Can I handle Ol’ Death?

You may handle a supervised reproduction of Ol’ Death and Walker’s kit; the original rifle will be on display but not handled.

How long is the program?

Plan for roughly two hours, which includes the buffet lunch and historian discussion.

Is this event family-friendly?

Yes—families are welcome. Content focuses on history and hunting technique; parental discretion advised for younger children around firearm discussions.

Are dietary restrictions accommodated?

The menu is traditional Southern fare; contact GSMHC in advance to request accommodations for allergies or dietary needs.

Check-in is at the GSMHC Historic Village in Townsend; arrival details are confirmed on your booking confirmation.

Is parking available?

Yes—on-site parking is available at the Heritage Center; arrive early on busy weekends to secure a spot.

Lunch with 'Black' Bill Walker: Historic Rifles & Southern Fare at GSMHC Historic Village

At the GSMHC Historic Village in Townsend, Tennessee, history comes with a plate. Preparing for the Hunt with “Black” Bill Walker pairs a hearty Southern lunch with close-up storytelling and artifact handling that brings backcountry life into sharp focus. Guests convene beneath open sky in the village grounds where Donna Stinnett serves a meal inspired by Walker’s era—fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, okra, slaw, deviled eggs, cottage cheese, heirloom tomatoes, rolls, and blackberry or peach cobbler alongside coffee, cider, and tea. The food acts as an entrée to conversation about survival, skill, and landscape.

Historians Randal Pierce and Ben Barrington lead the discussion about Walker’s life and about Ol’ Death, the rifle tied to his reputation. Ol’ Death will be on display while Pierce and Barrington unpack technical details of period rifles, ballistics of nineteenth-century hunting arms, and the social context of hunting in the Southern Appalachians. The highlight is a supervised chance to handle a reproduction of Ol’ Death and replicas of Walker’s hunting kit—an unusually tactile museum moment that connects visitors to tools, technique, and material culture.

The program sits where the town of Townsend meets the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Those mountains are part of the ancient Southern Appalachian chain, their weathered metamorphic ridges and deep hollows shaped over hundreds of millions of years. The surrounding forest—hardwood species like oak and maple and dense rhododendron and mountain laurel—frames the village and recalls the habitat that supported subsistence hunting traditions. That ecological context makes the presentation distinct: it ties objects and stories to the actual terrain, not just to archival pages.

This experience stands out in the region because it blends scholarship, culinary history, and hands-on engagement in a small-group setting. It is especially appealing for visitors who want more than a passive exhibit: you’ll eat local recipes, hear first-hand interpretation from experts, and touch faithful reproductions. The event is accessible to a broad audience, including families and casual history fans, and makes a compact addition to itineraries that include Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was established in 1934.

Practical tips: allow about two hours for the program, arrive early to explore the village, and come curious. The GSMHC Historic Village programs directly support local preservation and interpretation efforts, so attending offers cultural benefit as well as a memorable way to connect to the Smokies’ human and natural story. Reserve during summer and fall weekends when seats fill fast; check the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center schedule for program dates and to confirm menu changes for seasonal produce — attending this lunch is a way to support living-history interpretation while gaining a grounded, sensory understanding of how people lived and hunted in the mountains.