List of museums in Kentucky


This list of museums in Kentucky is a list of museums, defined for this context as institutions that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Museums that exist only in cyberspace are not included.

Museums

NameImageLocationCountyRegionArea of studySummary
1817 Saddle Factory MuseumRussellvilleLoganSouth Central KentuckyIndustryHistory of the saddle factory, its workers and products, operated by Historic Russellville
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical ParkHodgenvilleLaRueDerby RegionBiographicalPreserves two farm sites where Abraham Lincoln lived as a child.
AdsmorePrincetonCaldwellWestern WaterlandsLivingVictorian home with "living" tours by season
African American Heritage CenterFranklinSimpsonSouth Central KentuckyAfrican American, African American achievements in Simpson County and Kentucky
Alexander Arthur MuseumMiddlesboroBellDaniel Boone CountryBiographicalDisplay of personal items owned by Alexander Arthur and his family
American Cave MuseumHorse CaveHartSouth Central KentuckyNatural history, caves, groundwater, pollution and tour of Hidden River Cave
American Saddlebred MuseumLexingtonFayetteBluegrassNatural history, part of Kentucky Horse Park, history of the American Saddlebred, art, trophies, photographs, tack
Ashland, The Henry Clay EstateLexingtonFayetteBluegrassHistoric housePlantation of the 19th-century Kentucky statesman Henry Clay
Atkinson-Griffin Log HouseCampbellsvilleTaylorDaniel Boone CountryHistoric houseServed as a Confederate hospital after the Battle of Tebbs Bend
Auburn MuseumAuburnLoganSouth Central KentuckyLocal history, operated by the Auburn Historical Society
Aviation Heritage ParkBowling GreenWarrenSouth Central KentuckyAviation, park display of an F-4 Phantom II, planned display of other aircraft
Aviation Museum of KentuckyLexingtonFayetteBluegrassAviationHistoric airplanes, photos, documents and training equipment
Bardstown Historical MuseumBardstownNelsonDerby RegionLocal historyLocated in Spalding Hall along with the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History
Barlow House MuseumBarlowBallardWestern WaterlandsHistoric houseLate 19th-century period house
Barthell Coal Mining CampWhitley CityMcCrearySouth Central KentuckyMiningOpen-air museum includes museum, barber shop, bath house, doctor's office, machine shop, mining motor displays, school/church house, 1890s reconstructed log cabin and mine tour
Behringer-Crawford MuseumCovingtonKentonNorthern KentuckyLocal history, regional history of Northern Kentucky
Bell County Coal House and MuseumMiddlesboroBellDaniel Boone CountryMiningHouse made of coal and outdoor display on local coal mines
Bell County Historical Society MuseumMiddlesboroBellDaniel Boone CountryLocal history, operated by the Bell County Historical Society
Ben E. Clement Mineral MuseumMarionCrittendenWestern WaterlandsNatural history, minerals including large collection of fluorite specimens
Bibb House MuseumRussellvilleLoganSouth Central KentuckyHistoric houseOpen by appointment with Historic Russellville
Big Bone Lick State ParkBig BoneBooneNorthern KentuckyNatural historyVisitor center includes fossils found in the park, and the Outdoor Museum features a recreated bog diorama with extinct animals
Big Sandy Heritage CenterPikevillePikeKentucky's AppalachiansLocal historyHoused in a former railroad station
Bill Monroe MuseumRosineOhioBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionBiographicalLife of Bill Monroe and the early foundations of bluegrass music
BitterSweet Cabin MuseumRenfro ValleyRockcastleDaniel Boone CountryOpen-air, log cabin museum village and stores
Black History GalleryElizabethtownHardinDerby RegionAfrican AmericanDisplay of photos, articles and biographies of black Americans
Blue Heron Coal Mining CampBlue HeronMcCrearySouth Central KentuckyMiningRestored former company town
Bluegrass Heritage MuseumWinchesterClarkBluegrassLocal history
Bluegrass Motorcycle MuseumRosineOhioBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionTransportationPrivate collection of over 20 vintage, American made motorcycles and memorabilia, open by appointment
Bluegrass Railroad and MuseumVersaillesWoodfordBluegrassRailroadHeritage railroad and museum
Blue Licks Battlefield State ParkMount OlivetRobertsonNorthern KentuckyLocal historyPioneer Museum includes exhibits about the battle during the American Revolution, local natural and cultural history
Bobby Davis Museum and ParkHazardPerryDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
Breathitt County MuseumJacksonBreathittDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
Breckinridge County Historical Society MuseumHardinsburgBreckinridgeDerby RegionLocal history
Brennan House & Medical Office MuseumLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoric houseVictorian mansion
Brown-Pusey HouseElizabethtownHardinDerby RegionHistoric houseIncludes the Pusey Room Museum with a replica of a late 19th-century medical office, a genealogical library, and meeting rooms
Bullitt County History MuseumShepherdsvilleBullittDerby RegionLocal history, operated by the Bullitt County Genealogical Society
Butler-Turpin State Historic HouseCarrolltonCarrollNorthern KentuckyHistoric houseLocated in General Butler State Resort Park, mid 19th century period house
Caldwell County Railroad MuseumPrincetonCaldwellWestern WaterlandsRailroad, railroad artifacts and memorabilia.
