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Watkins Building Print Contest!
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 […]
Tiny Tours: Life in a Cabin: Small Living
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesEach 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 […]
Homeschool History II (Ages 11-16)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesJoin 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. Time: 10:30-11:30 AM Enrollment: Students may enroll for the entire school year, or they may enrollmonthly. You […]
Poster Sale
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesWe're holding a poster sale! We have deaccessioned duplicate copies of posters and other archival materials already in the museum’s collections and several posters unrelated to Douglas County history. All proceeds from sales of these items will go toward the Watkins Acquisitions and Conservation Fund. The fund will be used to purchase materials for the […]
Homeschool History I (Ages 5-10)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesJoin 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 […]
Online Talk: How Do You Conserve a Cemetery?
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 […]
Lawrence Poetry Fair
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesThe 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] […]
Free
Walking Tour: Founders of Oak Hill Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery 1605 Oak Hill Ave, Lawrence, KansasLeslie 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. […]
Watkins Summer Games!
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesWatkins 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 […]
Free
African Americans in Oak Hill Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery 1605 Oak Hill Ave, Lawrence, KansasJeanne 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 […]
Primary Candidates Forum
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States
The East Bottoms: A Landscape History of Lawrence’s Red-Light District
Cider Gallery 810 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesJoin 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 […]
$100
Downtown through the Decades Walking Tour: July 13
200 W 9th Street Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesDowntown 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 […]
$15 – $20
Primary Candidates Forum
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesAJ Griffin & Mary Carroll: A Pioneer Partnership, 1867-1907
Cider Gallery 810 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesJoin 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 […]
$100
Downtown through the Decades Walking Tour: July 20
200 W 9th Street Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesDowntown 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 […]
$15 – $20
48StateTour: Oak Hill Cemetery
Oak Hill Cemetery 1605 Oak Hill Ave, Lawrence, KansasOur Sewers, Ourselves: Everyday Life in the Open Sewers of Early Lawrence
Cider Gallery 810 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesJoin 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 […]
$100
Downtown through the Decades Walking Tour: July 27
200 W 9th Street Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesDowntown 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 […]
$15 – $20
Red Cross Blood Drive
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesYour 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 […]
Free
Not in My Backyard: 50 Years of Defending East Lawrence
Cider Gallery 810 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesJoin 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 […]
$100
Lawrence Print Contest!
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesYour 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 […]
$10 – $20
Quantrill’s Raid Walking Tours
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesStep 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, […]
$20 – $30
Civil War on the Border
Now in its 29th year, Civil War on the Border is Lawrence’s largest annual history event. This year’s theme is the Civil War in art. We’ll have special exhibits, talks with distinguished historians, bus and walking tours, and a display of the "Watkins Mystery Flag." Tickets for paid events are available via the links below. […]
Curator’s Challenge: Quantrill’s Raid & the Watkins Mystery Flag
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 Kansas Save the Flags Project
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesAbout 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 […]
Free
Zouaves: The Civil War’s Most Colorful Soldiers
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 […]
Free
Presentation by Eric Smallwood: Men’s Summer Clothing in the 1860s
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesOur 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
Bleeding Kansas Bus Tours
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesThe 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 […]
$30 – $35
Danger & Glory: The Life of a Civil War Soldier
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesOver 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
Homeschool History: I am a Story
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Our first topic of the year will be "I am a Story" (personal and community storytelling). Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. […]
The Write Bridge Author Expo
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesThis program will be held in-person and also livestreamed on the Watkins Museum Facebook and YouTube.
Free
Hands-On History: Building a Conversation
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Watkins Tiny Tours: Artifacts All Around
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesTiny 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
Homeschool History: Journeys in Journaling
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]
Creeping Glaciers and Ancient Oceans: The Geologic Story of Douglas County
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesDid 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
Hands-On History: Saving the Last Word
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Unsung Olympians: Behind the Scenes at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesThe 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
Homeschool History: Symbolism in Storytelling
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]
Book Talk with Dr. Bob Dinsdale: “Massachusetts Street”
Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop 804 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas, United StatesMass 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
Hands-On History: Personal Identity
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Liberating Lawrence: Gay Activism in the 1970s at KU
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesAuthor 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
Featured
Watkins Museum Town Hall
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesFounded 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 […]
The Merc Exhibit Reception
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesStop 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
Homeschool History: Holiday (Halloween) Storytelling
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]
Teachers’ Night at the Watkins Museum
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States
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 StatesIn 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 StatesOur biggest event of the year returns! Drop by the museum for trick-or-treating and a ghostly scavenger hunt with prizes.
Free
Watkins Museum AFTER DARK!
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United States
$15 – $20
Hands-On History: Identity & Names
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Homeschool History: Sharing Stories Together (Indigenous Peoples’ Month/Oral Tradition)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]
Hands-On History: Community Identity
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Annual Members’ Meeting
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesMuseum 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 […]
$15
The Bowersock Mills and Power Co. 150th Anniversary Friendsgiving
500 S Powerhouse Rd Lawrence, KansasOur 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.
Free
Hands-On History: Connecting to the Past, Part 1
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Watkins Tiny Tours: Stories Lead the Way (Maps)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesTiny 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
Tails & Traditions Holiday Festival
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesOne of our most popular events returns! Bring the kids inside for holiday-themed crafts and activities, including the famous WATKINS HOBBY HORSES and the return of a new favorite, the Ellie on the Shelf scavenger hunt. Then grab seats outside to watch the Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade.
Free
Homeschool History: Making Stories Stick (Indigenous Peoples’ Month/Oral Tradition)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]
Hands-On History: Connecting to the Past, Part 2
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesHands-On History is a project-based educational program for middle and high school students aged 11 – 16 years. The program is cumulative and offers students the opportunity to create a unique exhibit display for summer 2025 in the Watkins Community Gallery. Content and lessons are adapted from the Facing History & Ourselves curriculum, and designed […]
Watkins Tiny Tours: Snapshot Stories (Photography)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesTiny 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
Homeschool History: Snapshot Storytelling (Photography)
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]
Homeschool History: Movie Magic
Watkins Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS, United StatesBring your kids age 5-10 for a class based on local history! Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multisubject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop off program. Class registrations may be purchased by the school year, September to May, or for individual classes. […]