Kentucky Historical Society
Join KHS for Toys, Tunes and Tales in the Museum

FRANKFORT, KY (July 13, 2009)— Beat summer boredom and join the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) for an entire week of fun-filled, family-friendly activities during Toys, Tune and Tales in the Museum!

Play around at a History Zone activity or enjoy a lively Museum Theatre performance at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort. Pick a day of events from the schedule below, or stop in every day for a variety of activities throughout the week.

Tuesday, July 14
• History Zone, 1-4 p.m.: “300 Years of Fun!”
Discover some of the games that have entertained Kentucky families for centuries.  Test your skills at 18th-century frontier quoits, 19th-century graces, and 20th-century cornhole.
• Museum Theatre, 2 p.m.: “Westward Into Kentucky:  The Journal of Daniel Trabue”
Journey through the Kentucky frontier in this auto-biographical drama about westward expansion and Native American conflicts.  (20 minutes)

Wednesday, July 15
• History Zone, 1-4 p.m.: “Handcrafted Toys”
Come play! From yarn dolls to limber jacks, experience and make some of the handmade toys that have kept Kentucky kids entertained in centuries past.
• Museum Theatre, 2 p.m.: “Jack and the Robbers”
Sit a spell and story-tell with Appalachia’s favorite folk hero Jack in this interactive and high energy performance for families.  (15 minutes)

Thursday, July 16
• History Zone, 1-4 p.m.: “Can You Yo-Yo?”
To Depression-era Kentuckians yo-yos weren’t just a toy. Get ready to thread your needle and see how you can turn scrap fabric into a 3-D yo-yo quilt!
• Museum Theatre, 2 p.m.: “Diary of the Depression:  A Day with Mary Ruth Slayton”
Visit with a hardworking farm wife and gossip about hard times, troublesome husbands and new government programs that bring the promise of change.  (15 minutes)

Friday, July 17
• History Zone, 1-4 p.m.: “Ten-Hut!”
Enlist, march and maneuver your way through the school of the soldier! Explore combat gear, test your 1860s knowledge and make your own wigwag flag.
• Museum Theatre, 2 p.m.: “Look for My Picture:  Raising the Flag with Franklin Sousley”
Raise the flag during World War II and share the story of a Kentucky boy who became a part of an American icon.  (15 minutes)

Saturday, July 18
• History Zone, 1-4 p.m.: “Luthier-made Music”
Discover the craftsmanship of stringed instrument makers. Be creative as you construct and decorate your own instrument made from everyday household items.
• Museum Theatre, 1 and 3 p.m.: “Tomb of Love and Honor:  The Murder of Solomon Sharpe”
Unmask the mystery of murder and intrigue with this tale of the notorious 1826 Beauchamp/Sharp tragedy.  Join us at the Old State Capitol as we present this story in the style of a Greek tragedy set in the “Athens of the West.” (15 minutes)

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future.  KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.   Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors.   For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.