Dry Ridge Historical Museum

05/31/2026

Our newest oral history videos! Dale Pennell tells the behind scenes stories from Hurricane Helene. Hear how Weaverville lost 3 million gallons of water in four hours; how Public Works staff got trapped by downed trees and power lines; and how the Weaverville Pickleball Courts became a helipad.

Available now on our YouTube channel. They will also be available at the Museum during our normal operating hours

Hurricane Helene in September 2024 had major effects on WNC. Hear how the town of Weaverville was effected.

05/21/2026

Include the Museum in your Memorial Day observance. Special exhibits on display honoring veterans.

Open Memorial Day 11-5. Normal hours Wed - Sat 11-5.

05/14/2026

If you missed Rodney Edwards' talk on May 7, (or just want to enjoy it again), video clips are now available on our YouTube channel. Hear how his career as an auto mechanic developed and enjoy his funny stories of life on Main Street

Rodney Edwards tells stories of friends and events on Main Street in Weaverville during his two decades of operating Rodney's.

04/30/2026

Did you know that the patches for Artemis 2 were made here in Weaverville? A-B Emblem's work is our newest special exhibit at the Museum. Stop by to learn more about the work of this company located at 22 A-B Emblem Drive in Weaverville, just up Merrimon Avenue from Lake Louise.

04/20/2026

Join us this Friday for Judy Craggs' presentation, History of Weaverville Part 2. Part 1 took us through the 1920's. Part 2 will highlight the Great Depression's effect on our area. And, address questions like what happened to Weaver College and what was the most famous crime commited in Weaverville.

April 24 10:30-11:30 at the Community Center. This event is free but donations are appreciated.

04/12/2026

Mountain Strong - The Cemetery Remembrance Project
Join us at the Weaverville Community Center on April 23, 2026 at 7:00 PM (Eastern Time) as Project leaders share how community members, high school students, churches and colleges have come together to explore an often overlooked part of area history.

"What we're finding is not just history on paper," says Mars Hill University professor Jonathan McCoy, "but connections to families and stories that deserve to be told."

PROGRAM:

Phyllis Utley, project manager, will give us an overview of the project.
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Jonathan McCoy from Mars Hill University, Ellen Holmes Pearson from UNC Asheville, and Brian Tormey from Western Carolina University will talk about their work with students, including techniques for discovering and restoring burial sites.
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Jim Stokely from the Wilma Dykeman Legacy will draw connections between Wilma Dykeman (1920-2006) and the mission of The Cemetery Remembrance Project.

03/24/2026

This Friday, March 27 at 10:30 am! Hope you can join us for this focus on recent history.

03/19/2026

We love having school groups visit the Museum. And today was no exception! Thank you Weaverville Primary Kindergartens for coming by today!

03/12/2026

In light of the current controversy with the DOT wanting to remove the pedestrian bridge over Merrimon, we thought our followers would like to see some of the historical photos we have. When the trolley company wanted to split the Coleman property to bring the trolley into town, a pedestrian bridge was built over the tracks so the Colemans could access their property.

Today the bridge is about 117 years old and suffered damage from Hurricane Helene.

We invite you to visit the Museum to learn more about the Coleman family and the trolley.

Wed - Sat 11 am to 5 pm

02/09/2026

If you will be voting early (February 12-28) at the Weaverville Community Center, please enjoy the museum's display cases while you are there. In addition to the History of Main Street, we have a special exhibit honoring the 100th year of the celebration of Black History. It focuses on the special history of the Weaverville Colored School. Stop in to the museum for a visit too!