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Learn more about May commemorations

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Historic Preservation Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Older Americans Month! That is a lot to celebrate!

John F. Kennedy first instituted Older Americans Month to celebrate the accomplishments of our elders. This year’s theme is “Flip the Script on Aging,” focusing on changing how society talks about and approaches aging. One way the Historical Museum flips the script on aging is by preserving first person narratives from our older residents. Watch some of these oral histories on YouTube. All of the folks pictured above, (back row, l–r, Lena Ingram, Ethel Lawrence, Henry "Rico" Zarini, and front row, l–r, Rose Ross, Joe Ross, John Ross, and Garnet Poydock) are featured in our oral history collection.  

The Museum doesn’t just think about historic preservation in May, we think about it all year long! As stewards of Louisville’s history, we not only care for the Museum’s 22,000+ artifacts, photographs, and documents, but also share expertise with our colleagues and neighboring museums. The Museum’s Collections Management Associate, Hadley Kluber Seifert, recently presented on how best to care for museum objects to a group of museum leaders from the Association of Front Range Museums.

Lastly, enjoy Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander stories by checking out a book from this reading list or celebrate Jewish American heritage with the books on this reading list.

What grows in Louisville?

Thursday, May 29 is the first in a preschool series utilizing the power of nature to learn about outdoor history in Louisville. Explore gardening, plant your own seedling, decorate rocks for the garden and take home herbs and tomatoes for a homemade pizza! This series combines structured play, unstructured nature play, story-time, and hands-on-crafts. Classes run through August, attend one or many. Please ONLY register for children who are participating in the crafts. Accompanying adults, siblings, and babies do not need to register.

Trees of Louisville Walking Tour

Join Chris Lichty, City Forester, as he leads a tour about historic and significant trees in Louisville. Did you know that Louisville has several “Champion Trees?” A Champion Tree is the largest regional specimen of a specific tree species regionally. Learn about rare and old trees in Louisville or ask questions about types of trees for your own yard. The tour will depart from the Louisville Historical Museum at 1001 Main St. This is a free, in-person event, but registration is required.

Louisville Landmark Plaque Ceremony

The Landmark Ceremony Wednesday, May 14 will start at the Louisville Historical Museum. Meet for light refreshments in the Museum courtyard at 6 p.m. followed by a walking tour led by the City Planning Department and the Historic Preservation Commission to the newly landmarked buildings that will receive plaques.

Soda parlors in Louisville with free mini-floats!

Mark your calendars for June’s First Friday event, which is always a hit! Back by popular demand, June's theme is "Louisville Soda Parlors." Cast your vote for the "right" name, soda, pop, or cola, and make ice cream in a bag! This night will be full of fun facts about Louisville's soda parlors, as well as samples of historic soda floats!

Membership

Join or Renew Today!

We love our members! Members can renew online, via mail, or in person. As a reminder, if paying by check, please make your membership check out to the Louisville Historical Museum and remember to make any monetary donations separately to the Louisville History Foundation. Thank you for your support!

Not a member yet? Join today with the perfect membership type for you. The Historical Museum offers individual, family, and business memberships, as well as gift memberships so that you can give someone who loves Louisville and history full access to all that the Museum has to offer.

Museum members receive the Louisville Historian in the mail four times each year. You can also make a donation directly to the Louisville History Foundation to support the work the Museum does and special projects.

Thank You, Business Members

740 Front

Alternating Current Press
Arc Thrift Stores

Ariel IT Services
Atomic Forge
Berkelhammer Tree Experts, Inc.
Bolder Insurance
Coal Creek Collision Center
Cory Nickerson - 8z Real Estate
Creative Framing & Art Gallery
DAJ Design, Inc.
Deep End Solutions
E & L Team at RE/MAX Elevate

Fingerplay Studio

Gstalder Louisville Law Group

Hofgard & Associates, P.C.
Louisville Cyclery
Louisville Tire & Auto Care

Moxie Bread Co.
Origin CPA Group
Paul's Coffee & Tea
Pine Street Plaza
Premier Members Credit Union

Seward Mechanical Systems
Society of Italian Americans
Stewart Architecture
Ters Family Dentistry
The Singing Cook

Historic Photo Feature

Shakedown, 1979... This photo shows Louisville's Main Street looking north from the cross street of Spruce in May of 1979. Many folks remember Steinbaugh's (on the left) when it was located in the State Mercantile Building after a fire destroyed its 1892 Front Street location in 1974. Three doors down is Senor T's Restaurant, which is now the Waterloo. Across the street, one can see the signs for the Italian restaurants Colacci's and Luigi's. 

It's fun to try to identify the many vintage cars, but notice the lack of pedestrians. As you see, there's no one around. They say cool kids never have the time, but today on any given day you may see families, neighbors, or even a Louisville Historical Museum walking tour on the sidewalks.

Did some parts of this feature seem awkwardly worded to you? Read back through and see how many lyrics you can find from the classic 1990s song "1979!"