Come to the Frazier Kentucky History Museum for a Family Day celebration honoring the 250^th anniversary of American Independence! Experience the Frazier’s four temporary exhibitions inspired by American Independence and the contribution of Kentuckians to it: Pursuit of Happiness, Louisville to Liberty, I Too Am A Kentuckian, and Revolutionary Threads. With admission to the event, you and your family can engage in a series of hands-on crafts and activities provided by the Frazier’s Education team and various community partners, participate in museum-wide scavenger hunts, guided tours, meet with our collections manager and get up close with the collection, witness a live theater performance titled Early America Through Music, and gain access to the rest of the Frazier’s 3 floors of exhibitions! The Frazier Kentucky History Museum’s America 250^th Family Day will be held from 10 AM – 2 PM. We hope to see you there!

Join us as we open our newest exhibit, Revolutionary Threads. Meet the artists who created the clothing, as we learn about their ancestors, both men and women, who fought in the American Revolution. On display are representations of uniforms, clothing, and items worn and used by the Patriot soldier ancestors and family members of the Transylvania Chapter NSDAR, Lexington, Kentucky. We’ll also hear from two modern day soldiers, Rob Givens and Amy McGrath, who are both featured in our I Too Am a Kentuckian exhibition. They’ll talk about their military service and their Kentucky roots. Join us in Revolutionary Threads afterwards to meet and talk with special guests.

This special temporary exhibition focuses on the wartime experience of Revolutionary War soldiers, both men and women, and what they wore. The exhibition was developed by the Transylvania Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Lexington, Kentucky, and features replica uniforms of their Patriot ancestors. It’s a way to honor the America250 celebration and tell the stories of real people, real Kentuckians. Sandy Marting, co-designer and curator of the exhibition, says: “The goal of this project is to honor the personal wartime experiences of actual men and women who fought, sacrificed, and struggled to win our independence.” Women Patriots are represented, as well—from the women who fought on the battlefield to those who served as nurses, as spies, and in domestic capacities. A program will take place Sunday, August 16, at 1 p.m.

New Exhibition Opening!

Celebrate 250 years of Kentucky’s spirit in I Too Am a Kentuckian. Those words were spoken by one of the most famous Kentuckians of all, Abraham Lincoln. The exhibition is a powerful journey through the Commonwealth’s ongoing pursuit of America’s founding ideals and the many people who have made a mark and continue to on our beloved Kentucky. From voting to civic duty, public and military service, and community leadership, I Too Am a Kentuckian showcases how everyday citizens preserve the promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through inspiring stories of individuals, communities, and pivotal moments, visitors see how the spirit of the Founding Fathers lives on in the Bluegrass State—and how many people take great pride in saying, “I too am a Kentuckian.” 

Join us on June 16 to commemorate York, a key member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the enslaved Black servant to William Clark. A good portion of his life was spent at Mulberry Hill, the childhood home of Clark, now known as George Rogers Clark Park. We will gather at the Lodge of the park as part of the city’s Juneteenth celebration to pay tribute to this American explorer. There will be tours, talks, singing, and poetry readings with special guests; sculptor Ed Hamilton, poet Frank X Walker, Louisville Juneteenth Jubilee Commission member Dr. John Chenault, the Filson’s Jim Holmberg, Sankofa singers, and more. This free program is offered in partnership between the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, Filson Historical Society, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Roots101, Louisville Parks and Recreation, and the Louisville Juneteenth Jubilee Commission.

New Exhibition Opening!

In the afternoon of July 3, 1831, Thornton and Lucie Blackburn made a daring escape from their enslavers in Louisville, Kentucky, eventually making it to Toronto, Canada. Their story was nearly forgotten until archaeologists discovered their home while working in a school yard. Site director Dr. Karolyn Smardz Frost spent more than 20 years piecing together Thornton and Lucie’s story. From her research, Dr. Smardz Frost wrote I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad. It is the first birth to death biography of a freedom-seeking couple published since the Civil War.

In Louisville to Liberty: The Blackburns’ Journey, visitors will learn more about Thornton and Lucie Blackburn and their journey to freedom. For the first time ever displayed in the United States, the exhibition will include objects belonging to Thornton and Lucie that were uncovered in the archaeological excavation. It was necessary for Thornton and Lucie to leave Louisville to escape bondage. Louisville to Liberty: The Blackburns' Journey welcomes their story back to Kentucky.