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All members receive free or reduced admission to events, subscriptions to Filson publications, and research access, all while supporting local history preservation.

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Your financial contribution provides powerful support for everything the Filson does, including historical preservation, educational programs, publications, and exhibits.

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Become A Member

All members receive free or reduced admission to events, subscriptions to Filson publications, and research access, all while supporting local history preservation.

Join Today

Make a Gift

Your financial contribution provides powerful support for everything the Filson does, including historical preservation, educational programs, publications, and exhibits.

Donate

Featured Event

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Filson140: A Heritage Jubilee

Poster for the Filson140: Heritage Jubilee.

Date: Saturday May 18, 2024

Location: Filson Historical Society Plaza- In-person only event

Free and Open to the Public

Please join us for a family-friendly celebration in Old Louisville as The Filson Historical Society commemorates its 140th anniversary! Bring the family for a day of exciting activities, engaging exhibits, and fascinating tales from the past. Enjoy live music from The Louisville Leopards and Appalatin, Kona Ice, story time with StageOne, vintage fire truck rides, bubbles, balloon animals, face painting, photo opportunities, and fun giveaways. The historic Ferguson Mansion and Filson exhibits will be open for guided tours. The festival will also include booths featuring some of our community partners who are celebrating milestone anniversaries, such as the Kentucky Derby Museum, Cave Hill Cemetery, the Belle of Louisville, the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Division Street School, Kentucky State Parks, Stock Yards Bank & Trust, and more! We are excited to hold this celebration in collaboration with Springfest (10:00am–7:00 pm) for an extended weekend of Old Louisville festivities.

For More Info

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Current
Exhibits

Ferguson
Mansion
Tour

Research

Current Exhibits

Kentucky Unsettled: The Erasure of Native Homeland explores how competing Native, colonial, and American interests shaped property ownership in the Commonwealth. (Carriage House exhibit)

People Passage Place Graphic

People Passage Place: Stories of the Ohio Valley (Nash Gallery) Semi-permanent exhibit. You are invited to engage with the Filson’s collections and to think critically about how history shapes your lives and communities.

Kentucky Progress: Establishing the Kentucky State Parks (Bingham Gallery) The Filson and the Kentucky State Parks tell an intertwined story of interpreting Kentucky’s past, promoting its economic success in the present, and reflecting the slow progress from segregation to inclusion.

Inspired by history? Wear It

Check out our online store to get T-shirts, posters, and more.

Your purchase supports the Filson’s mission of collecting, preserving, and sharing the history and culture of the Ohio Valley Region.

Ferguson Mansion Tour

The Mansion finished for the Edwin Hite Ferguson family in 1905 is now the home of the Filson Historical Society. Edwin Hite Ferguson commissioned the Louisville architectural firm Cobb and Dodd—the same firm responsible for designing the Seelbach Hotel and the Kentucky capitol building—to design his home in 1901. Learn more about the Mansion’s history and architecture from our online exhibit or sign up for a tour today.

Research at the Filson

The Filson has been collecting for almost 140 years, preserving the history of Kentucky and the Ohio Valley in order to share it with current and future generations. We welcome in-person and remote researchers to explore this website to discover our access points and to find answers to their questions! Set up a research appointment at the Filson, email our reference desk, or explore our collections online.

Visit the Filson

Open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4:30 pm

The Filson will be closed to the Public on Friday April 19th for staff meetings. The Filson will also be closed starting at noon on Friday May 3rd for Oaks Day.

The Filson is closed to the Public the 3rd Friday of every month.

1310 S. 3rd St., Louisville, KY 40208
(502) 635-5083

Plan Your Visit to the Filson! To register or purchase tickets for our events, please visit our Events Page.

The Research Library is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4:30pm; we are closed on the third Friday of each month. Appointments are not required, but feel free to reserve a seat online – learn more here. We also provide remote research services; please email gro.l1713303940aciro1713303940tsihn1713303940oslif1713303940@hcra1713303940eser1713303940.

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