We are proud to announce our first musical members-only experience at the Frazier History Museum. At “Blues in the Bluegrass,” Frazier members will discover the history of Blues in the Bluegrass State, the lasting impact of the Blues on modern popular music, and Kentucky’s contributions to the genre. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn the basics of Blues structure and the musical characteristics that define its style and form as they try their hand at a group performance of a 12-bar blues number with the Frazier house band, The Ox Breeches. Special guest speaker Michael Jones will be joined by the Frazier’s Mick Sullivan and Kent Klarer to guide the audience through an engaging look at this distinctly American artform with global influence. As an engagement device, and a unique spin on this project, each audience member will be given a 10-hole diatonic harmonica, and musical examples will be performed on stage by the Frazier’s talented staff performers. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the content through active participation.

Calling all history buffs and beer enthusiasts! Join us for an unforgettable evening of tasting, learning, and celebrating one of the world’s oldest and most beloved beverages: beer.

From the history of buildings on Main Street to a key site of Bloody Monday, an unusual and now-long-gone fountain, and beyond, Mick will share key moments and uncover hidden details in the landscape that are perfect for both visitors and lifelong residents. Many of the stories covered, including key Underground Railroad sites, are closely related to objects and stories displayed at the Frazier.

From the history of buildings on Main Street to a key site of Bloody Monday, an unusual and now-long-gone fountain, and beyond, Mick will share key moments and uncover hidden details in the landscape that are perfect for both visitors and lifelong residents. Many of the stories covered, including key Underground Railroad sites, are closely related to objects and stories displayed at the Frazier.

Former Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X Walker returns to the Frazier for a special reading from his just-released book Load In Nine Times. He’ll bring the voices of the United States Colored Troops to life as he reads select poems inside our Commonwealth exhibition at the Frazier.

Eighteen of his poems are displayed in our exhibition, coupled with photos and archival documents that helped inspire them—a project that began with Reckoning, Inc.

The Frazier’s curator Amanda Briede will join the intimate gathering to give context to those photos and documents.

Steve Phan from Camp Nelson National Monument will share the history of the Kentucky site that evolved into a massive recruitment and training center for United States Colored troops.

Space inside the exhibition is very limited, so act quickly to purchase your tickets.

Frank X Walker will sell and sign copies of his book starting at 7 p.m. The book signing is open to anyone, even if you weren’t able to purchase a ticket for the special reading.

L’s up as we welcome Coach Pat Kelsey to the Frazier History Museum on Tuesday, September 17. Another Cardinals chapter begins as Coach Kelsey prepares for his debut this fall, declaring U of L basketball is back!

Join us on Saturday Sept 14 for a Community & Family Day! Everyone is invited to enjoy free admission to the museum from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. You can explore the galleries, take part in family-friendly activities and games, and talk to local authors and illustrators about their published books.

Step into an era of opulence and clandestine revelry and kick off Bourbon Heritage Month at Michter’s Speakeasy, a Prohibition-Era party, at the Frazier History Museum. On September 5 from 7 - 9:30pm, let us whisk you away to the intoxicating world of the Roaring Twenties, where the giggle water flows as freely as the Charleston.

The Summer Beer Fest at Frazier is back and we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary or the Frazier History Museum! If you love drinking tasty craft beers, festivals, and you’re ready to hang out with friends listening to music and having fun — the Summer Beer Fest at Frazier is on tap. With over 200 specialty beers, food, live music, and Kentucky pride spilling over with each tasting, this promises to be one of the largest beer-tasting events in Kentucky. So grab a group and secure your tickets today to hang out with the best barley brewers and most creative brewski drinkers around. We can’t wait to party with you again this year!

Let’s see where the river takes us. This week, we’ll explore the history, creatures, and lore of the Ohio River. We’ll look at life on the water, from shantyboats and pirate ships to Tori Murden’s transatlantic row boat. And we’ll look at life in the water, from giant catfish to the prehistoric creatures that lived in the ancient oceans that once covered Kentucky. With visits to our friends at the Belle of Louisville and the Science Center, this camp is sure to be a splash.

Sold Out!

Please join us for a screening of the documentary Fleeting Reality featuring multiple Pulitzer Prize–winning photographers from the Courier Journal. Each of their pictures tells its own story, some funny, some tragic, but always interesting.