Camp Breckinridge Museum & Arts CenterMorganfieldUnionBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionHistoric site, former officer's club, features murals painted by a German POW
Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage ParkNicholasvilleJessamineBluegrassCivil WarUnion Army supply depot and recruiting station for African American soldiers
Cane Ridge Meeting House & Barton Warren Stone MuseumParisBourbonBluegrassReligiousHistory of the former camp meeting site
Capital City MuseumFrankfortFranklinBluegrassLocal history
The CarnegieCovingtonKentonNorthern KentuckyArt, multidisciplinary arts venue with galleries
C.B. Caudill Store & History CenterBlackeyLetcherDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
Civil War MuseumBardstownNelsonDerby RegionMultipleFive attractions, including Civil War Museum of the Western Theater, Old Bardstown Village Village with 10 log cabins, Women's Civil War Museum, Wildlife Museum and War Memorial of Mid America
Cloverfork MuseumEvartsHarlanDaniel Boone CountryLocal history, located in Highsplint, a former coal town
Cloverport Depot MuseumCloverportBreckinridgeDerby RegionLocal history
Columbus-Belmont State ParkColumbusHickmanWestern WaterlandsCivil WarCivil War history of the area and local natural and cultural history
Conrad-Caldwell HouseLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoric houseLate 19th-century period mansion
Constitution Square Historic SiteDanvilleBoyleBluegrassOpen-airIncludes replica of 1785 log courthouse, jail and meetinghouse, 1792 post office
Coal Miners' MuseumVan LearJohnsonKentucky's AppalachiansMiningLocal coal mining history
Creation MuseumPetersburgBooneNorthern KentuckyReligious
Crittenden County Historical MuseumMarionCrittendenWestern WaterlandsLocal history
Cumberland Gap National Historical ParkMiddlesboroBellDaniel Boone CountryHistoryIncludes the Visitor Center with museum exhibits about the area's natural and cultural history, and Hensley Settlement, an open-air mountain community
Cumberland Inn & MuseumWilliamsburgWhitleyDaniel Boone CountryMultipleNatural history, collections of crosses, coins, stamps, arrowheads and nutcrackers
Cynthiana MuseumCynthianaHarrisonBluegrassLocal history
David A. Zegeer Coal-Railroad MuseumJenkinsLetcherDaniel Boone CountryMiningCoal mining and railroad history
Dawson Springs Museum and Art CenterDawson SpringsHopkinsBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionLocal historyLocal history and art
Dinsmore HomesteadBurlingtonBooneNorthern KentuckyHistoric house1840s house on
Don F. Pratt Memorial MuseumFort CampbellChristianWestern WaterlandsMilitaryHistory of Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault the "Screaming Eagles"
Duncan TavernParisBourbonBluegrassHistoric site, state headquarters of the Kentucky Society, NSDAR; 18th century tavern
East Kentucky Science CenterPrestonsburgFloydKentucky's AppalachiansScienceIncludes exhibit hall, planetarium and laser dome
Elkhorn City Railroad MuseumElkhorn CityPikeKentucky's AppalachiansRailroadHistory of railroads in Kentucky's Eastern Mountain Coal Fields region
Embroidery Museum and Resource CenterLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionTextileOperated by the Embroiderer's Guild of America, exhibits of embroidered items
Ephraim McDowell HouseDanvilleBoyleBluegrassHistoric houseEarly 19th-century doctor's office, house and apothecary shop
Explorium of LexingtonLexingtonFayetteBluegrassChildren's, formerly known as the Lexington Children's Museum
Fairholme CadizTriggWestern WaterlandsHistoric house, tours by appointment, also known as the John L. Street Home
Farmington Historic HomeLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoric houseEarly 19th century plantation home
Federal HillBardstownNelsonDerby RegionHistoric houseAlso known as My Old Kentucky Home, early 19th-century mansion, part of My Old Kentucky Home State Park
The Filson Historical SocietyLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionLocal historyIncludes a museum of local history and art exhibits
Fleming County Covered Bridge MuseumFlemingsburgFlemingBluegrassLocal history
Fordsville Depot MuseumFordsvilleOhioBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionMultiple, includes local history, railroad and rural life displays
Forkland Community Center Lincoln MuseumForklandBoyleBluegrassLocal history, community heritage, including local connections to Lucey Shipley Hanks Sparrow, who was the grandmother of Abraham Lincoln
Fort Boonesborough State ParkBoonesboroughMadisonBluegrassFortReconstructed pioneer fort with artisans
Francis M. Stafford HousePaintsvilleJohnsonKentucky's AppalachiansHistoric house19th-century house, open by appointment
Frazier History MuseumLouisvilleJeffersonMuseum RowKentucky HistoryWhere the World meets Kentucky Kentucky history, culture and people.
