Furniture, Past & Present: Hickory
Hickory – www.hickorymetro.com, 1-800-509-2444
When people think of Hickory, they usually think furniture. More than half of this country’s tables, chairs and beds once were made within a 250-mile radius of Hickory.
Today, the city boasts more than 2 million square feet of retail space devoted exclusively to furniture and home accessories. Hundreds of thousands of shoppers from across the country and the world come to Hickory each year to outfit their homes with the finest in quality, luxury, style and comfort.
The Hickory Furniture Mart is a one-stop retail destination with more than 100 factory outlets, stores and galleries representing 1,000 premier manufacturers.
Trace the roots of the furniture industry in Catawba Valley at Catawba Valley Furniture Museum. At the Catawba County Museum of History, tour the authentic reproduction of an early Catawba woodworking shop and see the collection of vintage tools and furnishings. Exhibits in this 1924 courthouse include a rare British Revolution-era red coat, a 1930s racing car and a fine collection of locally crafted furniture. Experience the Hickory Museum of Art in the Arts and Science Center of Catawba Valley, which is the second-oldest art museum in North Carolina, founded in 1944.
