Frazier Museum Unveils Ambitious 2026 Vision
The Frazier History Museum has big and exciting plans for 2026, continuing its mission to inspire, engage and educate by connecting Kentucky’s past to its present.
“Our brand is where the world meets Kentucky,” says Andy Treinen, museum president. “I say it all the time: There is no better place in the world to learn all there is about Kentucky culture, history, industry and people than here.”
Three major initiatives are on tap at the nonprofit museum located in the heart of Museum Row on Main Street in downtown Louisville. This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Frazier Museum is recognizing the milestone by highlighting important historical artifacts on display. Frazier is home to many significant pieces from a national perspective, including Teddy Roosevelt’s “big stick,” the 1875 arrest warrant for Mary Todd Lincoln and the nation’s oldest remaining Civil War monument, the Bloedner Monument. Each will receive a special decal with additional context on its place in history.
Frazier is also creating several new exhibits to help educate the public during this special nationwide semiquincentennial. Pursuit of Happiness is a dynamic, hands-on experience based on the immortal words written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Through engaging activities such as secret codes, tabletop games and other interactive play, visitors will uncover how everyday people worked toward freedom and pursued happiness in their own ways.
The exhibit also breaks down the language of the Declaration of Independence itself, revealing the revolutionary document’s lasting impact.
I Too Am a Kentuckian opens in July and evokes words from Abraham Lincoln to celebrate 250 years of Kentucky spirit. In this powerful journey of the commonwealth’s ongoing pursuit of America’s founding ideals, visitors will feel the pride Kentucky embodies and see how the Founding Fathers’ spirit lives on in the Bluegrass State. Revolutionary Threads opens in August and also marks the 250th celebration by showcasing military threads throughout American history.
“We have a lot of things in our collection that are significant nationally,” Treinen says. “We’re doing a lot of 250 stuff, and you’ll see that throughout the city as well.”
In an effort to expand its brand statewide, the Frazier Museum is hitting the road to visit all 120 Kentucky counties and share stories from across the region. Currently located in the museum is 120: Cool KY Counties, an exhibit consisting of two touchscreen maps of Kentucky. When visitors touch a location, they are shown content specific to that county, including a text story, a video and a song by a local artist. Frazier hopes to share those stories statewide and help drive tourism to other counties.
Treinen says only a small portion of the museum’s overall attendance comes from Kentucky residents who live outside neighboring counties, and he wants them to know Frazier is showcasing them as well.
“We’re getting a vehicle and we’re going to every county fair and event,” Treinen says. “We want the rest of the state to understand we are sharing their story too. We met with five to six individuals in every county, and they helped us curate the story they wanted to tell. Now we can take that out and show we are bringing people to their area. This was built to try to get more regional Kentucky people to know who we are.”
Another new initiative highlights the accomplishments of Kentucky resident Tori Murden McClure, who became the first woman and first American to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1999. McClure’s boat, American Pearl, has been on display at Frazier since 2020 and will be joined by an interactive exhibit where guests can experience what it was like during her 3,300-mile journey. This exhibit will be located outside the museum’s new education center and will include an artificial intelligence component allowing guests to ask McClure questions about her adventure.
“People will see what it’s like to row through the storm and feel the wind and rain,” Treinen adds. “They will get to learn her story and STEM-related aspects along the way. She’s a brilliant woman, and she had to grind out there by herself.”
All of these new initiatives will run alongside exhibits visitors have come to cherish over the years. Frazier remains home to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center and continues to feature special exhibits, events and programming that celebrate the history, craft and culture of bourbon whiskey. Cool Kentucky, which opened in 2020, is designed to bring the state to life while motivating visitors to explore attractions across the commonwealth. The Lewis and Clark Experience is a hands-on exhibit for visitors of all ages, offering an immersive educational adventure that puts guests face-to-face with challenges encountered by the Corps of Discovery.
“My only goal is that we mean more to more people every day,” Treinen says. “Every year, we’re thinking about what we can do to create cool experiences. I don’t think this museum will get away from what we do best, because it works. We found a place in the marketplace, and Frazier means something to this community.”
Last year marked the Frazier Museum’s 20th anniversary, which ended on a high note. The museum was named best in the state by Kentucky Living’s Annual Best in Kentucky Awards, voted on by residents statewide. Treinen says the honor is significant to both him and his staff.
“The fact that we were named best museum by people who live in Kentucky is a big deal,” he says. “I don’t take that lightly. I’m very humbled because there are so many amazing museums in this state. For our staff and the people who work here, I’m very happy for them. They’re proud, because I don’t know if we were always seen in that light.”
For more information on the Frazier History Museum, visit fraziermuseum.org.
