Pursuit of Happiness Exhibition Opens, Red 1884 Wedding Dress, Half-Off Admission, and More
Select sections of the Frazier’s new Pursuit of Happiness exhibition, January 16, 2026.
Select sections of the Frazier’s new Pursuit of Happiness exhibition, January 16, 2026.
Select sections of the Frazier’s new Pursuit of Happiness exhibition, January 16, 2026.
Greetings!
We’re so excited because our first exhibition in honor of America’s 250th celebration is officially open. Pursuit of Happiness is designed for kids and families (and everyone else) to consider how and why we all pursue happiness, in our own ways. To help, we include the stories of thirteen fascinating people from the time of the American Revolution. Guests can imagine what happiness looked like to each of them and learn what they did to work towards it. There are familiar names like Lafayette and Knox, but also less familiar ones like Mary Goddard, the woman who printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence with all the signers’ names. She also included her own name as the printer, which would have been considered treasonous by the crown at the time. You’ll also find Phillis Wheatley, Yarrow Mamout, Sybil Ludington, and more.
There are games, interactives, clothesline secret codes, and even an area where you’ll have to make your brain think backwards, like a Revolutionary-era printmaker. One of my favorite parts is where we took the original Declaration of Independence—which is 1,300 or so words—and translated it into modern language. We are sure it will spark some thoughts and discussions. Likewise, we are sure the exhibition will be fun for families to experience together.
It was important to us to open the exhibition ahead of today’s holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The museum is open today, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.—so if you’re looking for a way to get out and engage with history on an important holiday, we’re here and eager to see you!
Mick Sullivan
Curator of Guest Experience
Frazier Kentucky History Museum
This Week in the Museum
Vows with your Valentine: A Brief History of Small Weddings
Vows with your Valentine flyer.
The Great Depression and World War II had a profound impact on weddings. Many couples could not afford to marry or host large ceremonies, so events became simple and modest. Brides often wore their best dress or borrowed from family instead of buying a new gown. Hence, the practice of a bride wearing her mother’s dress, potentially updating to the fashion of the time.
When the United States entered World War II, there was a rush to get married, as many couples desired to tie the knot before the groom was shipped overseas to fight in the war. Others were married while the groom was home on a brief leave. Due to their hurried nature and wartime rationing, weddings and receptions were often very simple. Family and friends often donated their ration coupons so the couple could get the ingredients for a cake.
Today, there is a renewed desire for small, intimate weddings. Whatever the reason: reducing stress, fostering more intimacy and personalization, or offering cost savings, more couples are opting for the convenience of a courthouse wedding, against the backdrop of a special place without the fuss.
Celebrate your love at the Frazier on Saturday, February 14, 2026. Book your spot at Vows with your Valentine today! Our curated wedding package includes:
· Ordained ceremony in the Deco-inspired Order of the Writ, complete with florals
· Champagne toast and cake in the Speakeasy
· Photography
· Museum access for your own photography
All this costs just $500 plus tax! Book your Valentine’s Day wedding at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum—the Best Museum in Kentucky.
Melanie C. Duke
Director of Events
From the Collections: Red Wedding Dress, 1884
Red wedding dress Mary Frances Metcalf wore at her 1884 wedding. Part of the Frazier Kentucky History Museum collection.
As we journey through the cold grey month of January, and head towards the month of love, we thought it would be a great time to share another piece from our Davis Jewelers’ Love & Marriage exhibition. If you haven’t had the chance to come see the exhibition yet, you are missing out on something very special. One of our most ambitious exhibitions to date, it is full of interesting information on Kentucky wedding traditions as well as beautiful dresses.
When you enter the exhibition, the first platform you see is what we call our rainbow of dresses. Yes, this is a platform with one wedding dress from each of the colors of the rainbow. While white is the most popular color for women to wear today, that wasn’t always the case. Sometimes brides simply wore the best dress they had or had a wedding dress specially made in a color they might wear again. As a best dress, the wedding dress might be worn again to fancy occasions.
When did this change? Good question. We see that in 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, she wore white and orange blossoms in her hair. From that moment on, white wedding dresses and orange blossoms became very popular for brides. However, some brides still wore other colored dresses—as our platform of many different colored dresses shows.
Today, I want to talk about the red dress. You read that right: The first dress on the platform is made of dark red silk and features a red velvet collar! This dress was worn Louisville native Mary Frances Metcalf when she married George Howard on October 21, 1884. The dress was later entered into the Nelson County Fair where it won the blue ribbon in 1929. For your viewing we have a picture of the dress. But believe me, it does not do it justice. So come down to the Frazier to see it in person, along with a wide range of other colored wedding dresses, before the exhibition closes March 29!
Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement
Locals Enjoy Half-Off Admission to Frazier, January 23–February 1!
2026 Downtown Hometown Tourist Celebration graphic.
The Downtown Hometown Tourist Celebration is returning!
Residents of Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana are invited to celebrate their city and visit local tourist spots in their Downtown.
The Downtown Hometown Tourist Celebration offers half-off admission at participating downtown attractions—including the Frazier Kentucky History Museum! Just provide a valid Kentucky or Indiana ID, a local college ID, or a military ID. Dozens of museums, distilleries, hotels, restaurants, gift shops, and performance arts spaces are participating this year.
I hope to see you here at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum—recently voted the Best Museum in Kentucky!
Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist
The Frazier Celebrates America250 with Lady Washington
Lady Washington: America’s First First Lady flyer.
Join us on Sunday, February 15, as we roll out the first of our America250 programs with Lady Washington: America’s First First Lady. It comes the day before Presidents’ Day, also known as George Washington’s Birthday.
The Frazier is partnering with the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) for this program. Zachary Distel, the Curator and Director of Collections for SAR, will be one of our special presenters. He will share some personal artifacts of George and Martha, as well as his research on the couple. I asked him what intrigues him about Martha Washington, and here’s what he said:
“Martha Washington gained many monikers throughout her life, including “Lady Washington,” “the first First Lady,” and “the worthy partner of the worthiest of men.” She was a subtle force and half of the most consequential couple of the Founding Era. This presentation will explore Martha Washington in her own right to reveal how she supported the Revolution, helped shape American diplomatic norms, and set precedence for the presidency.”
Another presenter will be Vickie Yates Brown Glisson, a board member here at the Frazier, as well as Chair of the Spencer County America250 Committee. I attended a dinner at Vickie’s home inspired by George and Martha Washington, each course with a history lesson. I asked Vickie what she will share on February 15, and here’s what she said:
“Martha Washington is a fascinating historical figure. It took George and Martha’s resolute commitment to each other and the cause of liberty to accomplish the defeat of the British and to establish a new nation that would continue to spurn the remnants of tyranny. The presentation will explore how Martha fulfilled her new role as America’s first First Lady by being herself—tenacious, determined, unpretentious, kind, and hospitable. The presentation will explore her recipes and entertainment style. Martha’s gracious and delightful style of serving as the new nation’s hostess set a standard for First Ladies going forward.”
And don’t forget: a swatch of Martha Washington’s wedding dress will be on display in our Founder’s Gallery for your viewing that day, as well. We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate America250. The program is free with the cost of admission, but RSVPs are required, so click here to purchase.
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
From Peru to Singapore and Ukraine, Frazier is Where the World Meets Kentucky
A map of the world in the Robinson projection, April 13, 2021. Credit: CIA World Fact Book.
The Frazier Kentucky History Museum prides itself on being “where the world meets Kentucky,” and rightfully so! As an Engagement Specialist, I frequently interact with museum visitors—sharing what I love about our Commonwealth, while also learning more about our guests’ home cities, states, and, yes, countries. So many different countries!
In the last six months alone, I have chatted with visitors from Italy, Peru, Poland, Panama, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Australia, just to name a few. These interactions have been both illuminating and inspiring. Several weeks ago, a mother and child from Singapore excitedly approached me following our tour through the Cool Kentucky exhibition. They wanted to inform me that Kentucky carried a certain “mystique” abroad, an ethos setting us apart from other US destinations. When I asked her to elaborate, she pointed to a cultural hodgepodge of Bourbon, horse racing, bluegrass and Bluegrass, Lincoln, Appalachia, and, of course, Kentucky Fried Chicken. I would have to agree. Put all that in a pot and you have something truly one of a kind (and distinctly Kentucky, to boot)!
Recently, I found myself recounting the story of nine-time Paralympic gold medalist, Oksana Masters, to a Ukrainian visitor. If you are unfamiliar with Oksana, or her ties to Ukraine and Louisville, please take a few minutes to watch this video! Surprisingly, the visitor had never heard of Masters or her athletic accomplishments. However, it was her story of resilience that moved the visitor, creating Ukrainian pride through a Kentucky lens. Such a powerful moment made possible by Kentucky’s rich history and heritage!
Even beyond the museum’s walls, during my travels abroad, I encounter much the same sentiment. While little is known overseas regarding most US states, Kentucky has more than enough magic to capture the imaginations of English and Irish, Mexican and Korean alike. At least, that has been my experience. I once heard it said that “Kentucky” is something that “can be felt in one’s bones,” to which I wholeheartedly agree! Though we may grow accustomed to our surroundings, our towns and cities, and the communities to which we belong, we should all take a moment to pause and appreciate that very special, nearly indescribable, Kentucky something able to enchant and amaze visitors the world over. It should be a source of tremendous pride for all Kentuckians—rural, urban, and everywhere in between!
