This summer, the Watkins Museum is offering a new program for Douglas County students who have just finished kindergarten through fifth grade in the latest school year. In June, July, and August students are invited to the Watkins Museum to pick up a Pocket History Packet! Each packet will direct them to find an artifact or […]
School’s Out! Want to have fun and see some cool stuff with your friends? Then stop by the Watkins to participate in our newest program What’s That? Wednesdays. Every Wednesday in June and July, Education Assistants Riley and Brittney will staff a cart full of artifacts that children can examine, touch, and hold! Talk with Riley […]
Join us at the Lawrence Public Library as we turn back the clock with an entertaining showcase of short films made in Lawrence! No tickets are needed. About the films: Part of the Free State Festival and the Lawrence 1970s Project.
School’s Out! Want to have fun and see some cool stuff with your friends? Then stop by the Watkins to participate in our newest program What’s That? Wednesdays. Every Wednesday in June and July, Education Assistants Riley and Brittney will staff a cart full of artifacts that children can examine, touch, and hold! Talk with Riley […]
School’s Out! Want to have fun and see some cool stuff with your friends? Then stop by the Watkins to participate in our newest program What’s That? Wednesdays. Every Wednesday in June and July, Education Assistants Riley and Brittney will staff a cart full of artifacts that children can examine, touch, and hold! Talk with Riley […]
School’s Out! Want to have fun and see some cool stuff with your friends? Then stop by the Watkins to participate in our newest program What’s That? Wednesdays. Every Wednesday in June and July, Education Assistants Riley and Brittney will staff a cart full of artifacts that children can examine, touch, and hold! Talk with Riley […]
Join us at the Lawrence Public Library for a unique presentation by Prof. James J. Heiman of Metropolitan Community College, Blue River. Selected, written, and sent by soldiers and civilians during the Great War, postcards discovered today in shoe boxes scattered about the vendor booths of antique malls tell authentic stories of unique moments in […]
Join us in celebrating the highly-anticipated book Embattled Lawrence Vol. 2 at Merchants Pub & Plate on Tuesday, August 15. The Raven Book Store will be selling copies of the limited printed edition for $40 during the event. All book proceeds will go to the Watkins Museum.
How did food production and scarcities change the course of history during the American Civil War? Join us for a live online discussion with renowned historian R. Douglas Hurt, author of numerous books, who will address these topics and answer your questions. Part of Civil War on the Border, Douglas County’s largest annual heritage festival for […]
Join us at the Watkins for the most moving, important event of Civil War on the Border. After a reading by Anthony Boynton, writer and member of B.L.A.C.K. Lawrence, community leaders will read the names of known raid victims. This will be followed with a talk by historian Fred Whitehead on "The Union Cause in […]
Join us at the Watkins for this free screening, a partnership with the I'm So Glad Project and the Lawrence Branch NAACP. From its pre-Civil War roots to today, Kansas City's unique style of gospel music has influenced every other genre of American music. And it has sustained the people with its positive message: "I'm […]
We invite you to join us for a unique two-part program: We'll mark the opening of our exhibit about the postwar lives of Vietnam veterans with discussions involving Hang Le-Tormala, author of Postwar Journeys: American and Vietnamese Transnational Peace Efforts since 1975, and veterans John Musgrave, David Hann, and John Solbach about their postwar experiences. […]
Help Anamcara Press celebrate the release of their first print journal The Write Bridge: Perilous and Playful, at the Watkins!In addition to celebrating contributing authors and artists, they will introduce you to featured author David Hann and his new book, Bluebirds to Tikal, Stories of Fun, Fear, and Folly.The Summer 2023 edition of The Write Bridge […]
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Life, liberty, and the struggle for America. Join us as we partner with director Bob Hurst on a free screening of his acclaimed documentary, Garden City, Kansas. The film is a gripping exploration of life in a majority-immigrant town, a domestic terrorist plot that threatened the community, and the nature of pluralism in America. Tickets […]
Margie Carr’s Kansas City’s Montgall Avenue: Black Leaders and the Street They Called Home is the extraordinary, century-old history of one city block whose residents shaped the changing status of Black people in Kansas City and built the social and economic institutions that supported the city’s Black community during the first half of the twentieth century. This single […]
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Senator Preston B. Plumb is little known today, but in his lifetime he was a legend. Plumb smuggled guns for the Free State movement, pursued Quantrill's raiders, and served Kansas in the U.S. Congress. Join us for a talk with author Johanna D. Wickman about her new book, The Forgotten Senator: The Life and Character […]
Experience the Battle of Black Jack in a walking tour led by legendary 19th century abolitionist John Brown (AKA local historian Kerry Altenbernd). The tour will involve an explanation of the events leading up to the battle, a breakdown of the battle, and a walk through prairie grass paths, so please dress accordingly. Part of Civil […]
Haunting Humanities--the one-of-a-kind series of presentations, activities, games, and performances during the spooky season--returns to Abe & Jake's! For Haunting Humanities 2023, the Watkins will partner with Bleeding Kansas living historians. Step back in time to join the Fight for Freedom. In 1855, the Wakarusa War began the armed fights over whether to make Kansas […]
Our biggest event of the year returns! Drop by the museum for trick-or-treating and a ghostly scavenger hunt with prizes.
