Outdoor Show. Bring lawn seating. Inclement weather plan (extreme heat or rain) – Show will be moved indoors (seats require climbing stairs). You will need to come early to get a seat. First come, first served. Doors will open 45 minutes before show time.

Albert Einstein was the most influential physicist of the 20th century. His ideas fundamentally changed our understanding of the nature of the universe. Newton’s ideas of absolute space and time were upended by Einstein’s concept of space/time – a universe in which, if there was no matter, there would be no space and no time.

Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke explained Einstein’s appeal this way, “Einstein’s unique combination of genius, humanist, pacifist, and eccentric made him accessible – and even lovable – to tens of millions of people.”

Einstein was no ordinary international celebrity. Charlie Chaplin once explained to Einstein why the scientist was often welcomed with applause by saying, “They cheer me because they all understand me, and they cheer you because no one understands you.” But, in truth, Einstein was able to make his revolutionary ideas understandable to the most advanced scientists and, albeit to a lesser degree, the general public.

Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Come early to get a seat. Doors open at 1 pm.

In the 1950s, comedienne Lucille Ball captured the hearts of television audiences across the nation. Every week, some 11 million families tuned in to watch I Love Lucy, the CBS sitcom starring Ball and her real-life spouse Desi Arnaz. Her wacky hijinks and fearless enthusiasm kept thousands laughing. Off-screen, she and Arnaz launched their own television studio and pioneered new technologies, building a production empire. But even as her celebrity stature soared, Ball sometimes struggled with the divergence between the onscreen Lucy Ricardo and the real-life woman offscreen. In this historical portrayal, historian and actress Leslie Goddard brings Lucille Ball to life, paying tribute to both the true comic legend and the real woman behind the myth.

FREE. Outdoor Show. Bring lawn seating. Inclement weather plan (extreme heat or rain) – Show will be moved indoors (seats require climbing stairs). You will need to come early to get a seat. First come, first served. Doors will open 45 minutes before show time.

Babe Ruth is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, even transcending baseball to become America’s first sports superstar. Known as “The Sultan of Swat” and “The Bambino,” Ruth’s legendary career began as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before joining the New York Yankees and transforming into a home run-hitting outfielder. Ruth’s power and charisma revolutionized the game, setting records with his prodigious home runs, including a then-unprecedented 60 homers in the 1927 season. His larger-than-life personality, combined with his on-field prowess captivated the nation in the Roaring Twenties and made him a national icon and one of the first true American celebrities. Ruth’s impact extended beyond baseball, as he helped shape the modern sports industry and the concept of celebrity. A master of self-promotion, Ruth embraced the media and new technologies to become a household name. His off-field antics sometimes overshadowed his achievements, but his impact on the game and American culture remains undeniable. Ruth’s legacy endures, symbolizing the American spirit of perseverance and outsized ambition.

This popular shutterbug weekend includes presentations from top nature photographers, hands-on field courses, a friendly contest and the rare opportunity to photograph the mountain’s spectacular scenery before and after regular business hours.

This revamped version of the popular weekend will include changes to better welcome all levels of photographers, making it more fun and engaging for all – while better connecting participants with the wonders and unique ecology of Grandfather Mountain. This year, more than ever, we hope to not only help participants learn about photography, but to also inspire them to preserve the natural world. Activities begin Friday evening and conclude Sunday midday.

June 6, 2025 @8:00 am – June 8, 2025 @3:00 pm

FREE. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Come early to get a seat. Doors open at 1 pm.

Erma Bombeck captured with paring-knife-sharp humor the daily life of a new post-WWII American phenomenon: the suburban housewife. Having figured out from her own personal experience that if you can laugh at it you can live with it, she chronicled the housewife’s daily struggles in her column “At Wit’s End” from 1965 to 1996, eventually appearing in more than over 900 newspapers across the country. She also shared both poignant and hilarious observations in 12 books, including the best sellers The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank and If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? Bombeck brought to American awareness the lives of homemakers whose efforts often felt invisible and taken for granted. Erma poked fun at kids, diets, husbands, housework and, especially, herself. She let women across America know: you are not alone. In fact, we number in the millions. I, too, am an American housewife and I will laugh by your side.

