250,000 for 250 Years of American History

For 74 seasons, Horn in the West™ and Hickory Ridge History Museum have preserved the story of the American Revolution in the mountains of North Carolina.

In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, we are raising $250,000 to secure the future of this legacy for the next generations.

Help Raise the Curtain on America 250

Your gift directly supports:
• Actor and staff payroll
• Amphitheater restoration and safety upgrades
• Historic cabin preservation
• Educational programming for schools and homeschool families
• The 2026 season of Horn in the West™

Every donation moves the meter. Every dollar strengthens the stage!

Why $250,000?

In 1976, during the Bicentennial, North Carolina invested $250,000 into Horn in the West. Adjusted for inflation, that equals more than $1.4 million today.

As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, public funding for the arts and humanities is shrinking across the country. SAHA receives a fraction of the support once provided, while continuing to serve thousands of visitors, students, and families each year.

The 250 for 250 campaign is our commitment to:
• Launch a strong 2026 season
• Address urgent infrastructure needs
• Restore and maintain the Daniel Boone Amphitheater
• Preserve 18th and early 19th century structures at Hickory Ridge
• Sustain paid opportunities for actors, educators, and technicians

This is a long-term investment!

Why Now?

Boone’s first tourist attraction was Horn in the West™.

For generations, families have built summer traditions around this stage.

Students have learned history not from a textbook, but from a living performance.

The 250th anniversary deserves more than remembrance. It deserves renewal!

Make a secure gift online

Use any major credit card, PayPal or Google Pay.

Send your check by mail

Checks should be made out to Southern Appalachian Historical Association.

c/o Marrena Greer, Operations Manager

PO Box 295

Boone, NC 28607

Over the phone

Give us a call at 828-264-2120, and our staff will be happy to assist you.

Interested in making a Legacy or Estate Gift? Please email us at horninthewesthickoryridge@gmail.com.

To learn more about corporate giving, please email us at horninthewesthickoryridge@gmail.com

Two people dressed in colonial era clothing sitting and standing around a campfire near tents in a wooded forest setting. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century history museum in Boone, NC for families and kids.
A group of children and adults gathered outside, listening to a man with a beard and a red checkered cap speak outside of the blacksmith cabin. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century history museum in Boone, NC for families and kids.
Man working on the Tatum cabin, holding a tool and a long wooden plank. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century history museum in Boone, NC for families and kids.
A cozy rustic room features a stone fireplace with a hearth, a wooden rocking chair, and a wooden cabinet with pottery and bottles, with framed photographs and artwork hanging above the fireplace. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century museum.
A group of people, including children and adults, listening to a man dressed in traditional Native American attire, outdoors near an old wooden structure in a wooded area. Hickory Ridge is a hands-on 18th-century history museum in Boone, NC.