A controversial character largely known (as depicted in the movie Glory) as a Union colonel who led Black soldiers in the Civil War, James Montgomery waged a far more personal and radical war against slavery than popular history suggests. It is the true story of this militant abolitionist that Todd Mildfelt and David D. Schafer tell […]
Help the Oak Hill Cemetery Committee cleanup historic Oak Hill cemetery by picking up sticks and trash, and raking leaves. Please bring your own rakes, gloves, and hand rakes. Bags will be provided. Dress accordingly and please bring water. About the Oak Hill Cemetery Committee: In 2022, the Douglas County Historical Society, which manages the […]
Don't miss your chance to meet bestselling author Tom Clavin as he discusses his latest book, The Last Outlaws: The Desperate Final Days of the Dalton Gang. Copies will be available for purchase and author signing courtesy of our partners at the Raven Bookstore! This event will be held in-person at the Watkins and also […]
Join us in South Park for a time traveling adventure! In December 1855, the Wakarusa War began the violent struggle over whether Kansas would become a free or a slave state, and it happened right under our feet, on ground we walk every day. Nearly 800 Kansans responded to the defense of Lawrence, threatened by […]
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
In connection with our exhibit Bundle Up: Battling the Cold in 1850s Kansas, the Watkins is partnering with the Ballard Center on a winter clothing drive. During our open hours, 10 AM-4 PM Tuesday through Saturday, stop by the Watkins to donate coats, hats, and other winter clothing items for community members in need.
What did settlers wear to survive the harsh winters of 1850s Kansas? In this public talk, Eric Smallwood, 19th-century men's fashion historian and tailor, will use images, historical accounts, and original pieces from the collection of the Merchant Tailor Museum to address this topic. This event will be held in-person and also livestreamed on our Facebook and YouTube. […]
We invite you to the Watkins for the annual celebration of famed Kansas poet William Stafford. This drop-in event features readings by area Kansas and Missouri poets.
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Join us at the Watkins Museum for classes based on Lawrence and/or Douglas County History. Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multi-subject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop-off program. Students can be enrolled for Tuesday or Friday classes. Time: 10:30-11:30 AM Enrollment: Students may enroll for […]
In connection with our exhibit Soldiers Return: Coming Home from Vietnam, former US Marine Pat Donahue has generously agreed to give a short gallery talk discussing his life during and after the war and the items he loaned to the exhibit. This event will be free to the public but space is limited and registration required.
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
The Oak Hill Cemetery Committee invites you to help with spring cleanup! Volunteers will assist with raking leaves and picking up branches and trash. The committee will provide leaf bags. We ask volunteers to wear work clothes and bring leaf rakes, hand trimmers, hand rakes, and loppers. To volunteer, email [email protected]
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Stories for All: A Digital Storytelling Project for the Twenty-First Century brings together over forty Kansas-based partner projects dedicated to gathering marginalized and suppressed histories, interconnecting them, and sharing them widely through digital media. Open to the public and featuring a wide array of interactive presentations, exhibits, film screenings, and more, the Stories For All Festival […]
Join us as historian Jeanne Klein speaks about Jennie Brooks (1853-1934), a local woman who studied plants and wildlife, published widely on them, and was one of the first observers of Monarch butterfly migrations. The talk will be held in person and livestreamed on the Watkins Museum Facebook and YouTube. This event is part of […]
The City of Lawrence and the Watkins Museum invite you to the annual Lawrence Earth Day Fair! This free event will happen in South Park and feature lots of earth-friendly crafts and activities for you and your family. The "price of admission" is one used can for Cans for the Community or an item of […]
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Join us on the Watkins Facebook and YouTube as we talk with Lucinda Linderman, Sculpture Conservator with Pacific Coast Conservators, and Kerry Altenbernd of the Oak Hill Cemetery Committee about the do's and don'ts of conserving cemeteries and gravestones for the education and memorialization of ourselves and future generations. This event is a partnership with […]
The 11th annual Lawrence Poetry Fair will be hosted at the Watkins. Poets and poetry aficionados, lovers of spring and dancing in the rain among flowers, please join us as we celebrate the sweet song of poetry. If you care to share your Voice, please message Ronda Miller of the Kansas Authors Club at [email protected] […]
Watkins Summer Games are back! Every Wednesday in June and July, bring your kids age 10 and under to the museum for super fun games, crafts, and dances. AND you can enter a drawing to win a $50 gift card to The Toy Store! The theme for each Wednesday will be a different state from […]
Your local American Red Cross is in urgent need of blood donations. Step up and save lives! The Watkins will host a blood drive on Tuesday, July 30. To make your lifesaving appointment, download and use the Blood Donor App, call 800-RED-CROSS, or visit RedCrossBlood.org.All donors receive a Fandango Movie Ticket code via email good […]
About 75 flags from Kansas' involvement in the Civil War are in the collections of the Kansas Historical Society. Tattered and torn, these irreplaceable pieces of Kansas' past need your help. Boone Dodson, KHS curator, will speak on the long-running project to Save the Flags. Most flags in the collection represent various Kansas regiments, but […]
In their new book Zouave Theaters: Transnational Military Fashion and Performance, Carol E. Harrison and Thomas J. Brown chart the rise and fall of the Zouave uniform, the nineteenth century’s most important military fashion fad for men and women on both sides of the Atlantic. Originating in French colonial Algeria, Zouave fashion spread to America in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
This program will be held in-person and also livestreamed on the Watkins Museum Facebook and YouTube.
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]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Founded in 1975, the Watkins will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in spring 2025. Join us as we engage in a conversation about how the Watkins Museum can continue to be a welcoming space for local history, educational programming, and independent research while evolving to meet the needs of the growing Douglas County community. Refreshments […]
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!
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 […]
Our biggest event of the year returns! Drop by the museum for trick-or-treating and a ghostly scavenger hunt with prizes.
Our friends at the Bowersock Mills and Power Co. are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year! Join us at the Bowersock South Powerhouse for live music by Lyle Griggs, light food and libations, and tours of both powerhouses. This event is free but advance registration is requested.
