Travel back to the thrilling days of the Civil War on this popular bus tour! A Watkins Museum historian will show you sites and stories from William Quantrill's devastating raid on Lawrence in 1863--a defining event in the city's history. Sponsored by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department. Qualify for discount tickets by becoming a […]
Join former board members, staff, and supporters of The Willow Domestic Violence Center for an inaugural event celebrating the month-long exhibit The Willow In Lawrence: A 45-Year History. Learn about The Willow from the folks who helped make it happen over the years. Part of the Lawrence 1970s Project. Friday, August 26, 5:30pm - 7:00 pm
Wunderbar! Lawrence Oktoberfest is finally back, and Watkins staff will be on hand with family activities. We'll have coloring, Turner exercises, a sheet of German phrases, a guide to researching German ancestry, exhibit panels about the Lawrence Turnverein, and a root beet stein hoist for kids! Get your tickets at this link.
Our popular genealogy classes are back! Genealogy expert Alisa Branham will provide clear guidance on how to start and organize your family history research, along with advice on which DNA tests are best for beginners. A handout will be provided, including a list of great how-to books, helpful videos and links to various online resources. […]
Spend an eerie evening at VIBE in Downtown Lawrence playing trivia amongst friends! The trivia game will include six rounds of questions ranging from local folklore to general Halloween and Fall knowledge. It will be a fun and frightening time! Teams must be 3-5 people. A cash bar will be available. The $25.00 fee covers […]
Federal and state census records are filled with useful information for genealogists. Understanding how to interpret and analyze these records is a key skill for building your family tree and learning more about the context of your ancestors’ lives. Alisa Branham's class presentation will show various census examples, including the recently released 1950 US Census; […]
Due to the success of our January 10 Genealogy + Local History Spotlight, we're hosting another one! Researching your house’s history, delving into genealogy, or exploring Kansas’s storied past? Join us to get acquainted with resources for digging into local and family history. Meet Lawrence Public Library staff at the Watkins Museum for an introduction […]
German genealogy research is so complicated, expert researcher Alisa Branham will cover this topic in multiple classes. This introductory class will cover basics and the particular challenges of German history and genealogy record such as locating your ancestors, changing political boundaries, terminology, and reading old German script. A useful handout (or two!) will provided to […]
German genealogy research is so complicated, expert researcher Alisa Branham will cover this topic in multiple classes. This introductory class will cover basics and the particular challenges of German history and genealogy record such as locating your ancestors, changing political boundaries, terminology, and reading old German script. A useful handout (or two!) will provided to […]
DNA is a powerful tool for genealogy research, helpful for confirming your ancestry or identifying family members in situations like adoption. In this class, genealogy expert Alisa Branham will cover the various companies with a primary focus on AncestryDNA, and we will illustrate how to work with the “matches” to your family tree. Case studies […]
In this special three-part exhibit, audiences will encounter the harrowing experiences of Kansans in WWI using first-hand accounts, artifacts, and interactives. The ticketed experience features the traveling exhibit, Life in the Trenches, developed by the Smoky Hill Museum in Salina, KS, with two additional artifact-rich exhibits, How the War Was Told: Propaganda in WWI and Roll of Honor: The […]
Join local historian Jeanne Klein for a tour of historic Oak Hill Cemetery. Jeanne will draw on her years of research to present this new tour on Black Civil War Veterans. The tour will start in section 1 and travel throughout the other historic parts of the cemetery. Please park and meet along the south […]
IMPORTANT UPDATE: All seats have been reserved. Add your name to the waiting list here. Part of the Lawrence Juneteenth Celebration: a new bus tour developed by the Watkins Museum of History. Join us as we travel to three historic sites in Lawrence and learn stories of heroism and tragedy from Lawrence's early days as an […]
Update: This tour is sold out. Thank you for your interest! What was it like living in Lawrence during the New Deal and the Great Depression? As we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Douglas County Historical Society, we invite you to join us on a journey of historical discovery down Mass Street. Experience events […]
Join us at the Lawrence Arts Center for a screening of the critically acclaimed film 1917. SCHEDULE 12:30 pm | Doors Open 1 pm | Opening Remarks from Watkins Museum of History 1:15 pm | Showtime ADMISSION Tickets are $5 Ticket holders will be eligible for $5 member's rate tickets to the Watkins Museum exhibition On […]
In these two unique and separate walking tours, participants will learn about the cemetery's connection to the Civil War era and the people buried there. Hosted by Lawrence Parks and Recreation. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Part of Civil War on the Border, Douglas County's largest annual heritage festival for 28 years. Black Civic Leaders […]
Women played crucial roles leading up to, during, and after the destruction of Quantrill's Raid on Lawrence. Learn the heroic, fascinating stories of Sara Robinson, Jetta Dix, and several other important local women in this unique bus tour led by the Watkins Museum's Natalie Vondrak. The bus loads at the 11th Street entrance of the […]
Update: This class is sold out. Thank you for your interest. The first class in our 2023-24 genealogy series. First offered in 2019, this topic is very popular! The presentation will include a large handout listing many online and video resources so you can continue learning after the class. Space is limited; please register in […]