FREE. Outdoor Show. Bring lawn seating. Inclement weather plan (extreme heat or rain) – Show will be moved indoors (seats require climbing stairs). You will need to come early to get a seat. First come, first served. Doors will open 45 minutes before show time.

Her given name was Freda Josephine McDonald. Her nickname was “Tumpy.” At 13, Tumpy left home to be in the theater. By the time she was 19, she was a veteran of the stage, twice married and the star both of the stage and of high society in Paris. She kept the last name of her second husband, Billy Baker. She had become Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker loved to be loved. She loved “her people” in the United States and she loved France. She served France during World War II in the Resistance and as a spy. She demanded civil rights for black US citizens and was the only woman to speak at the 1963 March on Washington. She adopted 12 children of various ethnicities, The Rainbow Tribe. She counted presidents, sheiks, princes, dictators and artists as her best friends. She owned a chateau, earned millions and then lost it all. But she never lost the love of her people or her two countries – the US and France.

This event is a discussion, not an in-character performance.

Her given name was Freda Josephine McDonald. Her nickname was “Tumpy.” At 13, Tumpy left home to be in the theater. By the time she was 19, she was a veteran of the stage, twice married and the star both of the stage and of high society in Paris. She kept the last name of her second husband, Billy Baker. She had become Josephine Baker.

Josephine Baker loved to be loved. She loved “her people” in the United States and she loved France. She served France during World War II in the Resistance and as a spy. She demanded civil rights for black US citizens and was the only woman to speak at the 1963 March on Washington. She adopted 12 children of various ethnicities, The Rainbow Tribe. She counted presidents, sheiks, princes, dictators and artists as her best friends. She owned a chateau, earned millions and then lost it all. But she never lost the love of her people or her two countries – the US and France.

FREE. Outdoor Show. Bring lawn seating. Inclement weather plan (extreme heat or rain) – Show will be moved indoors (seats require climbing stairs). You will need to come early to get a seat. First come, first served. Doors will open 45 minutes before show time.

Erma Bombeck captured with paring-knife-sharp humor the daily life of a new post-WWII American phenomenon: the suburban housewife. Having figured out from her own personal experience that if you can laugh at it you can live with it, she chronicled the housewife’s daily struggles in her column “At Wit’s End” from 1965 to 1996, eventually appearing in more than over 900 newspapers across the country. She also shared both poignant and hilarious observations in 12 books, including the best sellers The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank and If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? Bombeck brought to American awareness the lives of homemakers whose efforts often felt invisible and taken for granted. Erma poked fun at kids, diets, husbands, housework and, especially, herself. She let women across America know: you are not alone. In fact, we number in the millions. I, too, am an American housewife and I will laugh by your side.

This event is a discussion, not an in-character performance.

In the 1950s, comedienne Lucille Ball captured the hearts of television audiences across the nation. Every week, some 11 million families tuned in to watch I Love Lucy, the CBS sitcom starring Ball and her real-life spouse Desi Arnaz. Her wacky hijinks and fearless enthusiasm kept thousands laughing. Off-screen, she and Arnaz launched their own television studio and pioneered new technologies, building a production empire. But even as her celebrity stature soared, Ball sometimes struggled with the divergence between the onscreen Lucy Ricardo and the real-life woman offscreen. In this historical portrayal, historian and actress Leslie Goddard brings Lucille Ball to life, paying tribute to both the true comic legend and the real woman behind the myth.

No on site parking. FREE. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Come early to get a seat. Doors open at 10:30 am.

Albert Einstein was the most influential physicist of the 20th century. His ideas fundamentally changed our understanding of the nature of the universe. Newton’s ideas of absolute space and time were upended by Einstein’s concept of space/time – a universe in which, if there was no matter, there would be no space and no time.

Einstein was no ordinary international celebrity. Charlie Chaplin once explained to Einstein why the scientist was often welcomed with applause by saying, “They cheer me because they all understand me, and they cheer you because no one understands you.” But, in truth, Einstein was able to make his revolutionary ideas understandable to the most advanced scientists and, albeit to a lesser degree, the general public.