The Filson Museum
The Filson's museum, located in the carriage house behind the Ferguson Mansion, is a self-guided tour through the rich and varied history of Kentucky. The artifacts from the pioneer, antebellum, Civil War, and postbellum periods of Kentucky's history currently on display include a mid-nineteenth-century firefighting hand-pumper, "Kentucky Giant" Jim Porter's seven-foot-nine-inch smoothbore musket, a genuine Kentucky "moonshine" still, Daniel Boone's legendary "Kill a Bar" tree carving, handmade quilts, and Civil War uniforms, weapons, and accoutrements. The Filson's art collection, which is displayed in the Ferguson Mansion and the museum, contains one of the most extensive collections of antebellum portraiture in Kentucky.
Like our other collections departments, we are regularly
adding to our museum holdings. A particular emphasis is our art
collection of Kentucky related portraiture, landscapes, and still
lifes.
The museum is an important resource for teachers, students,
academic researchers, and the general public. Items from its
collections are frequently loaned to museums throughout the country
for temporary exhibition.
The museum is free and open to the public Monday-Friday, 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Group tours, including schools, are available by
reservation only.
Please call (502) 635-5083 for additional information and
reservations.
If you have a question about our museum's holdings, please
contact:
James Holmberg, Curator of Special
Collections
Dr. Mark Wetherington, Director
of The Filson Historical Society
To view a sampling of historical items from The Filson's museum collection CLICK HERE.
We want to preserve your history!
If you have items that you would like to donate to The Filson, we want to hear from you. Please contact Special Collections Curator James J. Holmberg by email or at (502) 634-8846 for more information on how to donate to The Filson's collections.
