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)

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.

Image: Untitled (moored shantyboat), Harlan Hubbard, 1930s, watercolor and pencil on paper, original 8” x 5.5”, courtesy of the Caddell Collection.

Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard (Bingham Gallery) Writer, artist, and sustainability pioneer Harlan Hubbard (1900-1988) lived an unassuming life, only to find himself embedded in the historical memory of Kentucky. Based on the upcoming, comprehensive biography, Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard, this exhibition brings to life the story of a man who, though beloved by his fellow Kentuckians, deserves broad recognition in the disciplines of American landscape painting, writing, and environmental advocacy.

Upcoming Events

Camp J. Through the Years

Date: June 22, 2025

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Location: Trager Family Jewish Community Center, 3600 Dutchman's Lane, Louisville (In Person Only)

Free - Registration Required

Are you an alum of Camp Tall Trees or Ben F. Washer at Otter Creek Park? Come relive those glory days of yesteryear with this fun and nostalgic program. Even if you did not attend those camps or if you did not go to any camp, we hope you will join us for a lighthearted […]

Twenty-Five Years of Ohio Valley History: Filson Institute Roundtable

Date: June 27, 2025

Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location: The Filson Historical Society (In Person Only)

Free (Registration Required)

The Filson has offered research fellowships for decades; these fellowships provide the opportunity for scholars to do history by exploring the historical narratives available in the archives at the Filson and presenting their findings. This year we have recrafted the program to a create a more supportive environment for the fellows through a one-week cohort […]

Interested in helping the Filson’s mission to collect, preserve, and share

the history and culture of the Ohio Valley Region?

Background is image of museum storage at the Filson Historical Society. Text reads "Become a Member"

Background image of child sitting on small carriage with a goat pull them. Words read "Become a Volunteer"

Visit the Filson

The Filson will be closed on Thursday, June 19th and Friday, June 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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