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The Museum will be closed December 24 and December 25 for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Regular hours will resume on December 26.

Shop for unique gifts at the Museum's Holiday Mart

Find holiday gifts for the history buff in your life at the Museum’s Holiday Mart! Through the end of December, the Museum will be selling mugs, puzzles, tote bags, Louisville Miners merch, and more. Additionally, you can purchase a museum membership and give your friends and loved ones access to special events and our quarterly publication The Louisville Historian. Can't make it to the Museum in person? Order from the online Museum Shop by December 7 to receive your museum merch before Christmas! Proceeds go to the Louisville History Foundation to support Museum activities and events. 

Get your Parade of Lights holiday treat bags at the Museum

The Museum will give away free Holiday Treat Bags for children during the Parade of Lights on Friday, December 5, while supplies last. Rooted in a tradition that spanned from the 1920s to the 1980s, Louisville community organizations funded treat bags that each contained an orange, nuts in the shell, and pieces of ribbon candy. For many Louisville children, receiving these treat bags was a large part of their holiday experience. During the Depression, the treats were at times the only gift children received in some families. We thank the Louisville History Foundation for sponsoring the treat bags again this year and for continuing the tradition.

In Memory of Memory Delforge, 1941-2025

As we give out our holiday treat bags this year, we will be thinking of our late friend, Memory Delforge. Memory grew up in Louisville during the 1940s, and she fondly remembered receiving treat bags during the holidays. When she got older and became involved with the Louisville Historical Museum, Memory helped revive the tradition of giving out treat bags. For this and the decades she spent volunteering with local organizations, the city recognized Memory with the prestigious Pioneer Award in 2025. We are incredibly grateful for Memory’s longstanding commitment and care not only for the Museum, but for the town she grew up in. As you enjoy this year’s holiday treat bag, we invite you to think of Memory and try to imagine the holiday celebrations of Louisville long ago.

New front window exhibit: "Hometown Nuclear: The Story of Rocky Flats & Louisville"

From December 2 through the end of February, stop by the Museum to learn more about the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant. Museum staff have created a new front window display on the experiences of locals employed at the plant and the impacts of the Cold War on life in Louisville. Come learn about the Flats from historic photos, artifacts, and former employees’ recollections.

Preserve and collect your family's history with our Family History 1-2-3 series

Want to dig into your family’s past while you’re home for the holidays? Collect your family history, memories, and stories with our Family History 1-2-3 video series on the History at Home webpage and the Museum’s YouTube channel. This series includes manageable steps and interactive activities that explore beyond pedigree to include traditions, food culture, and art. Learn fun and meaningful ways to preserve important family memories, histories, recipes, and more!

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

Ferguson's Family Plumbing and Drain

Fingerplay Studios

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

Pink House Co.

Premier Members Credit Union
Seward Mechanical Systems
Society of Italian Americans
Stewart Architecture
Ters Family Dentistry
The Singing Cook

Historic Photo Feature

James Connors operated a livery stable on the southwest corner of Front and Walnut streets beginning in the early 1900s. Connors was born in Colorado to Irish and Welsh parents. Prior to opening the livery, he worked as a coal miner and a teamster. This photo was taken in 1909 and shows Connors and another man posing outside of Connors' livery stable. James Connors holds a horse with a halter and lead rope, and the other man sits in a wagon driven by two horses.

Livery stables provided horses, wagons, and carriages for rent. Additionally, they sold feed and offered boarding for privately owned horses. In the years shortly after this photo was taken, the prevalence of livery stables began to decline. As automobiles became the preferred method of transportation in the 1910s, the need for livery stables dissipated. By 1920, James Connors' livery stable had closed, and Connors no longer lived in Louisville. Connors eventually moved to Schurz, Nevada, where he would remain until his passing in 1954.