Upcoming Events

Add Our Events to Your Calendar

Please see below for details and descriptions of upcoming events at the Filson. All event times are in EST or EDT depending on the season. Click here to register and pay for programs, tickets are required. Filson members will need to log in to access the member pricing for events. Many of our past events can be viewed on the Filson YouTube Channel. If you have any issues with registering via our ticketing solution please call (502) 635-5083.

Recent Filson events have regularly been reaching our capacity limits. If members or non-members wish to attend an event please register beforehand. We cannot guarantee a space for walk ups on the day of the lecture.

The History of Valhalla

Date: April 15, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person and Zoom options available)

Get ready to dive into the incredible legacy of Valhalla Golf Club! Founded in 1986 by Dwight Gahm, a local businessman with a deep love for golf, Valhalla was designed by none other than the legendary Jack Nicklaus. In this exciting program, Phil Gahm, Dwight’s son, will bring Valhalla’s story to life—from its beginnings on the family farm to becoming one of golf’s premier venues. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of Valhalla’s iconic moments including the Tiger Woods Tiger Slam PGA Victory in 2000, which is still the highest TV rated PGA Championship in its history and the only major tournament in history that Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus played together.

Phillip Gahm is the son of Valhalla founder Dwight Gahm and founder of “The Champ” Foundation, LLC. Prior to retirement, he was a second-generation owner and the Director of Operations at Kitchen Kompact in Jeffersonville, In. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Purdue University.

Unequal and Unhealthy: How Seemingly Random Events That Negatively Impact African American Health May Not Be So Random

Date: April 17, 2025

Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person Only) - Reception from 5:30-6:25 pm, Program at 6:30 pm

Free (Registration Required)

In partnership with the Filson Historical Society, the Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute’s Baldwin-King Project presents Unequal and Unhealthy: How Seemingly Random Events that Negatively Impact African American Health May Not Be So Random. A roundtable and community discussion, this is a part of an ongoing series centering on race and democracy. Join us for a reception from 5:30-6:25 pm followed by the program at 6:30 pm. This presentation is organized by:

Ricky L. Jones, Ph. D, Co-founder, Baldwin-King Project. Baldwin-King Scholar-in-Residence, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, University of Louisville

Wayne B. Tuckson, M.D., Co-Founder, Baldwin-King Project. Surgeon and host of Kentucky Health.

Joining the organizers will be:

John Chenault, Ph.D., MSLS, MA, Associate Professor and Director of the Anti-Racism Initiative, University of Louisville School of Medicine
Natasha DeJarnett, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Envirome Institute, University of Louisville
Arnita Gadson, MA, Executive Director, West Jefferson County Community Task Force
Nancy Seay, Ph.D., Chair, James R.L. Diggs Department of Sociology, Simmons College of Kentucky

My Holocaust Legacy: A Blessing, Not a Burden

Date: April 22, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person and Zoom options available)

This event is held in observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

By all accounts, Dr. Alex Kor’s life has been a miracle. The son of two Holocaust survivors who narrowly escaped death, Alex grew up in Indiana — a state with Midwestern charm and an ignominious history of prejudice. In “A Blessing, Not a Burden,” Alex details his incredible journey, from his unique upbringing to his present-day mission of carrying on his parents’ inspiring legacy. From his mother’s controversial stance on forgiving the Nazis to his father’s unbridled optimism, Alex shares life lessons that have helped him overcome his own hardships along the way. Alex also offers his own perspective on forgiveness as he nurtures his parents’ legacies in a world still fraught with discrimination.

Originally from Terre Haute, Indiana, Dr. Alex Kor is the son of two Holocaust survivors (Michael and Eva Mozes Kor). He has a B.S. in Chemistry from Butler University and a M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Purdue University.

Graham Honaker serves as Associate Athletic Director for Development and NIL Strategy at Butler University where he is in his 12th year.

Exhibit Opening – Bustles to Blue Jeans: Highlights from the Filson’s Fashion Archive

Date: April 25, 2025

Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person only)

Free - Registration required

This Exhibit is sponsored by Stock Yards Bank & Trust.

Join the Filson Historical Society for the opening of Bustles to Blue Jeans: Highlights from the Filson’s Fashion Archive.

