The Van Buren County Historical and Heritage Museum

09/25/2026

Hey ya’ll, we’d love to see a good turnout for the Tourism Forum next Tuesday. Van Buren County’s history and heritage are a big part of what makes this place special, and this is a chance for everyone to be part of the conversation about its future.

You don’t have to own a business or work in tourism to come. If you care about Spencer and Van Buren County, you’re invited.

📅 Tuesday, September 29 | 5:00–6:30 PM
📍 UT Extension Ag Learning Center, 288 Spring Street, Spencer

Staff from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development will be joining us. Hope to see you there!

09/21/2026

👀 I KNOW you’ve been wondering what we’ve been working on…

And if you know us, you KNOW we’re not about to do anything halfway. 😉

We’re talking OVER-THE-TOP. EXTRAVAGANT. FESTIVE.
And we’re making this the MOST SPECIAL Christmas celebration yet. 🎄✨

🎄 DR PEPPER FESTIVAL 🎄
📍 Spencer, Tennessee
📅 Saturday, December 5, 2026
⏰ 2–6 PM

Here’s just a taste of what we’re cooking up…

🎂Sweets Competition
Think Dr Pepper recipes AND I want to see your best Sundrop cake there😉 — because we had to make it interesting!

🥩 Meats Competition
Dr Pepper-inspired recipes, because apparently we believe everything tastes better with Dr Pepper. 😂

🎅 Ugly Christmas Sweater Competition

🎨 “Dr Pepper Through the Ages” Art Gallery
A little history, a little nostalgia, and a whole lot of red.

🎄 Our Annual Christmas Tree Decorating & Lighting Ceremony

🍴 FOOD VENDORS GALORE
And yes — we’re asking our vendors to bring their best Dr Pepper-inspired creations to the table!

☕ The Chamber’s Hot Dr Pepper Flights + Appetizers
Non-alcoholic, of course — and we’re bringing some fun twists to a classic.

🎶 LIVE MUSIC

…and probably a few surprises we aren’t ready to tell you about just yet. 👀

But here’s the BIG question:

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE?!

This is a celebration for our community, and we want to make it something you’ll look forward to every single year.

👇 Tell us in the comments:
What would make you say, “I WOULD NOT MISS THAT”?

More competitions? More Christmas? More Dr Pepper? Kids’ activities? Something completely wild?

WE’RE LISTENING. ❤️🥤🎄

And most importantly, MARK YOUR CALENDARS 🗓️

09/19/2026

🏛️ We’re open today!

The Van Buren County Historical & Heritage Museum is open today from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM.

Come by, explore some of Van Buren County’s history, and see what’s been happening at the museum. We’d love to have you stop in!

📍 Spencer, Tennessee
🕙 Open today until 3:00 PM

09/03/2026

08/31/2026

September 11th at 6 PM - September 13th

48th Annual Mountaineer Folk Festival
We are just 4 weeks away. Here’s your list of "don’t miss" activities:

🍂Friends of Fall Creek Falls Booth – Grab your festival shirt, pick up your scavenger hunt form, and get information for the whole festival.
🍂Visit the demonstrators – See traditional skills and crafts in action.
🍂Join a competition – Watch or participate on Saturday!
🍂Explore the “Little Mountaineer Hideaway” – Fun for the younger festival-goers.
🍂Enjoy live music – All day, every day throughout the festival.

08/19/2026

Long Cemetery Decoration will be held on August 22 with the yearly meeting scheduled for 11:00 am with speaker Bill Templeton.

08/18/2026

Hey, y’all—the museum has officially joined the 21st century! 📶🏛️

Wi-Fi was installed yesterday thanks to the support of Van Buren County and the County Commission. We are extremely appreciative of this new resource, which will open more doors for genealogical research, digitizing historical records, and improving the work we are able to do at the museum. 📚

With the recent county election, we would also like to congratulate Van Buren County’s newly elected and returning officials. We appreciate everyone who has served our county and wish those beginning new terms the very best as they take office.

The County Commission has also granted the museum permission to pursue funding through the Tennessee State Museum Capital Maintenance and Improvement Grant again this year. Last year’s award allowed us to complete major brick and masonry restoration and replace the museum’s entire HVAC system.

If awarded funding this year, our primary goal will be a new standing-seam metal roof for the Old Courthouse. The current roof is experiencing water intrusion, particularly around one of the chimneys, making this an important preservation priority.

We may also have a special piece of Van Buren County history to share with everyone before long—so stay tuned! 👀

The museum will next be open Saturday, September 5, from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. As a reminder, we are open on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM.

We also still have a few 3-by-5-foot authentic Van Buren County flags available for $100 each. Every flag comes with a laminated informational sheet explaining the history and meaning behind its design.

We wanted to keep everyone informed about what we are working on as we continue preserving the Old Courthouse and Van Buren County’s history for generations to come.