Jason Berkowitz
Engagement Specialist
Thank You for an Inspiring Year of Generosity
Visitors explore the Frazier’s 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit, November 5, 2024. Credit: Clay Cook.
As our year-end campaign comes to a close, we are deeply grateful to our community of supporters who believe in the power of history to inspire, engage, and educate. Your generosity helps us preserve and share Kentucky’s stories, expand access for students and seniors, and strengthen the museum as a place of connection and learning.
Because of you, we enter the new year with momentum and exciting opportunities ahead to bring Kentucky history to life in 2026.
With America250 setting the tone for our exhibitions, programs, and events at the Frazier this year, there are numerous ways to invest in our mission through membership, fundraisers, and individual giving. Please visit our website or contact us directly to learn more.
Hayley Harlow
Sr. Manager of Fundraising
A Love Letter to Indiana Football
I have no expectations as to what will happen tonight in the National Championship game between Indiana and Miami, but I will say that it has been a wild ride. After years of losing and disappointment, I’m not yet ready to believe or be optimistic. I need to see it to believe it.
Even though I may not be ready to believe, I’m enjoying it. This season has been crazy—from the catch of the year by Omar Cooper Jr. against Penn State to blowing out perennial powers Alabama and Oregon. Even if Indiana doesn’t walk away with a trophy tonight, Hoosier Nation will walk away with one thing: pride in a football team that exceeded all expectations. We can’t fault a team that gave their all and did so much for us.
In the past month, when I’ve been wearing Indiana gear, people have come up to me all over to say that they’re rooting for the Hoosiers. That’s not something I ever expected, and it has put a smile on my face each time. I welcome anybody and everybody aboard the Hoosier bandwagon and hope you enjoy the ride. Surely, there’ll be some twists and turns in this last game, and hopefully the bounces go our way, but if they don’t this team gave me more than I could have imagined.
I’m proud of these players and coaches and thank each one of them for one of the most fun seasons of sports I have ever witnessed. All Hoosiers fans are lucky to have experienced it.
Greg Schoenbaechler
Sr. Marketing Manager
On the Trail with Abby: James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington
On the Trail with Abby graphic.
Bourbon tourism is booming—and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® is growing faster than ever! Each week, the Frazier’s Abby Flanders takes readers on a digital stop-by-stop tour of this expanding adventure, spotlighting the distilleries, stories, and expressions behind America’s native spirit. Ready to hit the trail in real life? Start your journey at the Frazier Kentucky History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.
Exterior of James E. Pepper Distillery in Lexington, Kentucky, 1894. Credit: James E. Pepper Distilling Co.
James E. Pepper Distillery is another of Kentucky’s most storied Bourbon names, tracing its roots back to Oscar Pepper’s nineteenth-century operation and his son Colonel James E. Pepper, who helped turn the brand into a nationally recognized product. Beyond being a Bourbon industrialist and flamboyant promoter of the family brand, Colonel Pepper was also a noted horseman. Legend has it he introduced the world to the Old Fashioned when he frequently traveled to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
Today, the revived James E. Pepper Distillery sits in Lexington’s Distillery District. After a decade of historical research and a multi-year reconstruction effort, the brand was relaunched in 2008 by whiskey entrepreneur Amir Peay. The historic distillery was renovated and rebuilt, opening to the public in 2018. The modern operation honors that legacy with traditional methods, bold recipes, and an open invitation for visitors to tour every day!
Abby Flanders
Administrative Chief of Engagement
Bridging the Divide
The Champ has a Stamp: USPS Unveils Muhammad Ali Forever Stamps!
A sheet of Muhammad Ali Forever Stamps. Credit: USPS.
Louisville’s Muhammad Ali once said, “I should be a postage stamp, because that’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.”
Now Ali will get “licked” because the United States Postal Service has released Muhammad Ali Forever Stamps.
The official launch happened in his hometown at the L & N Federal Credit Union Stadium, with his wife Lonnie Ali at the helm, along with several others, like award-winning sportscaster Bob Costas who hosted the event.
The two stamps feature Ali’s likeness from a 1974 Associated Press photograph and designed by USPS Art Director Antonio Alcalá.
The stamps are sold in sheets of 20 for $15.60 and available online and at USPS post offices.
Congrats, Champ!
Rachel Platt
VP of Mission
