The Filson Historical Society is thrilled to host members of the touring cast of Hamilton on Wednesday, July 8. A special thanks PNC Bank for their generous support of this program at the Filson. #HamiltonMusical #HamiltonTour

Happy Independence Day everyone. Today we are shining a light on the Aikin family and their celebration of the 4th. The Aikins lived in Louisville for most of their lives. This photo from 1902 shows the whole family gathered to celebrate the 4th of July. #IndependenceDay #FourthOfJuly #July4th

We're in it now! The heat is here, and Kentucky summers are brutal. How are you staying cool this summer? #KentuckySummer #SummerHeat #HeatWave #KentuckyLife

Happy Father's Day! Check out this family photo throwback from 1850! Pictured here: Meriwether Lewis Clark, Sr. and his six sons: William, Samuel, Meriwether, John, George Rogers, and Charles. Legacy runs deep in this family photo. #FathersDay #FamilyLegacy #LewisAndClark

Juneteenth marks the day freedom was declared in Texas on June 19, 1865. But the story of emancipation kept growing, including in Kentucky, where soldier Charles Lee & his family were confirmed free later that year. #Juneteenth #Emancipation

While Boyz II Men compare the warmth of their mothers’ love to the comfort of soul food, the connection also underscores how soul food serves as a powerful force in bringing Black families together. Happy National Soul Food Month! #NationalSoulFoodMonth #SoulFood #AfricanAmericanHistory

National Bourbon Day: A look at post-Prohibition history. Following repeal, production was heavily regulated. At the W.L. Weller & Sons Distillery, officials oversaw operations like grain fermentation before distillation. #NationalBourbonDay #BourbonHistory #WellerDistillery

Louisville LGBTQ+ pioneers Charles Gruenberger and Jack Kersey used their businesses to fund safe housing, advocacy groups, and AIDS hospice houses. This photo from a 1998 anniversary program honors their decades of community dedication. #RelationshipGoals #LouisvilleLGBTQ #LGBTQHistory #Pride

In June 1979, a small group of music industry insiders lobbied President Jimmy Carter to officially recognize Black Music Month. Let's celebrate the Black creators who shaped the American soundscape! #BlackMusicMonth #CelebrateBlackMusic

Sign up here: https://ow.ly/q48q50Z6jZI or use the QR Code! Join The Filson for a special Pride Month event featuring celebrated Appalachian author and advocate Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. #ToreAllToPieces

In 1938, Louise Leland became Kentucky’s first registered female architect. Alongside her romantic and business partner, landscape architect Anne Bruce Haldeman. The two lived together until Louise's passing in 1956, these two built a legacy of love that inspires us this #PrideMonth and always.

Ever wanted to know what life in #Louisville was like before #I65 was built? Well now, you can! #I65Closure

On June 1, 1792, Kentucky officially joined the Union as the 15th state. The path to statehood was the result of a years-long process, including ten constitutional conventions and the Virginia Compact of 1789. Official approval was ultimately granted by Congress on February 4, 1791. #Statehood

Don't worry, I-65 may be closed, but the Filson's amazing summer programming isn't going anywhere! Plan to leave a little earlier on your next visit to the Filson. For more detailed directions click here: https://filsonhistorical.org/visit/ #I65 #I65Closure

This #MemorialDay, we remember Sgt. Robert M. Robb (1842–1862) of the 15th Kentucky Infantry. A Shelbyville native, Robb was killed in action at the Battle of Stones River on Dec 31, 1862, alongside nearly 3,000 fellow soldiers.

Author Craig Fehrman joined us to discuss his groundbreaking new book, This Vast Enterprise, that examines the famous Lewis and Clark expedition using new documents and Native perspectives. We are thrilled that part of this important history was researched right here at the Filson. #LewisAndClark

Register Here: https://ow.ly/MrIi50YXMXu Join The Filson for a profound conversation between Sonya Lea and Nikki Lanier, JD. Sign up now to secure your seat for this vital event.