Friendship SchoolCampbellsvilleTaylorDaniel Boone CountryEducation1918 one room schoolhouse
Garrard County Jail MuseumLancasterGarrardBluegrassPrison
General George Patton Museum of LeadershipFort KnoxHardinDerby RegionBiographical
Georgetown & Scott County MuseumGeorgetownScottBluegrassLocal history
Georgetown College Fine Art GalleriesGeorgetownScottBluegrassArt, includes the Jacobs Gallery, Cochenour Gallery, Anne Wright Wilson Fine Art Gallery, and Live. Learn. Believe. Sculpture Exhibition
Glema Mahr Center for the ArtsMadisonvilleHopkinsBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionArt, part of Madisonville Community College, features the Anne P. Baker Gallery of fine art
Governor William Owsley HouseLancasterGarrardBluegrassHistoric houseAlso known as Pleasant Retreat
Great American Dollhouse MuseumDanvilleBoyleBluegrassToy, over 200 dollhouses, miniature buildings and room boxes
Green River Female AcademyElktonToddWestern WaterlandsEducation19th century female seminary
Hancock County MuseumHawesvilleHancockBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionLocal history, housed in the old railroad station
Hardin County History MuseumElizabethtownHardinDerby RegionLocal history
Harland Sanders Café and MuseumCorbinLaurelSouth Central KentuckyFoodBirthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken
Harriet Beecher Stowe Slavery to Freedom MuseumMaysvilleMasonNorthern KentuckyBiographicalLocated in the Marshall Key House, said to be where author Harriet Beecher Stowe got some of the ideas for her book Uncle Tom's Cabin
Hart County Historical MuseumMunfordvilleHartSouth Central KentuckyLocal history, operated by the Hart County Historical Society
Headley-Whitney MuseumLexingtonFayetteBluegrassArt, decorative arts including jewelry, bibelots and mounted semi-precious stones, doll houses, shell grotto, changing exhibits
Hickman County MuseumClintonHickmanWestern WaterlandsLocal history
Hiestand House MuseumCampbellsvilleTaylorDaniel Boone CountryHistoric house1823 German stone house with exhibits about county history
Highlands Museum and Discovery CenterAshlandBoydKentucky's AppalachiansHistoryLocal history and specialized science displays
Historical Society of Hopkins County MuseumMadisonvilleHopkinsBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionLocal history, includes Ruby Laffoon cabin
Historic Locust GroveLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoric house55 acre 18th-century farm homestead
Historic Railpark and Train MuseumBowling GreenWarrenSouth Central KentuckyRailroadHistoric railroad station, locomotives and railroad equipment
Homeplace on Green RiverCampbellsvilleTaylorDaniel Boone CountryFarm, 19th-century period demonstration farm on 227 acres
Hopewell MuseumParisBourbonBluegrassLocal history, history and culture of Bourbon County and Central Kentucky
Hunt-Morgan HouseLexingtonFayetteBluegrassHistoric house18th century home, includes Alexander T. Hunt Civil War Museum
International Bluegrass Music MuseumOwensboroDaviessBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionMusicHistory of bluegrass music
Irvinton House MuseumRichmondMadisionBluegrassLocal historyLocated in Irvine-McDowell Park
Jack Jouett House Historic SiteVersaillesWoodfordBluegrassHistoric house, late 18th-century home of American Revolutionary hero Jack Jouett
James A. Ramage Civil War MuseumFort WrightKentonNorthern KentuckyHistoryHistory of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's involvement in the American Civil War
Janice Mason Art MuseumCadizTriggWestern WaterlandsArt, part of the Cadiz Community Arts Center, changing exhibits of art in all forms
Jefferson Davis State Historic SiteFairviewToddWestern WaterlandsBiographicalMonument and museum about Confederate leader Jefferson Davis
John James Audubon State ParkHendersonHendersonBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionArtIncludes the Audubon Museum with art by John James Audubon and the John James Audubon Nature Center
Kentucky Coal Mining MuseumBenhamHarlanDaniel Boone CountryMiningCoal mining and life of the coal miner and family
Kentucky Derby MuseumLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionSportsAmerican Thoroughbred horse racing museum
Kentucky Folk Art CenterMoreheadRowanKentucky's AppalachiansArtPart of Morehead State University, self-taught art, exhibits of folk art, fine art, textiles, photography, and historical content