Behind every success there lies a great many do-overs. And often the failures are just as interesting! This week is dedicated to the failures that occurred on a spectacular level. From terrible inventions, stolen ideas, and military flops to hoaxes, fakes, and bumbling criminals, join us as we celebrate some of history’s most epic fails.

We love printed art and media, so this week we’ll deep dive into the world of comic books, manga, newspaper comics, and zines. (A zine, pronounced ‘zeen,’ is a self-published magazine or pamphlet that springs out of artistic passion and self-expression.) In true zine fashion, we’ll start by reading and then get busy creating. With help from visiting artists, campers will write, draw, print, and collage their own writing and art. And at the end of the week, we’ll print our own collection to share with the group.

Let’s see where the river takes us. This week, we’ll explore the history, creatures, and lore of the Ohio River. We’ll look at life on the water, from shantyboats and pirate ships to Tori Murden’s transatlantic row boat. And we’ll look at life in the water, from giant catfish to the prehistoric creatures that lived in the ancient oceans that once covered Kentucky. With visits to our friends at the Belle of Louisville and the Science Center, this camp is sure to be a splash.

Behind every success there lies a great many do-overs. And often the failures are just as interesting! This week is dedicated to the failures that occurred on a spectacular level. From terrible inventions, stolen ideas, and military flops to hoaxes, fakes, and bumbling criminals, join us as we celebrate some of history’s most epic fails

Experience the rich flavors of James B Beam and legacy of the First Family of Bourbon at the Frazier on June 11th.

In a prelude to Father’s Day, Fred and Freddie Noe will take you on an adventure telling legendary tales about the eight generations that have made up James B Beam and what it means to Fred to pass the master distiller torch to Freddie. This event wouldn’t be complete without Fred and Freddie leading a guided tasting of James B Beam’s best Bourbons – including Frazier’s Knob Creek Single Barrel – and exquisite food from The Kitchen Table, Beam’s new Clermont restaurant.

Bring your father or favorite Bourbon connoisseur to fall into flavors with the largest Bourbon brand in the world at the Frazier, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Do you have what it takes to be in charge at the Frazier? We’ll spend this week learning what goes into all the ways our museum engages with the public. We’ll uncover behind-the-scenes secrets by taking basement-to-boardroom tours and by meeting with staff members in different museum departments. Each camper will work solo or in teams to create what we in the biz call an “engagement:” a historic interpretation, a game or craft, or a tour of their favorite exhibit. Campers will spend the week perfecting it before they run the show on Friday for the public–and for invited parents.

Come take “The Journey” with us and see how Kentuckiana played a central role in the Underground Railroad as freedom seekers looked to flee bondage, including Thornton and Lucie Blackburn. This walking tour is free and will start in front of the Frazier History Museum.  It will cover 4 stops on a two-mile route with immersive storytelling from our staff members.

We will gather at 9:30 a.m. with tours happening at 9:40 and 9:50 a.m. Each tour is limited to 20 people.  The final stop will be at “On the Banks of Freedom” installation behind the floodwall near the Frazier.

You’ll be just in time for a special unveiling and program at 11 a.m. by our partner IDEAS xLab called “In Our Elders’ Footprints,” a new (Un)Known Project installation featuring over 20 sets of footprints from Black Louisville elders including activists, educators, and civil rights leaders.

These events are supported by the Louisville Metro Government Juneteenth Jubilee Commission.

We’ll kick off summer with creative energy. Each day this week we’ll focus on a different art discipline–painting, sculpture, music, theater, and film. We’ll host visiting artists for hands-on experiences, learn about the history and cultural influence of specific artists and art movements, and take mini-field trips around the block to explore Main Street art sites and museums.

This is a day camp - join us for one day or all five!

He will tell you John Boy Walton, a country boy who wanted to be a writer, was his hero. Silas House was living that same life in Southeastern Kentucky, and when a teacher told him he was a writer, he believed her as she had believed in him.

With his many novels, Silas House is among the strongest voices of Southern writers. He is a New York Times bestselling author, a Grammy finalist, Kentucky’s current poet laureate, and a faculty member at both Berea College and Spalding University’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing program, from which he received his degree. His working-class upbringing and deep roots in Appalachia helped shape him. And it wasn’t always easy as a gay man. Even so, you won’t find a greater advocate for Kentucky.

Come hear Silas House tell his own story in his most eloquent voice.

You will learn. You will be moved. You will be inspired.

