In connection with our exhibit Bundle Up: Battling the Cold in 1850s Kansas, the Watkins is partnering with the Ballard Center on a winter clothing drive. During our open hours, 10 AM-4 PM Tuesday through Saturday, stop by the Watkins to donate coats, hats, and other winter clothing items for community members in need.
What did settlers wear to survive the harsh winters of 1850s Kansas? In this public talk, Eric Smallwood, 19th-century men's fashion historian and tailor, will use images, historical accounts, and original pieces from the collection of the Merchant Tailor Museum to address this topic. This event will be held in-person and also livestreamed on our Facebook and YouTube. […]
We invite you to the Watkins for the annual celebration of famed Kansas poet William Stafford. This drop-in event features readings by area Kansas and Missouri poets.
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Join us at the Watkins Museum for classes based on Lawrence and/or Douglas County History. Topics will be explored using hands-on activities, art projects, and will be multi-subject when appropriate. Parents may attend class, or this can be a drop-off program. Students can be enrolled for Tuesday or Friday classes. Time: 10:30-11:30 AM Enrollment: Students may enroll for […]
In connection with our exhibit Soldiers Return: Coming Home from Vietnam, former US Marine Pat Donahue has generously agreed to give a short gallery talk discussing his life during and after the war and the items he loaned to the exhibit. This event will be free to the public but space is limited and registration required.
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
The Oak Hill Cemetery Committee invites you to help with spring cleanup! Volunteers will assist with raking leaves and picking up branches and trash. The committee will provide leaf bags. We ask volunteers to wear work clothes and bring leaf rakes, hand trimmers, hand rakes, and loppers. To volunteer, email [email protected]
Each month throughout the school year, the Watkins Museum’s education team offers interactive hands-on activities based on Lawrence history for children ages 3-5 who have not entered school. Tours include story time, videos, time in the galleries, handling artifacts, arts, crafts, and games depending on the month’s topic. Children must be accompanied by an adult […]
Stories for All: A Digital Storytelling Project for the Twenty-First Century brings together over forty Kansas-based partner projects dedicated to gathering marginalized and suppressed histories, interconnecting them, and sharing them widely through digital media. Open to the public and featuring a wide array of interactive presentations, exhibits, film screenings, and more, the Stories For All Festival […]
Join us as historian Jeanne Klein speaks about Jennie Brooks (1853-1934), a local woman who studied plants and wildlife, published widely on them, and was one of the first observers of Monarch butterfly migrations. The talk will be held in person and livestreamed on the Watkins Museum Facebook and YouTube. This event is part of […]
The City of Lawrence and the Watkins Museum invite you to the annual Lawrence Earth Day Fair! This free event will happen in South Park and feature lots of earth-friendly crafts and activities for you and your family. The "price of admission" is one used can for Cans for the Community or an item of […]