Experience Old Butler!

Every year, friends, families and visitors gather in Butler for a day filled with music, food, fellowship and fun. But Old Butler Day has always been about something more. At its heart, it is a homecoming—a celebration of the people whose memories and determination kept Old Butler alive long after the original town disappeared beneath the waters of Watauga Lake. It All Began in 1989 Old Butler Day was created by the Butler Ruritans in 1989. The first celebration, held August

Living History Saturday • Saturday, August 22, 2026 • 12:00–2:00 PM W.S. Stout General Store • Museum of Butler, Tennessee Some stories of Old Butler are well known. Families moved their homes. Businesses relocated to higher ground. Churches found new places to worship. An entire town prepared for the rising waters of Watauga Lake. But one of the most emotional chapters in Butler's history is one that is often overlooked. What happens when an entire community cemetery must mo

Join us at the Museum of Butler, TN for a special afternoon of history, storytelling, and Appalachian heritage as we welcome acclaimed historian and author Michael C. Hardy for our next Living History Saturday program. Saturday, July 18, 202612:00 PM – 2:00 PM Museum of Butler, TN123 Selma Curtis Road, Butler, Tennessee Michael C. Hardy is an award-winning writer and historian known for his extensive work on Civil War, Revolutionary War, and Appalachian history. He has author