Highlands Historical Society

07/04/2026

Happy Fourth of July from Highlands Historical Society! We hope you all enjoy a happy and safe Independence Day! Come check out our exhibits celebrating America’s history and Highlands veterans next week. View our website at www.highlandshistory.org

05/25/2026

Special guests visited today to see our exhibit honoring Highlander Lawton Arvil Keener who gave all during the Vietnam War. Pictured are members of American Legion Post 370, Lawton's sister, Wanda Rogers, and exhibit curator, Nathan Wright.

05/23/2026

Schedule change due to rain. Music will be inside. Games are cancelled. We'll still have hot dogs, drinks, cotton candy and popcorn.

05/19/2026

May is National Historic Preservation Month! Join us in celebrating historic preservation and the history of Highlands, NC this Saturday at our Historical Society Season Opening Celebration! We will be providing free food and drinks, old-fashioned carnival games, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, and tours of our museum at 524 N 4th Street on Saturday from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. We hope to see you there!

Check out more on historic preservation efforts in Highlands at our article here: https://thelaurelmagazine.com/homes-and-lifestyles-in-highlands-nc-and-cashiers-nc/a-month-for-preservation?fbclid=IwY2xjawR4Ko1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFHMVIwVUF4NzAxNFNtQk5Vc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgw77FqUYxwo3RTyyjr-Ov0TPjCXqBWHp7SpNf6Ih9eaWe2P5NvDBNC7OWUI_aem_c4Vqil97SEMhYzJy_sN51w

May celebrates the community effort that has protected Highlands’ heritage and shaped the Historic Village we know today.

05/17/2026

We have less than a week until out opening celebration! Come out and join us at the Historical Society this Saturday (May 24) from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will have food, drinks, games, and historic tours! Barring severe weather, the event will be held - rain or shine!

The Historical Society museum will be open for our regular season hours starting this week. We are open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm ET.

04/25/2026

We have less than a month left until our opening celebration! Join us on Saturday, May 23 for free food, old-fashioned carnival games, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independece, and live music from Laney & Bishop with Charles Wood! Join us for an afternoon of fun with tours of the Museum and the Elizabeth Wright Prince House! If you are unable to make it to the opening celebration, we will be open Thursday-Saturday from 10:00-4:00 and Sundays from 1:00-4:00 starting on Thursday, May 21. Visit our website for more information.

04/08/2026

You may recognize the view from the top of Satulah Mountain in this photograph. Many Highlands residents and visitors have enjoyed these views in the last 150 years, but have you ever enjoyed them from horseback? Before roads were established in Highlands, many residents and tourists used horses to get around town, even up to the top of Satulah.

03/28/2026

Many of you have heard of the now famous Japanese emigrant George Masa who explored and photographed Highlands and the Plateau in the 1920s and 1930s. Here is one photograph from his collection which shows a local primeval forest. The trees in this primeval forest were later sold for wood pulp products and lumber in 1943.
Masa has been referred to as "the greatest photographer of the Great Smoky Mountains," and his photographs helped in gaining federal protection of the National Park and surrounding natural areas.
Highlands Historical Society is honored to have a notable collection of Masa photographs on display at the museum. We hope you will come check them out when we open on May 21 or during our season openeing celebration on May 23! Check out our website for more information!

03/20/2026

Highlands was founded in 1875 by Samuel Kelsey and Clinton C. Hutchinson. Since its early history, Highlands has grown around its famous Main Street as seen in these photographs from the 1880s, 1910s, and most recently within the last decade. The Historical Society is fortunate to have these records in our Archives along with the first traffic light installed in Highlands on Main Street in 1934.

02/13/2026

Did you know the circus used to come to Highlands each year? Below is a picture of some of the circus troupe in front of the Highlands Inn around the 1920s. This was before all the roads in and around town were paved so travel for performers and their audience would have been difficult!
As always, we encourage you to check out our online exhibits (https://www.highlandshistory.com/exhibits) for more information on the history of Highlands, NC.