This walk through downtown Lawrence lets us learn about the early entrepreneurs, architects, social and business leaders who laid the foundation for our city. Just for good measure we'll add a dash of 1863 and 1970 history as well. Our guide is Dr. Bob Dinsdale, local Lawrence history aficionado and tour leader. This tour will […]
Enjoy a night of music, pizza, and history at Juniper Hill Farm. All proceeds will benefit the stained-glass window restoration project at the Watkins Museum of History. The project will focus on restoring the three stained-glass windows in the main stair hall, which are an impressive original feature of the Watkins Building and have never […]
Join us at Liberty Hall on December 4, 2024, for a special screening of Television Event followed by a 40th anniversary reunion Q&A featuring The Day After’s cast and crew both in-person and virtually including: - Actor, Steve Guttenberg- TDA Director, Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)- TDA Producer, Bob Papazian (Rome, […]
Our October 14 class has sold out, so we're offering it again! First offered in 2019, this topic is very popular. The presentation will include a large handout listing many online and video resources so you can continue learning after the class. Space is limited; please register in advance. Registration is $15 for Watkins members, […]
Enter for a chance to win a piece of Lawrence history! This framed blueprint of the Watkins Building was created by the Historic American Buildings Survey ca. 1960-1975. The framed print measures 27.5" x 21.5". Tickets are $5 each or three for $10. Enter as many times as you'd like. The winner will be drawn […]
Leslie Beesley of the Oak Hill Cemetery Committee will present her popular walking tour of this Lawrence landmark site and the people responsible for creating it. The tour will begin from the Citizens Monument to the victims of Quantrill's Raid. All ticket proceeds will go toward the committee's work to preserve and beautify Oak Hill. […]
Jeanne Klein will lead a walking tour of prominent African Americans buried in old Section 5 at Oak Hill Cemetery. Sites will include civil rights advocates, attorneys, policemen, business owners, church ministers, elementary school teachers, and other occupations. The tour will begin at the Langston’s family plot on the far eastern side of old Section […]
Join us on Wednesdays in July as Bon Bon holds East Lawrence History Salons at the Cider Gallery, featuring Dennis Domer and guests. Chef Simon Bates and Codi Bates have planned inspired evenings of food, drink, and conversation while raising funds to support the Embattled Lawrence book series. This is a continuation of the first […]
Downtown Through the Decades: Exploring Lawrence's Evolution Through Architecture is a roughly 60-minute walking tour of downtown Lawrence that highlights historic architecture hidden among the storefronts and brick buildings downtown. The tour reveals a glimpse into several distinct eras of Lawrence's past. Your tour guide will be history teacher Andrew Morris. Tours meet outside the front […]
Join us on Wednesdays in July as Bon Bon holds East Lawrence History Salons at the Cider Gallery, featuring Dennis Domer and guests. Chef Simon Bates and Codi Bates have planned inspired evenings of food, drink, and conversation while raising funds to support the Embattled Lawrence book series. This is a continuation of the first […]
Downtown Through the Decades: Exploring Lawrence's Evolution Through Architecture is a roughly 60-minute walking tour of downtown Lawrence that highlights historic architecture hidden among the storefronts and brick buildings downtown. The tour reveals a glimpse into several distinct eras of Lawrence's past. Your tour guide will be history teacher Andrew Morris. Tours meet outside the front […]
Join us on Wednesdays in July as Bon Bon holds East Lawrence History Salons at the Cider Gallery, featuring Dennis Domer and guests. Chef Simon Bates and Codi Bates have planned inspired evenings of food, drink, and conversation while raising funds to support the Embattled Lawrence book series. This is a continuation of the first […]
Downtown Through the Decades: Exploring Lawrence's Evolution Through Architecture is a roughly 60-minute walking tour of downtown Lawrence that highlights historic architecture hidden among the storefronts and brick buildings downtown. The tour reveals a glimpse into several distinct eras of Lawrence's past. Your tour guide will be history teacher Andrew Morris. Tours meet outside the front […]
Join us on Wednesdays in July as Bon Bon holds East Lawrence History Salons at the Cider Gallery, featuring Dennis Domer and guests. Chef Simon Bates and Codi Bates have planned inspired evenings of food, drink, and conversation while raising funds to support the Embattled Lawrence book series. This is a continuation of the first […]
Your chance to own a beautiful piece of Lawrence history! This reproduction print is an early depiction of Lawrence, Kansas, in 1854-55. The framed and matted print measures 41.5 x 29". Tickets are $10 or 3 for $20. Enter as many times as you'd like. All ticket proceeds will go toward the Watkins Collections and […]
Step back in time to the thrilling, terrifying days of the Civil War. Local historian John Jewell will lead you on a downtown walking tour of sites and stories from William Quantrill's devastating raid on Lawrence in 1863, a defining event in the city's history. Tour goers get a free information packet full of maps, […]
Here is your chance to experience Quantrill's Raid in art, view a rarely seen artifact, and think like a museum curator! Get your tickets here or pay at the door. Art historian and Watkins Director Steve Nowak will provide a behind-the-scenes look at Art of Tragedy: Depictions of Quantrill's Raid. Additionally, you'll be able to view […]
The Watkins Museum offers an exciting way to experience the history of early Kansas! In this unique tour, you'll explore sites in Lawrence that witnessed the stirring events of Bleeding Kansas. This tour involves stopping and walking at three different locations. Those wishing to remain on the bus may do so. Sponsored by the Lawrence […]
Museum members are invited to our annual meeting. Our theme this year is "Looking Forward." The Watkins turns 50 next April and we want to launch the festivities early! Join us for a night of community and conversation. We'll have the business meeting at 5:45, followed by engagement activities from 6:30-8 PM, including exploration of […]
