Presentation by Eric Smallwood: Men’s Summer Clothing in the 1860s

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Our annual memorial service for the victims of Quantrill's Raid will be followed by a new presentation by clothing historian and tailor Eric Smallwood. Using original pieces from the collection of the Merchant Tailor Museum, Eric will discuss the evolution of menswear during the mid-1800s. This talk will be a follow-up to his highly popular […]

Free

Online Talk with Shae Smith Cox: The Fabric of Civil War Society

Military uniforms, badges, flags, and other material objects have been used to represent the identity of Americans throughout history. In her new book The Fabric of Civil War Society, Shae Smith Cox examines the material culture of America’s bloodiest conflict, offering a deeper understanding of the war and its commemoration. Join us on the Watkins Museum […]

Free

Danger & Glory: The Life of a Civil War Soldier

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Over three million Americans served in the Civil War, including twenty thousand Kansans. Join us in-person and online as historian Will Haynes tells stories of the adventures and harsh realities of soldier's lives. This presentation will quote from soldiers' eyewitness accounts and also feature original Civil War artifacts from the Watkins collection. This event is […]

Free

The Write Bridge Author Expo

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

This program will be held in-person and also livestreamed on the Watkins Museum Facebook and YouTube.

Free

Watkins Tiny Tours: Artifacts All Around

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Tiny Tours is a popular, free museum series for kids age 3-5 and their grownups. Activities offer a play-based approach to learning and include stories, crafting, and more! Register your child by contacting Education Coordinator Shannon Hodges at [email protected]

Free

Creeping Glaciers and Ancient Oceans: The Geologic Story of Douglas County

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Did you know you can find fossils just by walking through downtown?  Learn this and more with Andy Connolly, educator at the Kansas Geological Survey, who will talk about the geology of Douglas County. This presentation will cover ancient oceans, glaciers, and ice age mammals (and a little bit of architecture to boot).  You'll also […]

Free

Unsung Olympians: Behind the Scenes at the 1984 Summer Olympics

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

The Olympic Games celebrate athletic achievement and international cooperation. But the Olympics could never happen without the dedication of thousands of people helping to make the athletes shine. Join us for a special gallery talk with two unsung Olympians, Ann Frame Hertzog and David Rankin. As Athletics Personnel Coordinator and as a member of the […]

Free

Book Talk with Dr. Bob Dinsdale: “Massachusetts Street”

Lawrence Public Library 707 Vermont St.

The Lawrence Public Library is pleased to host a book launch of "Massachusetts Street" by Lawrence physician and founder of lawrencehistorytours.com, Dr. Bob Dinsdale, in partnership with the Watkins Museum. Bob spent a year collecting photos and stories about Mass Street, the heart of Lawrence, where we all gather to celebrate, campaign, and complain! Covering the […]

Free

Book Talk with Dr. Bob Dinsdale: “Massachusetts Street”

Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop 804 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas, United States

Mass Street has been the heart of Lawrence since its founding in 1854. This is the place to be, the place where people live, shop, parade, protest, and be themselves! Join us at Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop for a talk with Dr. Bob Dinsdale, author of the newly published Massachusetts Street. Filled with photographs […]

Free

Liberating Lawrence: Gay Activism in the 1970s at KU

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Author Kathy Rose-Mockry will speak on the subject of her new book. Liberating Lawrence tells the first-hand story of the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front (LGLF), a KU student organization that began in 1970. Having conducted sixty-seven interviews with people who were involved at the time, Rose-Mockry focuses on the group’s early formative years between the founding […]

Free

The Merc Exhibit Reception

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Stop by to view our collaborative exhibit 50 Years of Cooperation: The History of The Merc Co+op and enjoy a photo slideshow and refreshments provided by The Merc!

Free

Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

In June 1863, Harriet Tubman ventured into the heart of slave territory in South Carolina to carry out one of the most daring and extraordinary missions of the Civil War. Join us at the Watkins for a special author event. In her new book Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the […]

Free

Halloween at the Watkins

Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States

Our biggest event of the year returns! Drop by the museum for trick-or-treating and a ghostly scavenger hunt with prizes.

Free