It’s amazing what you can find when you aimlessly scroll through social media in the evening hours. In most cases I come across photos of kids and babies, school events, and reminders that I forgot to add to the calendar—and let’s face it, some of the most random posts shared by friends. Well, that’s how this story begins.

During the cold month of January on some random day, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a shared post for the famous moose head from the saloon in Phoenix Hill Tavern (RIP.) My first thought was that such a unique story—the moose, the Tavern, and the history of the Phoenix Hill neighborhood—could only be told in our Cool Kentucky exhibition. Having learned in my life that you shouldn’t be afraid to take a chance, I quickly commented on the post, putting the Frazier History Museum in the running. I immediately texted our senior curator, Amanda Briede, about the moose, hoping for early buy-in (although I didn’t think we had a true chance considering the amazing venues that were also interested). I was surprised when Joe Kresovsky, the owner of the moose head, asked to tour the gallery where the object could potentially go on display. I was even more surprised when I found that the moose would call the Frazier home.

On May 17, we unveiled the moose to the public and invited media as it regally looks down from the wall in our Entertaining Kentucky gallery. Donors Joe and Lee Kresovsky were present to see the moose hang in its permanent home and answer questions from the media, as shown in the video above. We are forever grateful to Joe and Lee for allowing the Frazier to continue the legacy of the moose.

Our galleries and exhibitions are filled with centuries-old objects, but it’s also our responsibility to collect for future generations. Many of these unique objects reside in our Cool Kentucky exhibition, which focuses on everything “cool about our state.” Who would have thought 20 years ago we would now be collecting eclectic and iconic artifacts from our present history?

In today’s Frazier Weekly, we celebrate our actual 20th birthday. That’s right: the Frazier opened May 22, 2004! To mark the occasion, we check in with Megan Schanie, who has worked here longer than anyone. Tish Boyer spotlights an object that’s been in our care since we opened, Hayley Harlow Rankin announces a contest for members (the winner gets two tickets to our 2024 Summer Beer Fest at Frazier!), and Rachel Platt teases the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, an annual tradition in Bell County since 1931. Finally, in observance of Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, my colleague Nick Cook writes about his personal experience living with CF.

As always, thank you for reading. Here’s to 20 more years of the Frazier!

Casey Harden
Sr. Director of Engagement
Frazier History Museum

This Week in the Museum

20th Anniversary Photo: Megan Schanie’s Head Shot, 2004

Megan Schanie is many things: a history buff, a talented educator, an Atherton alum, a loving wife, a proud mother to two college-age daughters, a rain-or-shine U of L fan, a former college basketball player, and a cancer survivor. She also happens to be the longest-tenured employee of the Frazier History Museum! We asked Megan, who is the Frazier’s senior manager of educational programs, to share 20 of her best memories of 20 years at the Frazier.

Simon Meiners
Communications & Research Specialist

In December 2003, when I accepted a part-time position in the education department of a new museum being planned for downtown Louisville, a lot was different: George W. Bush was president, Finding Nemo was the top movie, I owned a flip phone, and I was married with a ten-month-old baby girl. That new museum was to be called the Frazier Historical Arms Museum.

Twenty years and multiple museum name changes later, I’m happy to be a married mother of two nearly-adult daughters—a sophomore at U of L and a senior at WKU—and still plugging away on the Frazier’s education team.

In honor of the museum’s 20th anniversary, I’m excited to reflect and share 20 of my favorite Frazier exhibitions, programs, people, and memories.

Growing Up! Wow, we have really changed over the years—from a historical arms museum created in partnership with the British Royal Armouries to the starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and the place “where the world meets Kentucky.” Like any good journey, it was bumpy at times; but it’s been impressive to have an inside view of our transformation.