The Filson’s museum collection contains over 5,000 garments worn in the Ohio Valley from as early as the 1810s. But the public has only been able to view a tiny fraction of this collection over the years—just an occasional peek in the closet. This spring, we’re opening the closets wide. We’ll be showing off some of our most unusual, storied, and beautiful garments—from ball gowns to bathing costumes, bustles to blue jeans. These are our favorite pieces to look at and talk about, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

The public opening reception will be held from 5:30-7:00 pm with short remarks starting at 6:00 pm. Refreshments will be available. All participants are encouraged to register in advance.

Panel Discussion – “The Children of Terezín”

Date: May 13, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person and Zoom Options available)

Terezín, also known as Theresienstadt, was unique among the Nazi concentration camps in that it housed musicians, writers, and artists who were encouraged to continue their respective talents there. However, the Nazis used this camp as a propaganda tool to show the world how “well” the inhabitants were treated, going so far as to create a film to this effect, called The Führer Gives the Jews a City. Make no mistake, though: 33,000 Jews perished at Terezín, primarily from disease and malnutrition.

This program will feature a panel of local experts: Filson volunteer, Rabbi Stan Miles, and educators, Frederick Whittaker and Daniel Penner, who will share their knowledge and insights about the Holocaust in general and Terezín in particular.

Old Louisville LIVE featuring The Crashers in Central Park

Date: May 16, 2025

Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Location: C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater at Central Park (No registration required)

Presented by the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council. Sponsored by the Filson Historical Society.

The Crashers, Louisville’s most popular dance band, is returning to Central Park on Friday, May 16th at 8:00 pm as part of the Old Louisville LIVE free concerts, where the Filson is a signature sponsor. The event opens at 7:00 pm with three local food trucks and concessions available for food and alcohol purchases. The concert starts at 8:00 pm and will end at 10:00 pm. There is ample street parking around the perimeter of Central Park. Clean restrooms are available. The C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater seats 1,000 people. Participants may bring their own chairs if they would like. This is a free concert series in Central Park and Old Louisville; no ticket or registration required.

An Escape from Slavery and a President’s Ancestors: How the Filson Made an Unexpected Discovery Possible

Date: May 22, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In person and Zoom options available)

Charles Holman grew up on bedtime stories of ancestors who escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad. But those stories were riddled with gaps. Decades later, DNA testing yielded a match with a descendant of his ancestor’s sister, a widow whose husband had served as a Black Civil War soldier. Her widow’s pension records revealed an even greater breakthrough—the names of the Kentuckians who had enslaved Charles’s ancestors. Determined to uncover more, Charles dug through records at the Filson Historical Society where an even greater breakthrough lay hidden.

Charles Holman is an East Coast civil rights attorney and a genealogist with over 50 years of experience.

Book Discussion with Dr. Patrick Lewis

Date: May 29, 2025

Time: 6:00 am - 7:00 am

Location: Oxmoor Farm, 720 Oxmoor Ave. (In Person Only)

Join Dr. Patrick Lewis for a book discussion for Rick Atkinson’s The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780. This unique opportunity will allow participants to help shape what the upcoming Gertrude Polk Brown lecture on June 16, giving them opportunities to help develop questions to be asked during the interview-style lecture.

Stitching History Embroidery Workshop

Date: May 31, 2025

Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person Only)

Have you ever longed to wear the beautifully decorated garments you see in period dramas? Do you wish you could add a touch of historic chic to your own closet? Come get inspired by the beautiful pieces in the Filson’s new exhibit, Bustles to Blue Jeans: Highlights from the Filson’s Fashion Archive. Join representatives from the local chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America as they guide you through an embroidery lesson that pulls from the styles of the past. You’ll get to explore the exhibit and learn to recreate some of the most unique embroidery on display. Bring your own clothes or textiles to embroider, or create a sampler using provided fabric. All other materials will be provided. Open to all ages and skill levels.

Panel Discussion – I’m Glad About It: History of Gospel Music in Louisville

Date: June 12, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person and Zoom Options available)

This program is produced in partnership with the Louisville Story Program.

The Filson History Society and the Louisville Story Program will co-present a gospel music event to commemorate Black Music Month. Taking place at the Filson on Thursday, June 12th, 2025, the program will feature a panel of contributing writers and their project partners discussing their experience working on content for the book, I’m Glad About It: The Legacy of Gospel Music in Louisville, 1958-1981, produced by the Louisville Story Program.

Visit the Filson

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

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 complete our research request form online here.

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