Join us on the Watkins Museum YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter as we chat with historian Frank Van Nuys about his fascinating book, Varmints and Victims: Predator Control in the American […]
Drop by the museum to view exciting local history exhibits, including From Then to Now: A Student History of Haskell Indian Nations University and Creatures From the Vault: Animal-Themed Artifacts […]
Share your story at the next History Harvest for the Oak Hill Cemetery Potter's Field Remembrance Project. If you have a story, photograph, document, etc. about the potter’s field or […]
Join us as we celebrate an exceptional Lawrence woman and the new biography written about her. In the engaging new book The Life and Legacy of Elizabeth Miller Watkins: A […]
Join us for the family-friendly Trails that Connect Us event! Come to the Free State Brewing Bottling Facility on the Burroughs Creek Trail Loop section, located at 1927 Moodie Rd., […]
Drawing from archival sources and oral histories, author Thomas Grillot demonstrates how the relationship between Native American tribes and the United States was reinvented in the years following World War […]
Through a grant from Humanities Kansas, the Munsee Tribe in Kansas has embarked on “Niiloona Munsiiw: We Are Munsee,” a cultural preservation project and series of events that will protect […]
Join us at the Outdoor Aquatic Center as KU graduate student Maggie Brown-Peoples details her research into the issues around the creation of Lawrence’s first integrated swimming pool. From the […]
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 […]
Tiny Tours are a once-a-month program for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. The tour focuses on an interactive and a hands-on activities based on Lawrence history. Tour activities […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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: […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Enter for a chance to win a piece of Lawrence history! This reproduction print of 1859 Lawrence has been custom matted and framed by Framewoods Gallery using antique wood from […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Join us in the Watkins Museum's Community Room for a book sale! After completing the archives and research room renovation in 2022, staff conducted an inventory into the materials stored […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In this new class, we'll explore this powerful, free website. We'll discuss how to navigate the site to find additional family members and how to collaborate with others by adding […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Since 2020, the Watkins Museum has hosted a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1970s. Events related to the 1970s will be hosted throughout the city until […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
A great activity for kids up to age 10. Every Saturday at the Watkins is Scavenger Hunt Saturday: Drop by the museum to search for objects around the building and […]
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 […]
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 […]
Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies in the US. We want to help you get started! Our resident genealogist, Alisa Branham, has been teaching classes at the Watkins […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
We'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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
This program will be held in-person and also livestreamed on the Watkins Museum Facebook and YouTube.
Hands-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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
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 […]
Hands-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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
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! […]
Hands-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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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!
Bring 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 […]
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. […]
Our biggest event of the year returns! Drop by the museum for trick-or-treating and a ghostly scavenger hunt with prizes.
Hands-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 […]
Bring 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 […]
Hands-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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hands-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 […]
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 […]
One 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 […]
Bring 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 […]
Hands-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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
Bring 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 […]
Bring 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 […]
Bring 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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
Bring 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 […]
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 […]
Bring 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 […]
