Welcome

Thanks for joining our mailing list! Here’s what is happening at the Filson:

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)

Bustles To Blue Jeans: Highlights from the Filson’s Fashion Archive (Bingham Gallery) The Filson’s clothing collection contains over 5,000 objects from as early as the 1810s worn for every occasion. This April, we’re opening the closets wide with this new exhibit. We’ll be showing off some of our most unusual, storied, and beautiful garments.

Upcoming Events

Theodore Sedgwick Distinguished Lecture Series – Celebrating America on its 250th Birthday

Date: March 17, 2026

Time: 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society, 1310 S. 3rd St., Louisville (Hybrid)

Free - Reservations Required

Presented by the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute in collaboration with the Filson Historical Society. As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary this summer, join Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, President & CEO of Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution, for an exploration of the Museum’s award-winning exhibitions and programs from […]

The Gertrude Polk Brown Lecture Series – Awakening the Spirit

Date: March 31, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Location: Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 W. Main St., Louisville

awakening-the-spirit-of-america-9781639366675_hr

The Filson kicks off our 2026 Gertrude Polk Brown Lecture Series with Paul Sparrow discussing his latest work, Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR’s War of Words with Charles Lindbergh. This amazing new book brings to life a largely forgotten but crucial moment in American history where the very existence of our democracy hung in […]

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the history and culture of the Ohio Valley Region?

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Visit the Filson

The Filson will be closed to the Public on Friday, March 20th.

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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