Kentucky Gateway Museum CenterMaysvilleMasonNorthern KentuckyMultiple, includes regional history dioramas and artifacts, an art gellery and Kathleen Savage Browning Miniatures Collection
Kentucky Governor's MansionFrankfortFranklinBluegrassHistoric house
Kentucky MuseumBowling GreenWarrenSouth Central KentuckyMultipleOn the campus of Western Kentucky University, Kentucky and US cultural history, decorative arts, Duncan Hines
Kentucky Military History MuseumFrankfortFranklinBluegrassMilitaryOperated by the Kentucky Historical Society
Kentucky Museum of Art and CraftLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionArtArt and craft heritage of Kentucky
Kentucky Music Hall of FameRenfro ValleyRockcastleDaniel Boone CountryMusic
Kentucky Railway MuseumNew HavenNelsonDerby RegionRailroadHistory and heritage of Kentucky's railroads and the people who built them, includes model trains, heritage railroad
Kentucky River MuseumBoonesboroughMadisonBluegrassTransportationImpact of the river, locks and dams on the area's family and commerce, open on a limited basis
Kentucky Science CenterLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionScienceFormerly the Louisville Science Center, hands-on science exhibits, natural history displays
Knox Historical MuseumBarbourvilleKnoxDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage CenterSandy HookElliottKentucky's AppalachiansLocal history
Lexington History CenterLexingtonFayetteBluegrassMultipleCurrently closed and developing traveling displays; included the Lexington History Museum, Lexington Public Safety Museum, Isaac Scott Hathaway Museum and the Kentucky Renaissance Pharmacy Museum
Liberty Hall Historic SiteFrankfortFranklinBluegrassHistoric houseIncludes both Liberty Hall and Orlando Brown House
Lincoln Heritage HouseElizabethtownHardinDerby RegionHistoric houseLog home of Thomas Lincoln
Lincoln Homestead State ParkSpringfieldWashingtonDerby RegionHistoric houseIncludes the home of Nancy Hanks, mother of Abraham Lincoln, the replica log house of his grandmother, and the restored home of his uncle, Mordecai Lincoln
Lincoln Museum of KentuckyHodgenvilleLaRueDerby RegionBiographical, features dioramas with wax figures depicting important events in Lincoln's life and Lincoln artwork
Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War MuseumPaducahMcCrackenWestern WaterlandsHistoryFocuses on Kentucky and the western theater of the American Civil War
Lone Oak House MuseumHopkinsvilleChristianWestern WaterlandsHistoric houseOpen by appointment
Louisville Slugger Museum & FactoryLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionSportsBaseball and the history of the baseball bat
Louisville Visual Art AssociationLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionArt, changing art exhibits, located in the Louisville Water Tower
Ludlow Heritage MuseumLudlowKentonNorthern KentuckyLocal history
Lyon County MuseumEddyvilleLyonWestern WaterlandsLocal history, also known as Rose Hill Museum
Magoffin County Pioneer Village and MuseumSalyersvilleMagoffinKentucky's AppalachiansOpen-airReconstructed log buildings, operated by the Magoffin County Historical Society
Mammoth Cave Wildlife MuseumCave CityBarrenSouth Central KentuckyNatural history, mounted animal dioramas
Marie Stewart Museum & Craft ShopHindmanKnottDaniel Boone CountryLocal historyHistory of the Hindman Settlement School
Mary Todd Lincoln HouseLexingtonFayetteBluegrassHistoric house1840s period family home of Mary Todd Lincoln
McCreary County MuseumStearnsMcCrearySouth Central KentuckyLocal historyAdjacent to Big South Fork Scenic Railway, history and culture of McCreary County and the Stearns Coal & Lumber Company
McLean County History & Genealogy MuseumCalhounMcLeanBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionLocal history, housed in the old railroad station
Mill Springs Battlefield Visitors Center and MuseumNancyPulaskiSouth Central KentuckyCivil WarCommemorates the January 1862 Battle of Mill Springs
Morgan County History MuseumWest LibertyMorganKentucky's AppalachiansLocal history
Mountain HomeplaceStaffordsvilleJohnsonKentucky's AppalachiansLivingMid-19th century working farm with Museum Of Appalachian History, includes farmstead, church, school, and blacksmith shop.
