Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home, Rome

About Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home

Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home in Rome preserves the historic residence of Major Ridge, a prominent 19th-century Cherokee leader and signer of the Treaty of New Echota. Visitors tour the main house, which features a two-story dogtrot log cabin at its core with later architectural additions, along with permanent and traveling exhibitions exploring Cherokee history and the events leading to the Trail of Tears. The six-acre campus along the Oostanaula River includes the Major Ridge Demonstration Garden with native plants and those historically used by Cherokee families, a Three Sisters Garden, a replica ferry similar to one Major Ridge operated, an archaeological dig site, and a small orchard. Interpretive outdoor signage and access to Rome's Riverwalk connect the property to downtown. Educational programs and special events examine the Ridge family's life and Cherokee culture. The site is a National Historic Landmark and one of only seven private entities north of Atlanta certified by the National Park Service as a Trail of Tears location.