Kentucky Historical Society
Museum Day Means Free Admission to the Public

Frankfort, KY (Sept. 16, 2009)— The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) history campus will offer free admission to the public on Smithsonian Museum Day, Saturday, Sept. 26.

Visitors will enjoy free admission to the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and the Old State Capitol, both located in Frankfort. Museum Day is a one-day nationwide event where participating museums and cultural institutions across the country offer free admission.  Go to the Smithsonian Magazine’s Web site at www.smithsonianmagazine.com/museumday to download a Museum Day admission card. Present this card at the KHS history campus and enjoy free admission on Sept. 26.

At the Center for Kentucky History, visitors will be able to explore two exciting exhibitions, “A Kentucky Journey” and “Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers.” Guests can put themselves in the shoes of Kentuckians who lived through both struggles and triumphs, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, when they explore “A Kentucky Journey.” “Made to be Played” is a temporary exhibition that highlights the stories of Kentucky luthiers—people who make or repair stringed instruments.  Featured instruments include guitars, fiddles, banjos, dulcimers, mandolins and others.

History campus visitors will also be able to take a trip through time in “Great Revivals: Kentucky Decorative Arts Treasures,” an exhibition at the Old State Capitol that highlights five stylistic designs eras and the commonwealth’s treasures from those times. Artifacts featured in the exhibition illustrate the evolution of decorative styles and the changing tastes of nineteenth-century Kentuckians.

The KHS history campus also includes the Kentucky Military History Museum at the Old State Arsenal, which is currently closed for renovation.

Smithsonian Museum Day coincides with “Made to be Played at the Old State Capitol,” a day of food, hands-on activities, family history and music. The event, which runs from 1 to 11 p.m., includes concerts by The Kentucky Headhunters and The Northern Kentucky Brotherhood.  The day-long festivities mark the close of the “Made to be Played” exhibition at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and the birthday of legendary Kentucky luthier Homer Ledford. The event is sponsored by the Kentucky Folklife Program, a partnership of the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) and the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC).

The KHS history campus is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit the KHS Web site at www.history.ky.gov or call 502-564-1792.

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, established in 1836, is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky's history. The KHS history campus includes The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, Old State Capitol and Kentucky Military History Museum at the Old State Arsenal.  For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.