Helping preserve the rich history of Douglas County, Kansas
The Watkins Community Museum of History, created by the Douglas County Historical Society, explains local history through its exhibits, lectures, tours, and other events. Two of the more interesting exhibits tell the stories of Langston Hughes, an African American poet who grew up in Lawrence early in the twentieth century and became nationally distinguished, and James Naismith, a Canadian by birth who invented the game of basketball and was KU's first basketball coach (1898–1907).
The museum building was commissioned by Lawrence financier J.B. Watkins to house the Land Mortgage Company & Watkins National Bank, and constructed between 1885 and 1888. After renovation and restoration to the bank's original beauty, the Watkins Museum opened at this location in 1975.
The Douglas County Historical Society is responsible for the operation, preservation, and development of collections in the Watkins Community Museum of History.
| Museum and Book Shop Hours |
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April–November |
Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday: |
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
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| Thursday: | 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
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December–March |
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Tuesday–Saturday: |
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
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Closed Sunday, Monday and Holidays
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The Watkins Building
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The Museum is housed in the historic Watkins Building in downtown Lawrence, Kansas.
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Roaring 20s
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Guests relive the Roaring 20s at the Speakeasy event at The Eldridge Hotel on January 20, 2012..
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The Community Room
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The Community Room is often used for receptions, reunions and family gatherings.
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The Milburn
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See a rare Milburn electric car on display in the exhibit area of the Watkins Community Museum.
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It Happened on Mass Street
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The exhibition explores the development of downtown Lawrence.
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The Community Room
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The Community Room is often used for receptions, reunions and family gatherings.
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Paperboys
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Paperboys on Massachusetts Street circa 1910.
Watkins Museum "Opens" Online Exhibit
Massachusetts Street: Monuments and Milestones, draws on photographs primarily from the Watkins collection to trace the development of several businesses on Mass Street and to chronicle the street’s changing appearance through the years. The exhibit provides a history of several long-time Lawrence businesses; connects local history to events important state- and nationwide; and provides a brief history of the founding of Lawrence. Intern Cristina Chavez, a recent KU Museum Studies graduate, developed the exhibit. Her internship was funded by a 2011 grant from the Ethel and Raymond F. Rice Foundation.
View the exhibit here » |
DCHS Donors to Receive Tax Credit
The Douglas County Historical Society was allocated $20,000 in Kansas state tax credits for fiscal year July 1, 2011–June 30, 2012 through the Partnership Historic Sites Program. The current allocation provides an incentive, and a challenge, to raise $40,000. Donors to the DCHS will receive a tax credit equal to 50% of their donation. The minimum donation is $1,000 ($500 tax credit). Donations made before December 31 receive a credit for the 2011 tax year.
Read More Here » |
| Exhibitions Now on View |
It Happened on Mass Street:
150 Years in Lawrence
Third Floor
Read More Here »
Cause and Commitment: A Heritage of Activism in Douglas County
Second Floor, opening February 11
Knowledge Grows: Student Experiences in the Smart Choices Garden
Second Floor, opening February 24
Watkins: The Couple, the Building, the Legacy
First Floor Lobby
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| Coming Events |
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Final Friday
February 24, 6–8 p.m.
Celebrate the opening of the exhibition, Knowledge Grows Student Experiences in the Smart Choices Garden.
Family-friendly activities will mark the opening of this exhibition developed in partnership with Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Student will share their experiences working in the school’s recently expanded Smart Choices Garden. Their photographs and recollections are featured in this exhibition exploring agriculture as education.
Final Friday
March 30, 6–8 p.m.
Celebrate the opening of the exhibition More than a Game:Basketball and Community Spirit.
March Madness overtakes the Watkins with programming celebrating basketball. Featuring photographs and artifacts illustrating James Naismith’s and Forrest "Phog" Allen’s roles in shaping the game we know today, this exhibition celebrates basketball as a source of community pride and a force for social change in Lawrence.
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Community Room |
Community Room is available for your receptions, birthday party or reunion. Call 1-785-841-4109 for more information.
Read more here. |
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