The Frazier History Museum presents an exclusive evening with award-winning chef and humanitarian Edward Lee! Prepare your senses for a sensational fusion of food, Maker’s Mark Bourbon, and live music by special guests Tyler Lance Walker Gill and his band. This hybrid book release and cocktail party is sure to be a memorable evening at the Frazier. Join us to celebrate the release of Chef Lee’s highly anticipated follow-up to his James Beard Award–winning Buttermilk Graffiti. In his latest literary masterpiece, Bourbon Land: A Spirited Love Letter to My Old Kentucky Whiskey, Lee explores Kentucky Bourbon culture with expertly crafted recipes, insightful essays, and exclusive distillery tours. Your program ticket gets you: a cooking demo led by Chef Lee and his culinary team, featured appetizers, a complimentary cocktail, a signed copy of Bourbon Land, and exclusive tastings and swag from Maker’s Mark! Plus, you can mingle with Chef Lee and enjoy the honkytonk tunes. Take home cherished memories of this unforgettable experience!

Join us at the Frazier for a unique, sensory experience with Log Still Distillery; tap your toes to the live music of Kaleb Cecil, a regular in the AMP lineup, taste recipes from Monk’s Road’s new restaurant on Main, and sip on some of the spirit industries finest pours. From its inception, Log Still Distillery has brought faith, family, and community together along Monk’s Road in historic Gethsemane, KY. Now, they are opening a high-end restaurant and tasting room, called Monk’s Road Boiler House right down the street from the Frazier History Museum. To celebrate their arrival in the neighborhood, we’re hosting a party, a Bourbon tasting, and a barrel selection showcasing all that Log Still has to offer. Listen to live music as we discuss Amp’s 2024 concert series, savor great food and outstanding Monk’s Road spirits, culminating with our Frazier barrel selection.

Brace yourselves folks for an event that is sure to be the talk of the town!

Night at the Museum: Celebrating 20 Years of the Frazier is an experiential museum takeover with all the makings of the party of the year. Four bands featuring live, local music, incredible food from multiple Frazier caterers, and a wide range of drinks on every floor - all included with your ticket.

Join us April 9 at the Frazier History Museum for a community conversation to learn more about Norton West Louisville Hospital opening in November. You’ll meet the newly announced leadership team and learn what services the hospital will offer as well as dozens of job opportunities. There will be a program with Russell F. Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare, and Corenza Townsend, chief administrative officer of Norton West Louisville Hospital, to discuss the historic opening. It’s the first hospital to be built west of Ninth Street in more than 150 years. The forum is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.

Settle in folks, for a one-of-a-kind Bourbon program and barrel selection that could only be hosted at the Frazier History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail ® Since the release of their 1870 Original Batch, Old Forester has crafted watershed moments in Bourbon’s history with a unique tale in every glass.

Join George Garvin Brown descendant Mac Brown, Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris, and Tim Holz of the Brown-Forman Archives as they lead tastings of Brown-Forman’s Whiskey Row Series, culminating with a barrel proof selection available for purchase to attendees only. We’ll share stories and show off artifacts and objects from both the family and the Brown-Forman archive, housed at the Frazier. This event provides an unparalleled opportunity for bourbon historians to dive into the Brown family archives and discover rare objects to complement the story of the world’s only Bourbon bottled before, during, and after Prohibition.

Join us as Ben Chandler shares stories of his grandfather, A. B. “Happy” Chandler, who served as Commissioner of Baseball from 1945 to 1951. In 1947, Chandler was pivotal in breaking baseball’s “color barrier” by giving the necessary Commissioner approval to Jackie Robinson’s contract. Chandler supported Robinson and other players behind the scenes as they faced ongoing hostility and racism. As the nation gets ready to play ball once again, Ben will recount details of this time. He’ll also share how his own personal love of the game grew out of that family tradition. Lexington author Dorian Hairston will also join us to read from “Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson”, his debut poetry collection that explores the Black American experience through the lens of Gibson’s life. Louisville Bats President Greg Galiette will be here too, talking about the upcoming season and their efforts to highlight the diverse stories of baseball.

Learn the incredible stories of Black Americans in the Bourbon industry throughout Kentucky’s history. Frazier Teaching Artist Brian West leads guest through a bourbon tasting/cultural experience that highlights the lives of five important Black Kentuckians who have made the industry what it is today: Elmer Lucille Allen, Freddie Johnson, and Brough Brothers.