Department of Parks
Author Series, Special Tour, Planned at Waveland July 19

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Summer Author Series at Waveland State Historic Site continues July 19, along with a special tour of the site.

In conjunction with the presentation by author Mary Hamilton (“Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies”), the park will offer a special behind the scenes tour. Ron Bryant, manager of Waveland Historic Site, will conduct the “Revealing Waveland State Historic Site” tour. Participants will learn the decorative and interpretive details that form the story of the house tour. The tour will also address common misconceptions about the Bryan family and Kentucky life from 1848 to the present, and discuss how lore surrounding subjects like the life of Daniel Boone can become myth that is bigger than the history on which it’s based.

Some of the questions the tour may answer are: Did the house really burn down? Do we still have confederate uniforms? Was there really a woman named Scarlet who lived at Waveland? Would the Bryan family chairs have been covered in horse hair? Is it likely that Margaret really sewed clothes for all of the residents –children and slaves – at Waveland? Why do we have the Henry Clay tea set? Did Daniel Boone survey the land that became Waveland? Is Waveland really haunted?

This special tour will be offered one day only, at both 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., with the summer author series lunchtime reading event in between. Visitors may choose to come early and end the tour with our author, or come out at noon and spend the afternoon.

This is a 90 minute tour, and the price is $15, with discounts for students and seniors at $10. Regular house tours will still be available on the hour at the regular price.

As the third author in the summer author series, storyteller Mary Hamilton will discuss her new book, “Kentucky Folktales Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies.” This new work offers a variety of stories from Hamilton's repertoire, including haunting tales, tall tales, traditional tales and family tales. In “Daniel Boone on the Hunt,” Hamilton tells the story of the  pioneer's encounter with a bear and his unusual method of defeating it. In “Farmer Brown's Crop," she enchants the reader with the story of a farmer who is surprised to find out what happens when he plants two of his crops too close together.

 Attendance at Waveland Summer Author Series events is free (without the tour), and everyone is welcome. This reading will be held in the cabin, due to the summer heat.

The Waveland Summer Author Series, sponsored by Waveland, the University Press of Kentucky, Friends of Waveland and the Morris Book Shop, features University Press of Kentucky authors speaking about their works in the context of Kentucky's rich history. Each session runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month on the grounds or in the cabin at Waveland, 225 Waveland Museum Lane, off Nicholasville Road in Lexington.

Books will be available for purchase on site from The Morris Book Shop, and those wishing to read ahead may pick up a copy at the store 882 E. High Street, Lexington. Participants are encouraged to bring a lunch, or may pre-order a box lunch from Belle's Bakery (859) 269-8223  (48 hours advance, please).

 July 19 schedule:

10 a.m. – Regular tours of the mansion begin on the hour through 4 p.m.
10:30-noon – Morning tour: “Revealing Waveland State Historic Site”
noon-1:30 _  Summer Author Series welcomes Mary Hamilton at the cabin
2:30-4:00     Afternoon tour: “Revealing Waveland State Historic Site”

For more information, call Waveland at 859-272-3611.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 50 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our website at http://www.parks.ky.gov