The Jewish Community Center held 2-3 week overnight summer camps at Camp Tall Trees in Meade County, Kentucky, about 35 miles from Louisville. In 1966, a section of Otter Creek Park was renovated and opened as Camp Ben F. Washer, the successor to Camp Tall Trees. #SummerCamps #CampTallTrees

It's Derby Day! What part of the fanfare is your favorite? The race itself? The fashion? The mint juleps? Or maybe spotting celebrities at the track? You never know who you might find in Louisville on Derby Day... #DerbyDay #KentuckyDerby #LouisvilleKY #RaceDay

Did you know that May is #JewishAmericanHeritageMonth? At the Filson, we celebrate the contributions of Kentucky's Jewish individuals, families, and institutions who have made our commonwealth what it is today. Check out our Jewish collections page on our website or stop by to research in person!

This story comes to us via personal letters found in the Filson archives! According to the letter's author, their father very nearly keeled over at the news and subsequent correction of the results! "Compton the butler cut off the radio at once before any more mistakes could come through." #KYDerby

Before TV was perfected, CBS wanted to show its NYC audiences a special premiere of the #Derby just hours after it ran. By commissioning the Louisville Photographic Society to film the Derby, then chartering planes to rush the film to NYC for processing and editing so it could be aired that evening.

Carridder Jones was an author, playwright, and historian originally from South Carolina. Mrs. Jones, a Louisvillian, also partnered with the Filson by conducting an oral project called “Historic African American Neighborhoods in Jefferson County.” #KentuckyAuthors #LouisvilleHistory #WomenWhoWrite

People asked us, "can you guys post more cute dog photos?" So we did ya one better, how about puppies? Thanks to the Kentucky Humane Society for coming by the Filson to treat our staff to some puppy time. #CuteDogs #KentuckyHumaneSociety #DogPhotos

Today we kick off the #KYDerbyFestival! We have so many exciting events in the run-up to the #Derby, and some might recall this square dance exhibit that took place before the Derby parade in either 1971 or 72. Have you gone square dancing before? Let us know below! #KentuckyDerby

Join us April 23rd for the story of the schools that helped Black voters pass the Jim Crow era voter literacy tests that were designed to disenfranchise them, preparing thousands of Black citizens to read and write, demand their rights—and vote. Sign up here: https://ow.ly/bcpC50YEXrt #BlackHistory

You are invited to join us on April 21 at The Filson Historical Society @filsonhistorical.bsky.social for the 2026 Annual Lecture on Asian Democracy which is our next Theodore Sedgwick Distinguished Lecture!

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) was one of the first Black poets recognized nationally. Born in Ohio to parents who were enslaved in Kentucky prior to being emancipated. Dunbar started writing poems at a young age. Over his short career, he published poetry, short stories, novels, and more.

#Derby season is here! The Filson is home to so many photos and drawings of the #KentuckyDerby and #DerbyFesitval throughout the years. What part of #DerbyHistory do you want to see?

This April, we are showcasing authors of the #OhioValley Wallace McElroy Kelly (1910-1988) was a Kentucky-born author, photographer, and amateur filmmaker. A scrapbook in our collection documents Kelly’s process and the publishing timeline while writing Days are as Grass.

Join us on April 23rd for the incredible story of the schools that helped Black voters pass the daunting Jim Crow era voter registration literacy tests that were designed to disenfranchise them. Sign up here: https://ow.ly/9mxK50YEXru #SpellFreedom #VoterRights #BookTalk #BlackHistory

#HappyEaster Image courtesy of the Courier Journal, UofL Archives & Special Collections

On Tuesday, the Filson hosted our first #GertrudePolkBrownLecture of 2026. Our discussion with Paul Sparrow was one of the most timely conversations the Filson has hosted. Paul's new book brings to life a crucial moment in American history where our democracy hung in the balance.

