BOONE, NC (AP).- A North Carolina museum devoted to telling the hardscrabble story of Appalachia is the latest victim of budget cuts that have hit almost every state in the nation.

The Appalachian Cultural Museum in Boone is closing because of deep budget cuts to higher education that hurt its affiliated school, Appalachian State University.

The North Carolina university system suffered $170 million in budget cuts last year and more cuts are expected in the next fiscal year. The museum's annual budget was about $200,000.

Now university officials are trying to find homes for many of the museum's artifacts, which include Native American arrowheads, quilts, looms, a moonshine still and race cars.


Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.