On a hillside in Rabun County, next to Black Rock Mountain State Park, more than 20 historic log buildings show what everyday Appalachian life looked like from 1820 to 1940. The Foxfire Village Museum grew out of a high school magazine, and its story is as interesting as the cabins.

From classroom project to bestseller

The New Georgia Encyclopedia says that in the fall of 1966, teacher Eliot Wigginton and his students at the Rabun Gap–Nacoochee School started interviewing older residents. They recorded the skills, traditions and history of the mountain culture they shared. The students named their magazine Foxfire after the blue-green glow of bioluminescent growth on decaying logs. The first issue came out in March 1967. According to the encyclopedia, it was an instant hit, helped by an interview with the local sheriff about a 1936 bank robbery.

Foxfire’s history page says The Foxfire Book, built from magazine articles, came out in 1972 and became a national bestseller. Foxfire 2 followed a year later, and a long series came after it. The encyclopedia counts twelve numbered volumes plus special collections such as The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery. A Broadway play, Foxfire, by Hume Cronyn and Susan Cooper, opened in 1982 and was later adapted for television.

The program had a dark chapter. In 1992, Wigginton pleaded guilty to child molestation and had to resign from teaching. The encyclopedia notes that he is no longer associated with Foxfire. Students and staff kept the program going, and in 2015 Foxfire received a Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities.

How the museum came to be

In 1974, according to Foxfire, students used book royalties to buy land on Black Rock Mountain. Historic buildings were moved to the property, and students spent years restoring them. Today the site covers more than 100 acres of mountainside.

What you’ll see

The museum says its village includes:

  • More than 20 historic log buildings, filled with artifacts from Appalachian life between 1820 and 1940
  • A working blacksmith shop
  • The Children’s Village, kid-sized cabins built for exploring and play
  • The Foxfire Archive, nearly 60 years of oral history interviews, images and video, open to researchers by request

Foxfire’s shop sells its books and magazines along with work by local artisans. Foxfire also runs heritage skill classes and events through the year; check the events calendar before you go.

Visiting

  • Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Last admission is one hour before closing.
  • Prices: ages 5 and under free; 6 to 10, $5; 11 to 18, $10; 19 to 61, $20; 62 and up, $15.
  • Address: 98 Foxfire Ln., Mountain City, GA 30562.
  • Phone: 706.746.5828.

Foxfire sometimes closes for weather, as it did on the weekend of Oct. 10 and 11, 2026. Check the website before a long drive.

Foxfire describes the village as an outdoor museum, so dress for the weather. The museum says photos, video or audio may be recorded during visits for promotional use.

Pair it with

Mountain City is a long day trip from Ellijay, roughly two hours each way, so think about spending the night in the Clayton area.

Sources and further reading

Facts in this article were checked against these sources on October 30, 2026. Hours, fees and seasons change, so confirm before you go.