This photograph shows three silver julep cups stamped "Blanchard" on the bottom. "K. A. Premium" is inscribed on the side. "K. A." stands for the Kentucky Association, also known as the Kentucky Racing Association, which was established to promote horse breeding and racing. #KYDerby

Get your tickets here: https://ow.ly/anYR50YAIRT The Filson is opening up our Theodore Sedgwick Distinguished Lecture Series to virtual guests. You can now tune in via Zoom from your own home! #VirtualLecture #HistoryLecture #CultureTalks #OnlineEvents #CulturalEvents

Ballet and Baseball was a fundraising event in 1984 between the Louisville Ballet Guild, the Louisville Ballet Civic Company, and the Louisville Redbirds. Dale Brannon and the Louisville Redbirds collaborated on a short collection of dances based loosely on the theme of baseball.

...about a special item in the museum’s collection — George Washington’s tent. You won’t want to miss it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bEw... Thanks as always to our partner @filsonhistorical.bsky.social for helping us bring this lecture series to life.

Get your tickets here: https://ow.ly/unTZ50YuMm2 Join the Filson and Author Paul Sparrow on March 31st as we bring to life a largely forgotten but crucial moment in American history where the very existence of our democracy hung in the balance. #AmericanHistory #DemocracyMatters #LouisvilleEvents

Springtime is here. Why not stop and smell the flowers? This photograph shows artist Mary Johnston, who illustrated the first edition of Annie Fellows Johnston's first famous book in The Little Colonel series, as well as the succeeding books. #Springtime #FlowerGarden #HistoricalPhotography

While Louisville is known as Derby City today, back in the early 1800's, you'd head into town to watch billy goat races instead. Crowds of people would line what is now Billy Goat Strut to watch goat racing. This tradition carries on today in NuLu with their spring #BockFest #LouisvilleHistory

Get your tickets here: https://ow.ly/T2v350YuMm1 Join the Filson and Author Paul Sparrow on March 31st as we bring to life a largely forgotten but crucial moment in American history where the very existence of our democracy hung in the balance. #AmericanHistory #DemocracyMatters #HistoryLecture

March Madness starts tomorrow. Brackets are ready, who do you think will win it all? #MarchMadness #Basketball #NCAATournament #BracketChallenge

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate the athletes breaking barriers across all sports. From the field to the court, women in sports continue to inspire the next generation to dream bigger. #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInSports #FemaleAthletes #InspiringWomen #WomensBasketball

March 8th is International Women’s Day! One of the largest Black-owned and operated businesses in Kentucky, Mammoth Life and Accident Insurance Company (1915-1992), employed Black women to work outside of the home in many roles. #InternationalWomensDay #WomensHistory

For 140 years, The Filson has preserved our community’s stories. Through the #AAHI we’re locating and inventorying wills, deeds, and records so people with Jefferson County roots can access them and claim space, place, and belonging today. #AfricanAmericanHistory #BlackHistoryMatters

Celebrating Irish heritage this March with these photos from the James W. Wolfe family, showing the historic Irish enclave of Limerick just west of Old Louisville. #IrishHeritage #LimerickKY #IrishImmigrants #HistoricPhotos

For Women’s History Month, we honor Louisville’s own Mildred Hill, a composer, pianist, teacher, and musical trailblazer best known for co-composing the world-famous “Happy Birthday” song with her sister Patty. #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInMusic

It's Louisville Restaurant Week! Louisville is one of America's top cities for foodies, so get out there and support local restaurants! Here are a few restaurants from Louisville's past: Hicks Drive-In and Grubers Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge. #LouisvilleEats #SupportLocal #LouisvilleRestaurantWeek

Geneva Howard Bell (1905–2013) studied across the Ohio Valley and began teaching at Kentucky State College as an associate professor. Her civic leadership included Delta Sigma Theta, co-founding The Links, and leading the Women’s Guild. #KentuckyHistory #BlackExcellence #EducationAdvocate.

The Filson's collections on African American history highlight contributions from Black businesses, artists, educators, and churches. Our African American History Initiative launched in 2023 to expand outreach and preserve people's stories. #AfricanAmericanHistory #PreservingStories #BlackHistory