Faces Lighting Up. It’s not a stretch to say I’ve seen at least 200,000 young faces over the years come around the corner into the museum as we welcome them to their field trip, getting their first glimpse inside. What they’ve seen has changed over the years, from a knight and cavalry officer on horseback to a dragon in our Mythic Creatures exhibition, Napoleon’s bed, and now a red Corvette in Cool Kentucky. But the reactions are very much the same: wide eyes and talking with excitement to their friends. It’s fun to see the museum through young, fresh eyes each morning.

Adi Schanie’s Pirate Interview. My older daughter Adison is currently a reporter at WDRB news, and it all started right here at the Frazier Museum. As a third-grade student-reporter for the Bloom Elementary media club, she conducted her very first interview with female pirate Anne Bonny back in 2011.

Kids at Camp. It’s always fun to see kids at Frazier camp having a ball at the museum all day creating, playing, and learning. It’s especially fun when it’s your own kids, and you’re not in charge of camps. Both of my daughters spent many, many weeks having a terrific time at the Frazier growing up, enjoying all the activities but able to run into my office for a quick hug. They both will still tell you it was their favorite, especially performing skits in the theatre during “Page to Stage.”

Standing Ovation. In 2006, as a two-year Frazier employee and the mother of an infant and a toddler, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not only did the museum staff rally around me and give me all the support and time off I needed, they also created a safe haven of normalcy when I was well enough to return to work. I wore a scarf during chemo. One day, after I gave a field trip presentation, a young student raised his hand and asked why I was wearing the scarf. After I gave a brief explanation to the school group, the student just stood up and started to applaud. Then the rest of the students stood up with him and started to applaud. Can you imagine that? It was incredible.

Bird’s-Eye View of Muhammad Ali Funeral Procession. Being on the roof of the museum looking down at the expressway to watch the Muhammad Ali funeral procession drive by on June 10, 2016, was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen. The whole city seemed to pause that day in honor of Ali. As the hearse and other cars came past, slowly moving west after pausing outside the Ali Center, all of the cars on I-64 driving the opposite direction slowed to a complete stop as the procession passed by. It was a striking moment of respect to witness.

Nat Love. For many years, the life-size figure of Black cowboy Nat Love—surrounded by a saddle, chaps, and a taxidermy snake—was on a display in the American West gallery in our second-floor American History exhibit. Now that the display is down, Nat spends his days surrounded by books, children, and even an axolotl named Boba in the Marshall Foundation Education Center, where my office is. He’s a terrific addition to teaching and learning and one of my favorite things in the education center.

Fontaine Ferry Park Exhibition. It’s hard to pick a favorite exhibition. We’ve had some terrific ones over the years. But one of my early favorites was Fontaine Ferry Park. I grew up in Louisville yet had never heard of the park and knew nothing of its complex history. The exhibition taught me that seemingly “light” topics can share meaningful history and memories, and that when people have strong memories and connections to a place in their lives they will show up to reminisce, reflect, and share.

The Original Team. Thinking back has me reflecting on the many people, with varied skills and backgrounds, it has taken to bring us where we are as a museum today—from Mr. Frazier with his original vision to the architects, builders, museum board, opening staff, partner organizations, volunteers, and interns. And of course, I can’t forget the original guests and members who walked through our doors.

The “Creatives.” Many staff members have come and gone over my years at the museum, but I’ve always been surrounded by what I’d call “creatives”—musicians, photographers, singers, glass artists, story tellers, actors, and puppeteers—all doing double work with many other roles at the museum. They are the best to plan, brainstorm, and think outside the box with. They also make the workday fun!

Sword Fights in the Tournament Ring. When the Frazier first opened, a tournament ring was snuggled into the middle of the third floor as part of the Royal Armouries exhibition. Our actors presented a wide range of sword fights each day for guests and school groups. I have terrific memories of packing in over 100 kids at a time: they stood around the ring to watch the demonstrations. These were truly unique and fun experiences.

Coronavirus Capsule. When COVID-19 hit the US full force, Frazier staff were all called to the board room for one last meeting before the break to work from home. Not knowing what would happen, or how long it would last, our leadership team immediately decided to begin a daily electronic newsletter to share stories, videos, and interesting content that would begin the very next day. That newsletter continues to exist today as Frazier Weekly and it’s one of the positive things to grow out of that experience and help keep us connected to the community. The development of the Coronavirus Capsule was a large part of that initial project; that was invigorating to be a part of during a difficult time.

Cornhole. Did I mention that I was a member of team that won the inaugural Frazier Cornhole Tournament? I’ll admit my partner carried much of the weight, but I hung in there. With museum president Andy Treinen stepping in on the final day due to a sick partner, we finished on top. I grew up an athlete, but that’s the only tournament I’ve ever won.

Special Projects. Every now again we are approached with an “outside the box” idea for a large project with an outside partner and those usually end up being some of my favorite things to work on. Just to name a few we’ve hosted a “Teaching with Museums” summer course through the University of Louisville college of education, partnered with multiple schools and organizations on the Cool Kentucky Student Art exhibit, and worked with the Bullitt County Gifted and Talented program on a custom visit focused on the Underground Railroad.

Dragons, Documents, Disco Balls, and More. In 20 years, I’ve never been bored at the Frazier. You never know what you might see next—whether it’s excited kindergarteners dancing under the disco ball in Cool Kentucky, exhibits staff attaching the head to a dragon for our Mythic Creatures exhibit, or being invited into collections to view the newly-acquired Mary Todd Lincoln arrest papers—each new day brings something unexpected.

Incredible People. One perk of my job is exposure to incredible people who present or share artifacts or knowledge with the museum. I’ve met Tori Murden McClure, the first woman and first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean; Kentucky archaeologists Anne Bader and Gwynn Henderson are fascinating to talk to; and Karolyn Smardz Frost, author of I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land, our key source for The Journey, has become an amazing resource to the Frazier and the education team. From city historian Tom Owen to Kentucky poet laureate Frank X Walker and New York Times best-selling author Jermaine Fowler, incredible people walk through these doors every day.

Hiding Hamilton. When Hamilton: the Musical hit Louisville several years ago, we had a great time enjoying the fanfare at the museum with events, special programs, and even hiding a life-size Hamilton around the museum for guests to find.

Creating Programs. I love creating programs for students and teachers. It’s incredible to think about how many offerings our education team has pulled together over the years, trying all sorts of different techniques and formats. From “History in Miniature” to “Kentucky Pioneers,” “Declaring Your Independence,” and more—not to mention the programs that have aligned with our temporary exhibitions—it’s one of my favorite parts of my job.

The Journey. Some stories just stick with you. When our education team heard about Lucie and Thornton Blackburn and their escape from their enslavers in Louisville in broad daylight on Fourth of July weekend in 1831, we immediately wanted to know more. Luckily for us, archaeologist, historian, and author Karolyn Smardz Frost had literally written the book on them. Using her research and other sources, we spent multiple years working on various aspects of The Journey: Unsung Stories of the Underground Railroad—a project whose goal is to share the story far and wide. It’s one of the projects I’m most proud to be a part of.

West of Ninth. I followed the West of Ninth blog created by Walt and Shae Smith for a year or so before I had the opportunity to meet them in person. We were really impressed with their work, so we invited them to talk with our education and exhibits team about possible collaborations. That brief meeting led to West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, and Reconciliation, a powerful exhibition the Smiths guest curated in 2021. This stands out as another of my favorite exhibitions over the years.

It’s not lost on me how unique it is to still enjoy a job with a team of smart, passionate people moving towards a shared goal—especially for 20 years. I feel lucky.

Happy 20th to the Frazier!

Megan Schanie
Sr. Manager of Educational Programs

From the Collections: Boone Family Bible

This week, in honor of our 20th anniversary, we want to look at a piece that has been in our care since we opened the museum. (In fact, it’s been in our care since before we opened the museum!)

The Boone family bible came to us in 2001 on loan from an anonymous donor. Sourced with the help of one of our board members, Walter Crutcher, the bible was a part of the story of the frontier and of course Daniel Boone (1734–1820). This object has a long history with the Frazier, and we are pleased to say that it was donated to our permanent collection in 2023.

This is a rare piece that has been on display from the beginning of our museum’s history. Of course, paper is sensitive to light and there have been brief moments that the bible has gone off display to, as we like to say, “rest.” But when it is not resting in storage away from the light, you can see it in our Commonwealth: Divided we Fall exhibition. We purposely leave it open to the page of births and deaths so you can see the family generations starting with Daniel Boone.

Come on down to the Frazier to have a look.

Tish Boyer
Registrar & Manager of Collections Engagement

Frazier Survey Winner to Get Bernheim Membership & Beer Fest Tickets!

It’s a great time to be a Frazier member!

May is Member Appreciation Month, and all Frazier members receive a double discount (20%!) in our Museum Shop. We’re also giving away prizes—a Bernheim Forest and Arboretum membership and two general admission tickets to our 2024 Summer Beer Fest at Frazier on July 27—to whichever lucky member wins our upcoming giveaway drawing on May 31! Members must complete our membership survey by May 30 at 11:59 p.m. to be entered into the drawing.

We’re also excited to announce that we’re transitioning to a new platform called Bloomerang and embracing sustainability by going green! Starting June 2024, Individual- and Family-level memberships will be entirely digital, including membership cards. Contributor-level members and above will continue to receive physical cards via mail, allowing you to access benefits at participating NARM (North American Reciprocal Museums) institutions.

In addition to this exciting change, we are introducing auto-renewals to make renewing your membership seamless and easy. After June 1, we’ll be implementing auto-renewals in our new platform, so look out for more information soon!

If you’re not already a member, now is the perfect time to support our 20th anniversary with a $20 individual membership! Enjoy free admission to the museum for a year and store discount!

For more information about our membership levels and benefits, please visit our website.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you to the Frazier Museum family!

Hayley Harlow Rankin
Sr. Manager of Fundraising

Artists to Lead Workshops at Frazier’s “Comics & Zines” Summer Camp, July 8–12

Do you know what printmaking, flowers, project runway, and electronic music have to do with summer camp? These are just a few of the ideas and talents that visiting artists bring to Frazier campers in our Comics & Zines camp, July 8–12. The incredibly talented visiting artists we invite give our campers a peek into the vibrant arts scene that exists in this city.

Artists will make appearances throughout the summer. Among the incredibly talented artists making appearances are three LFPL Collider alumni, including cartoonist Randy Gray. Randy will join us for Comics & Zines to teach a lesson on creating mini comics. Fun fact: our very own Zach Bramel is a Collider alum. Comics & Zines camp will also have our campers spending the week with teaching artist Newt who will use their skills as a printmaker to help campers design their own zine.

The Frazier’s seven weeks of summer camps run from June 3 to July 27! Register now while spots remain.

Nicole Clay
Education & Engagement Specialist

Highlights of 120: Bell County: Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival & Meteorite Crater

Each week, we’re featuring stories from our 120: Cool KY Counties exhibit. Today, the spotlight is shining on Bell County, nestled in the heart of Eastern Kentucky. On Memorial Day weekend, a tradition dating back to 1931 will continue in Pineville, Bell County: the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival. Each year, colleges and universities select a representative to participate in a coronation ceremony in the Laurel Cove Amphitheater. Each candidate is expected to perform an original and elaborate fifteen-second curtsey to the current governor. The governor then crowns the queen. That’s just part of the festival that celebrates community and hospitality.

