Skip to Main Content

Cherokee, North Carolina: Mac's Indian Village Cabins

One of the oldest motels in town. Formerly with fake teepee fronts at the entrance to each rustic cabin, but these have dwindled to a handful. The motel was featured in the 1998 Kevin Bacon film, "Digging to China."

Visitor Tips and News About Mac's Indian Village Cabins

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Sign for Mac's Indian Village.

Mac's Indian Village

While driving up US-441 looking for a place to stay during a trip to Cherokee, NC, we noticed some red neon inverted "V" shapes glowing through the trees. We turned down Teepee Dr. and saw a brightly-lit old neon sign advertising Mac's Indian Village. To our delight, the inverted "V" neon lights were adorning 12 foot teepee-cabins!

Mac's Indian Village is about a dozen or so private cabins with giant teepee facades affixed to the front. These are different than the Wigwam villages in AZ and CA where you actually "sleep in a teepee". This is more like, "sleep in a cabin that has a huge teepee attached to it". We learned that Mac's Indian Village was built in 1934. They gave us several vintage postcards.

The ladies who run the place told us that the property was a location for the 1998 film "Digging to China" starring the omnipresent Kevin Bacon. We asked if the film's stars had stayed in the cabins during filming, and they replied no, that the movie stars stayed in their own trailers out back. Well, those Hollywood types don't know what they're missing. The room was decorated with an old framed Rock City print, to boot! Gotta love a roadside attraction that references another.

[Tony & Kimberly Paglia, 11/09/2002]

Mac's Indian Village Cabins

Address:
160 Teepee Drive, Cherokee, NC
Directions:
A mile or so south of town. There is a traffic light at the intersection of US-441 and Business 441 outside of downtown Cherokee. A plaza with a Food Lion and a McDonalds is on your right. If you are coming from the south, Teepee Drive is on your left just before the traffic light. Mac's Indian Village is about 100 yards past the Qualla Motel, on the right, nestled in the trees.
Phone:
828-497-5161
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Cherokee: Tourists and IndiansCherokee: Tourists and Indians, Cherokee, NC - < 1 mi.
Cherokee Bear ZooCherokee Bear Zoo, Cherokee, NC - < 1 mi.
Museum of the Cherokee PeopleMuseum of the Cherokee People, Cherokee, NC - 2 mi.
In the region:
American Museum of the House Cat, Sylva, NC - 11 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

North Carolina Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings