The American Museum of the House Cat
The American Museum of the House Cat
The American Museum of the House Cat
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The American Museum of the House Cat is a museum dedicated to Cat Lovers everywhere. It is an Art Gallery which traces the History of the House Cat in America. The museum is the private collection of multi media art relating to House Cat that tells the story encompassing fine art, folk art, art in advertising, 3D art as well as collectables and antiques.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
42 reviews
Excellent
30
Very good
8
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
2
rugby007
Alexandria, VA376 contributions
Feb 2024
Totally worth the time and the money to stop in and see this, classic roadside Americana.
Admission is $10, and there are discounts for seniors and military; best to ask at the door about this.
it's easy in and out, right off Route 23, easy to spot. There is ample free parking. total time inside, well, that's up to you. This is not a gigantic exposition but there is an awful lot of interesting stuff tucked into this space.
We were lucky enough to attend while Catman was in the house, a wonderful friendly gentleman who is happy to talk anything cat. Note that your fee also helps fund the shelter run by Catman.
Admission is $10, and there are discounts for seniors and military; best to ask at the door about this.
it's easy in and out, right off Route 23, easy to spot. There is ample free parking. total time inside, well, that's up to you. This is not a gigantic exposition but there is an awful lot of interesting stuff tucked into this space.
We were lucky enough to attend while Catman was in the house, a wonderful friendly gentleman who is happy to talk anything cat. Note that your fee also helps fund the shelter run by Catman.
Written February 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FiveBigBlueLakes
Lexington, SC223 contributions
Sep 2019
This place is wonderful and not just for cat lovers. First, the admission price is $7.50 and this goes to pay for on $22,000 salary and the leftover (2018 it was $35,000) goes to support the huge Catman2 cat shelter which has successfully reduced the workload for the Jackson County Animal Shelter which has been filled to capacity. Anyway, the ticket price is worth it. Anything ever made, created, saved, invented, carved, drawn, - of a cat is on display. If you are lucky, the owner, Dr. Harold Sims will be there and he will give you an individual tour with detailed explaination on each item and what makes it special. Lalique cat? Yup. Carved and painted solid wood 6 foot cat, Yup. Morris the cat? Yup, stuffed, motorized, cat games, cat figures, cat sculpture. I can't say enough about how delightful this place is. The highlight? Those of you over 50 may remember when cars had back seat dashboards. For a few years in the late 60s or early 70s it was popular to stick a stuffed animal cat on this back dash, hook it up to your tailights so that when you stepped on the brake, the cats red eyes would light up also. I had forgotten all about this novelty and Mr. Sims had one. It was a great memory.
Written September 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RaleighNCtravel
Raleigh, NC441 contributions
Aug 2019
If you like cats and museums this is place for you. There are no cats here but all kinds of cat items, an amazing collection. And it is very well organized. It is with an antique mall but the mall is shutting down so the museum is moving soon. Our GPS took us right to it but did have trouble getting us back to Cashiers.
The owner has bought many of the items. He is very pleasant and gave us a tour of the highlights.
There is a $7.50 charge but is worth it if you have 30-60 minutes to see it. You could spend at least two hours if you wanted to see each item.
There is plenty of parking in front of the mall.
The owner has bought many of the items. He is very pleasant and gave us a tour of the highlights.
There is a $7.50 charge but is worth it if you have 30-60 minutes to see it. You could spend at least two hours if you wanted to see each item.
There is plenty of parking in front of the mall.
Written September 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
radiowitch1
Connecticut1,739 contributions
May 2017 • Friends
It's hard to describe The American Museum of the House Cat. The contents of this Museum focus as much on felines as American advertising and culture, so most visitors will find it fascinating. Examples range from Egyptian Bast pieces circa 1000 BCE to feline artwork by the late Andy Warhol. Considering the $5 admission fee is donated to local cat shelters, spending some time at The American Museum of the House Cat is worthwhile.
