Back in the summer of 2016, I was out riding around in Bishopville, South Carolina trying to find some of the places that the local legends had created. I had recently seen an old rerun of the Johnny Carson show that featured Dalton Stevens as the Button King, and I was on a mission to find his museum.

On the rerun of the Johnny Carson show that had originally aired in 1987, the Button King had came out in a very flashy looking button suit. He explained how he had a hard time sleeping at night, he suffered from insomnia, so he started sewing buttons on some clothes. The suit he wore on that show is on display in the museum. A mannequin wearing the suit greets you as soon as you step through the door.

From clothes having buttons added to them, cars, coffins, musical instruments, and everything else you can imagine eventually got adorned with buttons. When I visited the museum, a hearse that had “Final Lap” on the back was in the museum. A coffin that he intended to be buried in was there as well. Another coffin that had buttons on it was near another car that he had covered in buttons. A grandfather clock, piano, toilet, bathtub, and guitars were also on display that had been covered in buttons. Mr. Stevens truly was an amazing artist.

You can tell by looking at the objects in the museum that he paid attention to details. The buttons are precise in how they were added to anything he put them on. I was impressed by what I saw on that day. I wasn’t expecting to see artwork that really needed to be put on display, but I was so thankful that it had been after I walked in the museum. What I saw was so much more than I ever expected to see.

I was fortunate enough to get to meet him personally. His son had noticed that someone was at the museum, so he had come inside and started talking to me and my mom about the museum and about his father. When I told him that I was putting the pictures on Facebook, he said that even though his father wasn’t feeling well, he would call him to let him know we were there. The Button King himself was there in less than three minutes after that phone call. He posed for some pictures and then he signed a magazine that he had been featured in. He was so nice and friendly. I was lucky that I got to meet him that day because he passed away later on in 2016.

I was unsure if the Button King Museum was still open after his death, I have been so busy traveling other places, but apparently it is. I found the Facebook page for the museum before I started writing this blog, and apparently his children are still keeping the museum open to keep their fathers legacy alive. I will definitely have to make a return trip there in the future. The museum was located at 53 Joe Dority Road in Bishopville, South Carolina. Admission was free back in 2016 when I visited, but donations were accepted.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast