EDITOR’S NOTE: Western North Carolina is weird. From local legends to Bigfoot encounters, the Blue Ridge Mountains have long been a home for the quirky and bizarre. Join us in exploring the mysteries, histories and curiosities of “Strangeville.”
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SYLVA, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Located right off of Highway 441 in Sylva, North Carolina, the American Museum of the House Cat is in the running for the quirkiest roadside attraction in all the Southeast.
The multimedia art museum features a large cat painted over the door, surrounded by a variety of cat sculptures, several funny cat signs, a whirling cat hanger and a cat-covered piano. The exterior of the museum is only a small glimpse of the cat memorabilia and splendor waiting inside.
AMHC was founded by cat lover Dr. Harold W. Sims Jr. as a supplement to his animal shelter, Catman2, which provides homes and low-cost spay and neutering services to dozens of Jackson County animals every month. An avid collector of cat-related merchandise, Sims furnished AMHC with thousands of items he had collected over the years, from cat-themed arcade machines to cat beer steins to a cat carousel he constructed himself.
The director used to give personal guided tours of the museum to visitors, walking them by case after case of cats and explaining the significance of the artifacts he had collected.
While Sims passed away in 2024, the AMHC maintains his enthusiasm for cat education through knowledgable employees, like Museum Educator Jeanette Riggs, featured in our video, and QR codes littered around the museum which lead to prerecorded explanations of particularly special items – for instance, this one explained that the mummified cat found in one inconspicuous case was entirely real.
With thousands of pieces of artwork on display, the museum is impossible to digest in one visit, but AMHC still attracts visitors from all around the world. Riggs recounted a recent visit from a few cat-loving Australians who had found out about the museum online.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, at 5063 U.S. Highway 441 S., Sylva.
Tickets for adults are $10, tickets for teens ages 13 to 17 are $7.50, tickets for children ages 6 to 12 are $5 and “kittens” ages 5 and under get in for free. AMHC also offers a military discount.
For more information, visit www.wnccatmuseum.org.
Check out other snapshots from the American Museum of the House Cat:
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