Here’s something else you may not know about Bell County. It’s home to the only city in the country built entirely inside a meteorite crater! Learn more in this story from our 120 exhibit.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission

Bell County is home to Middlesboro, the only city in the United States built entirely inside a meteorite crater. The city began in 1810 as a coal and iron mining community but it was not discovered until 1966 that it was built in the three-mile-wide impact hole of a meteorite. The crater played a crucial role in the development of both Middlesboro and the westward expansion. The meteorite crater is believed to have filled with water and drained through the mountains, helping to create the Cumberland Gap. This gap was used by Daniel Boone and 300,000 other Kentucky colonists between 1760 and 1850. The impact from the meteorite also brought coal and iron to the surface, making it easier and more abundant for miners. The importance of coal in the development of the city of Middlesboro is still recognized today. Even the local chamber of commerce building, built in 1925, is constructed of forty-two tons of coal.

Don’t Miss Wednesday’s Program with Chef Ed Lee!

We have a limited number of tickets left to our book signing and cocktail party with celebrity chef and humanitarian Ed Lee this Wednesday! Your ticket includes a signed copy of his newest book Bourbon Land, a welcome cocktail and Bourbon tastings from Maker’s Mark, appetizers featured in Chef Lee’s book, and demos with Chef Lee and his bartender. Get the chance to meet Ed in person and mingle with other fans while enjoying the rockabilly tunes of the Tyler Lance Walker Gill Band. You don’t want to miss this special evening! Secure your ticket while spots remain.

Leslie Anderson
Partnership Manager

Museum Shop: Disco Ball Purse

As the place where the world meets Kentucky, our museum is full of artifacts that tell the story of our state. Some of the most popular are those that reflect pop culture. Did you know Louisville was the leading producer of disco balls in the US in the 1970s? We celebrate this groovy history with pride in our Museum Shop. Explore our range of fun and nostalgic items, from disco ball purses to ice buckets and koozies. Join us and experience your very own disco wonderland!

Frazier’s Nick Cook on Living with Cystic Fibrosis

A colleague of mine will tell you he lives an ordinary life; I would call it extraordinary. He isn’t one to speak publicly about his personal life, but May has special significance and he wants to give voice to others who may be on a similar journey. He recently hit a milestone in his life that was deemed unlikely at birth. Here’s Nick Cook to tell the rest of his story.—Rachel Platt, VP of Mission

While typically, this would be a place to highlight a subject or item of the past, I want to talk about how extraordinary a time in history we currently live in! Most people wouldn’t know by just meeting me (or even knowing me for years) but I was born with cystic fibrosis, which is a genetic disorder that affects the lung but also the pancreas and other organs. For over two decades, I had a consistent cough (even when I was perfectly healthy) and had never taken a deep breath!

The biggest turning point in my life came when I was twenty-four and I began a new drug trial. The underlying issue with CF is the disruption of the chloride channel controlling salt and water in and out of the cell. Essentially, a flood wall does not open as it should. However, the new drug I took was designed to open those channels—reducing the sodium content in sweat, allowing a thinning of mucus, and preventing further damage to the body. After a couple weeks in the study, I took a deep breath for the very first time. (I had no idea I had gone so long without ever experiencing this; I’d had to accomplish tasks with half the amount of breath as most people.) After six years of my quarterly study visits with doctors, the medicine received FDA approval. Now, 90% of CF patients take this medicine daily. I’m proud to have been part of something so scientifically significant.

I recently turned thirty, which was my life expectancy at birth. I’m happy to say I’m at the healthiest I have ever been. (Last month, I even ran part of the 2024 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon as a member of one of the Frazier’s Relay Teams.) This is all due to decades of medical research and studies, several of which I have participated in, in hopes of furthering scientific breakthroughs. All this is to say: I wouldn’t be here if not for the incredible medicines, vaccines, and technological advancements. In the future, more direct attempts such as gene editing can take chronic diseases and cure them. Had I been born fifty years earlier, I probably wouldn’t be able to speak on my experience. I’m so thankful that’s not the case.

May is CF Awareness Month. I wanted to share my story in hopes of breaking perceived notions of chronic illness and how it’s possible to live an ordinary life!

Nick Cook
Exhibit & Design Manager