Place of high ground — timbers cut to carry starlight through the Smokies.
Nestled on the Great Smoky Mountain tops in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Anakeesta is an outdoor family theme park centered on celebrating the natural beauty of the Appalachians. The word Anakeesta means 'place of high ground' in the Cherokee language — a tribute to local, historical culture and to the views and experiences of the Smokies enjoyed since native times.
Project
Anakeesta — Astra Lumina
Location
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Discipline
Heavy Timber Commercial
Details
Astra Lumina expansion opened 2023 · Ticket booths · sound stage · pavilion · 14-ft western red cedar light posts
Bringing that culture to life is the trick — which is why Anakeesta's owners called Hearthstone. As long-time protectors and recreators of historical Appalachian architecture, when the park needed timbers, they knew where to turn.
Anakeesta's Astra Lumina expansion is a lighted exhibit celebrating the stars visible from the southern Appalachian mountains. Dotting the path all the way around the observatory grounds are 14-foot western red cedar light posts crafted by Hearthstone Homes — antique hewn and stained to complement their natural color.
Hearthstone also constructed the Astra Lumina ticket booths, sound stage, and pavilion from Douglas fir timbers — each piece cut in Newport, Tennessee and trucked up the mountain.
Our presence in the park helps tie the modern attraction to the ancient mystique and majesty of the foothills that Hearthstone has spent half a century capturing for its clients.
