Blowing Rock 1888 Museum

About Blowing Rock 1888 Museum

The 1888 Museum in Blowing Rock occupies a historic cottage built to house guest rooms for the Watauga Hotel, Blowing Rock's first hotel established in 1884. Visitors explore two rooms on self-guided tours that illustrate the town's early tourism history. One room is furnished as a rental unit would have been, complete with a wash basin and chamber pot, showing how guests lived without running water or in-room meals. The second room displays photographs and artifacts from Blowing Rock's early hotels, including Mayview Manor and the Farm House Inn. The cottage itself is the last remaining building from the original Watauga Hotel property. General admission is free. The museum is located at the south end of Memorial Park on Main Street in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and opens daily for self-guided tours.