Tourism

Tourism has been an important part of the story of Blowing Rock since the turn of the century. Our first tourists were campers who pitched tents, built campfires, and slept on the ground. Boarding houses, inns, and our first hotels followed. But organized tourism did not begin until the 1930's. The father of tourism in western North Carolina was Grover C. Robbins. In addition to serving as a three-term mayor, Robbins lobbied extensively for increased tourism and business growth. He established The Blowing Rock as our first tourist attraction. Robbins also founded the Chamber of Commerce and successfully lobbied for the Blue Ridge Parkway to pass through Blowing Rock. He encouraged a joint marketing effort between Blowing Rock and Boone to attract visitors. It was Grover Robbins who firmly established the link between business growth and tourism that continues to this day. Grover Robbins Jr. picked up the mantle of tourism leader from his father when he purchased Tweetsie Railroad (formerly the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad) from singing cowboy star Gene Autrey and relocated it to a 400-acre site between Blowing Rock and Boone. Tweetsie Railroad became the area's first theme park, replete with a frontier village and museum. In its first year Tweetsie attracted over 70,000 visitors and it was declared one of the outstanding attractions in the Southern Highlands. , Caption: Tourists enjoying Tweetsie