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 Waverly Hills Sanatorium at 100 – A Virtual Reconstruction

Date: October 8, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

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

One hundred years ago on October 20, 1926, a massive Tudor Gothic Revival building with 400 beds was dedicated at Waverly Hills Sanatorium outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Waverly Hills had opened in 1910 as a public institution for the treatment of tuberculosis, and its patient population had quickly outgrown its early buildings. The new structure, designed by architect Arthur Loomis and the D.X. Murphy architectural firm, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

This presentation is a virtual exploration of the history and architecture of Waverly Hills Sanatorium, reconstructed in 3D using the original architectural blueprints and historical photographs. This project features both interiors and exteriors of the buildings on the grounds as they may have looked during its peak years, including many structures long since demolished. The reconstruction process has also revealed long-forgotten architectural details and design features, offering new insight into one of America’s most recognizable tuberculosis hospitals.

Andrew Mateja is an Architectural Associate from Chicago, IL, with a strong interest in historical preservation and adaptive reuse. He attended The Ohio State University and The University of Illinois-Chicago for graduate studies. In addition to architectural interests, he is an avid photographer, urban explorer, and hobbyist.

Family History Day

Date: October 17, 2026

Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person Only)

Free - Register here

Join us at the Filson for a free community event exploring personal, family, and local history. Guests will have opportunities to explore historical resources curated by Collections staff, connect with community organizations at the Resources Fair, enjoy brief presentations on topics related to research resources and avenues, and participate in activities for a variety of ages.

Theodore Sedgwick Distinguished Lecture Series – Honoring Our Legacy, Transforming Our Future: The UofL School of Medicine’s Vision for Health and Impact 

Date: October 20, 2026

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

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

Free - Register here

Presented by the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute in collaboration with the Filson Historical Society.

For nearly two centuries, the UofL School of Medicine has helped shape the health of Louisville. Join Jeffrey Bumpous, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, as he explores how that legacy continues to influence medical education, research and patient care and how it informs the future we are building together. Bumpous will share his vision for strengthening community health and ensuring the School of Medicine remains a catalyst for innovation and impact for generations to come.  

Jeffrey Bumpous has served as executive vice president for health affairs and dean for the University of Louisville School of Medicine since July 2023. He also holds the J. Samuel Bumgardner Endowed Professorship in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders at the UofL School of Medicine.

Doors open/Reception begins at 4:30 p.m.
Program: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

The History of the Cocktail

Date: October 22, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

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

What were the first cocktails and how did they get such a fanciful name? Mixed drinks have an illustrious history from ancient Persia and Colonial America to Victorian England and Jazz Age Paris. Not to mention the rinse of the modern cocktail renaissance and depictions of popular drinks in film and television. Was the Old Fashioned really invented at Louisville’s Pendennis Club? And who was the Lexington-born woman who threw the first documented cocktail party? 

Join recognized bourbon-authority, Susan Reigler for an informative and exciting walk through the bottles of time. Susan is the author of seven whiskey books including her latest, Kentucky Bourbon: The Essential Guide to the American Spirit. She is the past president of the Bourbon Women Association and the Content Director and co-creator of the American Whiskey Scholar certification program. 

Lunch at Ashbourne Farms with Dr. Mel Hankla

Date: October 30, 2026

Time: 12:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Location: Ashbourne Farms, 810 Old Westport Rd., La Grange (In Person Only)

The Filson Historical Society welcomes you to enjoy a lunch and learn session at historic Ashbourne Farms. Lunch will feature farm-inspired food stations along with a presentation with Dr. Mel Hankla, author of Into the Bluegrass – Art and Artistry of Kentucky’s Historic Icons. 

A noted historian, collector, and storyteller, Dr. Hankla will explore Kentucky’s early material culture through the craftsmanship and artistry of frontier-era weapons, bringing to life the people and stories that shaped the Commonwealth’s heritage. 

Guests will enjoy a rare opportunity to view select pieces from Dr. Hankla’s personal collection up close during this engaging and intimate program. 

Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase chances in the bourbon pull and raffle for a custom-made, historic flintlock shotgun. 

Visit the Filson

The Filson will be closed to the Public on Friday October 16th and Monday October 19th.

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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