Written June 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you radiowitch for such a lovely review of our Carolina House Cat Museum. We appreciate your words as our museum is more than just cats. It is a sampling of american history and culture as seen through the eyes of the cat.
Written April 5, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MagicDreamer
Florida119 contributions
May 2017 • Family
When my best friend heard I was traveling to Western NC, she sent me a link to this museum. As a fellow cat lover, I thought it would be a nice place to visit. The fee, as of May 2017, to go through the two room museum is five dollars which also helps fund the Cat shelter also associated with the museum. While there are no live animals on site, this museum is dedicated to cats. Located inside the old school house off highway 441 South, the museum is just under five miles from Dillsboro, NC. There is a huge antique mall to visit as well.
In the museum you will find a revolving collection of cat paraphernalia ranging from painting, prints (some by Andy Warhol,), statues, pinball games, ancient relics, etc. Lets face it, there is a lot to see and I think the more you walk around, the more impressed you get. The owner of the collection, a Dr. Harold Sim's, has been collecting all things Cat for more than 30 years. There is a curator who gives a talk as she leads you around the museum, pointing out just a few of the treasures that await your discovery and the talk is quite informative. We wandered around twice and noticed different things as we did. The collection will change so that if you see it one year, the next time will have something different, as apparently Dr. Sim's has much, much more that doesn't all squeeze into the museum as it is.
In the museum you will find a revolving collection of cat paraphernalia ranging from painting, prints (some by Andy Warhol,), statues, pinball games, ancient relics, etc. Lets face it, there is a lot to see and I think the more you walk around, the more impressed you get. The owner of the collection, a Dr. Harold Sim's, has been collecting all things Cat for more than 30 years. There is a curator who gives a talk as she leads you around the museum, pointing out just a few of the treasures that await your discovery and the talk is quite informative. We wandered around twice and noticed different things as we did. The collection will change so that if you see it one year, the next time will have something different, as apparently Dr. Sim's has much, much more that doesn't all squeeze into the museum as it is.
Written May 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello MagicDreamer - Thank you so much for visiting the Museum of the House Cat. We are pleased you enjoyed your time at our roadside museum. We are now open for our 2018 season and loving it. We appreciate you taking time to post a review on trip advisor about our little attraction in the mountains of WNC.
Written April 5, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RONALD W
Lake Toxaway, NC28 contributions
Oct 2019
An eclectic collection of all things cat. Paintings by known artists, posters, every toy type you can think of, ancient Egyptian artifacts, rides, too much to list. A 35 year collection of a cat lover. thousands of items. grandchildren will love.
Written October 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kennedy H
Cullowhee, NC1 contribution
Aug 2019 • Couples
I’m a huge cat lover just like the man who started this museum. As you walk through you get to see hundreds of years worth of cat related things from all over the world. It’s truly incredible to see how the entire world has depicted cats throughout history. Incredible collection!
Written August 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GALE Y
Atlanta, GA213 contributions
Jul 2019
This is a curious place. Unfortunately it is located inside an antique Mall..This antique Mall is closing by November. I am uncertain whether this Museum will remain or have to move. At any rate the owner is asking someone to take over in his place when he dies.
Written August 11, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
christopher p
10 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
We are a crazy cat family! This was a must see for us! It was amazing all the cat things! Lol it’s kinda like one of those largest ball of yarn things! Quirky and weird but worth the good cause it supports!
Written August 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew M
GROVE CITY, United States52 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
Was a really nice museum in the Smokey Mountain foothills. Near Cherokee NC and reservation. Lots to see in museum as exhibits were a little crowded. Moving across the road to bigger digs next year. Recommend as must for cat lovers.
Written August 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is there actual cats here?
American Museum Of The House Cat
Sylva, NC
Yes. We have one official real museum cat. Her name is MiMi.
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Frequently Asked Questions about The American Museum of the House Cat
- The American Museum of the House Cat is open:
- Sun - Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Mon - Mon 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Thu - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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