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 […]
Looking for a fun event for your homeschool child? The Watkins Museum shares Lawrence history with homeschool students ages 5-12 every month throughout the school year. Each lesson studies a topic based on Lawrence and/or Douglas County History while spending time in the galleries and using artifacts to learn about past citizens and events. Lessons […]
Looking for a fun event for your homeschool child? The Watkins Museum shares Lawrence history with homeschool students ages 5-12 every month throughout the school year. Each lesson studies a topic based on Lawrence and/or Douglas County History while spending time in the galleries and using artifacts to learn about past citizens and events. Lessons […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
This August, a broad-based group of historians will again gather to discuss the conflict and casualties of one of the most divisive periods of American history at the Harrisonville Community Center in Harrisonville, Missouri. There, sessions will examine topics such as women on the border, slavery in Missouri, Bleeding Kansas, the occupation in Civil War […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
