable, our staff and volunteers gathered to sing "Happy Birthday." Julie told us it was a very special treat.

Thank you to everyone who visits and shares their stories with us. The Mitford Museum is open each Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Plan your visit at TheMitfordMuseum.org/explore.

06/06/2026

Exciting things are happening at the future home of The Mitford Discovery Center!

Shout-out to Lackey Grading Company Inc. and Moss-Marlow Building Co., Inc. for their hard work. ๐Ÿ‘

If you would like to be part of the effort to make this new facility possible, visit TheMitfordMuseum.org/MatchMyGift to make a secure, tax-deductible donation. Every gift received will be matched, so thank you in advance for your support!

๐…๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซโ€™๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ ๐š๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐Œ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฎ๐ฆ.Looking for the perfect gift for Dad? Shop our โ€œDude Cornerโ€ collection and explore:โ€ข...
06/05/2026

๐…๐š๐ญ๐ก๐ž๐ซโ€™๐ฌ ๐ƒ๐š๐ฒ ๐š๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐Œ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฎ๐ฆ.

Looking for the perfect gift for Dad? Shop our โ€œDude Cornerโ€ collection and explore:

โ€ข Bible Covers
โ€ข Journals & Pens
โ€ข Keychains
โ€ข Socks
โ€ข Body Soap
โ€ข Books
โ€ข And more gifts just for him!

Spend $100 on gifts for him in our Dude Corner and receive a FREE paperback John Grisham novel while supplies last!

๐ŸŽ themitfordmuseum.org/product-category/gifts-for-him

06/04/2026

๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐Š๐ข๐ญ๐œ๐ก๐ž๐ง๐ฌ.

Thereโ€™s just something special about a kitchen filled with the aroma of homemade goodness.

Bring a little piece of Mitford home with our Mitford Kitchens collection โ€” featuring jams, marmalades, kitchen gifts, cookbooks, aprons, and more inspired by the warmth and comfort of Mitford life.

Whether youโ€™re gathering around the table with family or looking for the perfect gift, these cozy kitchen favorites are made to be shared.

Browse the collection at themitfordmuseum.org/product-category/kitchen-wares.

๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐๐š๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐.An early reader, Jan Karon would read anything she could get her hands on, including Margaret Mitchel...
06/01/2026

๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐๐š๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐Œ๐ข๐ญ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐.

An early reader, Jan Karon would read anything she could get her hands on, including Margaret Mitchellโ€™s โ€œGone With the Wind.โ€ When the film came to town, the ten-year-old Jan went up to the Center Theater in Lenoir to see it.

Inspired, Jan decided to write an epic story of her own. Sitting down and writing out her story in her Blue Horse notebook, Jan took the liberty of borrowing a special four-letter word from Ms. Mitchell. A decision she would later come to regret, but would eventually help shape the way Jan would choose to write her beloved Mitford series.

Address

145 Cedar Valley Road
Hudson, NC
28638

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+18285724898

Website

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