Founded in 1856, Mars Hill College is the oldest institution of higher education in Western North Carolina. The school is a private, liberal arts coeducational college with a Baptist heritage. It has a 180-acre main campus in Mars Hill, with special facilities such as the Rural Life Museum, the Orchard Hill Folk Art Collection, the Weizenblatt Art Gallery, the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, the Hester Retreat Center, the 1,800 seat Moore Auditorium and the Southern Appalachian Center. Mars Hill College is home of the national champion Bailey Mountain Cloggers.