Butler Museum

The Butler and Watauga Valley Heritage Museum opened in 2000 to honor the citizens of Butler as well as Watauga Valley, Roan Valley and Elk Valley. This first class Museum showcases the history of Butler and the relocation of the town to higher ground to make way for Watauga Lake to provide flood control and cheap electricity.As you walk into the exhibit area, you will notice that this is not your typical small town Museum. The historical exhibits bring to life the early days of Old Butler and depict the extraordinary effort in relocating this small town, showing why it is known as “the town that would not drown”.The Museum provides an incredible snapshot of a typical East Tennessee farming and lumber community and tells the story about life from a bygone era. It also reminds us of the price paid for the luxuries that we can experience today