CHEROKEE, NC (WVLT) -- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrated its official 75th anniversary today.

And with it, a brand new way to welcome guests to the park!

The festivities took place near Cherokee, North Carolina.

It featured Appalachian music, storytelling, Cherokee-inspired dances and a final moment that allowed the crowd to look toward the future with a shovel in hand.

"Today we're breaking ground on a new visitor center, and actually it's the first visitor center,” said Dale Ditmanson, park superintendent.

The new seven thousand square foot building will replace a ranger station and courtroom that serves as the current visitor center. The building was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps before World War Two and currently serves as the only visitor center on the park's eastern boundary.

When the new center opens, it will house a museum spotlighting southern Appalachian culture, the traditions of the Cherokee people, and the park's establishment and development.