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Historic Blue Ridge

Unto These Hills

NC Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development Photo by Ron Ruehl

One of America's most popular outdoor dramas, and its second oldest, Unto These Hills tells the story of the Cherokee people from their first encounter with Europeans to their removal from Cherokee country to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. The drama begins in 1540 with the arrival of the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto, who came to the mountains in search of gold. Along the way, the audience meets Cherokee leaders such as Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee alphabet, and Junaluska, who saved Andrew Jackson's life at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. The drama builds to a moving climax with the forced exile of the Cherokees on the Trail of Tears in 1838-39 and the heroic sacrifice of the leader Tsali which enabled a handful of Cherokee to stay in the mountains.

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

The outdoor drama was first presented in its present form in 1950, but an early version of this play was presented as early as the 1930s at the Cherokee Fall Fair. Since its opening, the drama has been seen by over five million people. The cast 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.

Hours of Operation
The drama 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.

Admission Fees
Tickets 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 younger than 6. Discounted rates for large groups are available.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

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