Mountain Life MuseumLondonLaurelDaniel Boone CountryOpen-airPart of Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park, recreated pioneer village and a restored McHargue's Mill
Muhammad Ali CenterLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionBiographicalLife and ideals of boxer Muhammad Ali
Museum of Physical SecurityNicholasvilleJessamineBluegrassCommodity, operated by Lockmasters Security Institute, collection of safe locks
Museum of the American Printing House for the BlindLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoryHistory of the education of people who are blind, and how the American Printing House for the Blind has contributed to that history
National Corvette MuseumBowling GreenWarrenSouth Central KentuckyAutomotiveShowcases the Chevrolet Corvette
National Dirt Late Model Hall of FameWaltonBooneNorthern KentuckySportsAmerican drivers of dirt late model racecars
National Quilt MuseumPaducahMcCrackenWestern WaterlandsTextileQuilts and fiber art
National Underground Railroad MuseumMaysvilleMasonNorthern KentuckyHistoric house, located in the Bierbower House, a safe house for the Underground Railroad
Northeastern Kentucky MuseumOlive HillCarterKentucky's AppalachiansLocal history
NKU Museum of AnthropologyHighland HeightsCampbellNorthern KentuckyAnthropology, part of Northern Kentucky University, display cases on the second floor of Landrum Academic Center
Octagon Hall MuseumFranklinSimpsonSouth Central KentuckyHistoric house
Ohio County MuseumHartfordOhioBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionOpen-airIncludes a historic log cabin, one-room school house, historic home
Ohio County Veterans' MuseumHartfordOhioBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionMilitary
Old Fort Harrod State ParkHarrodsburgMercerDerby RegionOpen-airReconstructed fort and museum
Old Washington Historic VillageWashingtonMasonNorthern KentuckyOpen-air, 1780s frontier village, includes the Paxton House, a restored 1810 historical residence, historic houses, log cabins, churches, Slavery to Freedom Museum, carriage museum
Oldham County History CenterLa GrangeOldhamDerby RegionLocal history, operated by the Oldham County Historical Society, includes the Peyton Samuel Head Family Museum, J.C. Barnett Archives and Library, and the Robb Morris Chapel
Old State CapitolFrankfortFranklinBluegrassHistoric siteOperated by the Kentucky Historical Society
Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey HistoryBardstownNelsonDerby RegionFoodHistory of American whiskey from Colonial days through the 1960s; located in Spalding Hall along with the Bardstown Historical Museum
Owen County Historical MuseumOwentonOwenNorthern KentuckyLocal history, operated by the Owen County Historical Society
Owensboro Area Museum of Science & HistoryOwensboroDaviessBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionMultiple, natural history, science, local history, motor sports, children's area and government
Owensboro Museum of Fine ArtOwensboroDaviessBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionArt, collection features American, European and Asian fine and decorative arts dating from the 15th century to the present
Paducah Railway MuseumPaducahMcCrackenWestern WaterlandsRailroad
Paradise Park Museum ComplexPowderlyMuhlenbergBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionOpen-airIncludes Merle Travis birthplace, Coal Mines Shotgun House, a replica of a 1920s coal mining town and a two-room schoolhouse
Parker Warner Historic MuseumProvidenceWebsterBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionLocal history
Pennyroyal Area MuseumHopkinsvilleChristianWestern WaterlandsLocal history, includes exhibits about Edgar Cayce, area African American history, a pioneer living set, and a military exhibit
Perryville Battlefield State Historic SitePerryvilleBoyleBluegrassCivil WarSite of the Battle of Perryville
Portland MuseumLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionLocal historyHistory of Portland, Louisville's riverside community
Railway Museum of Greater CincinnatiCovingtonKentonNorthern KentuckyRailroadFeatures over 80 historic railroad equipment located on a 4-acre site
Red River MuseumClay CityPowellDaniel Boone CountryLocal history, local mining, logging and railroad industries, operated by the Red River Historical Society
River Discovery CenterPaducahMcCrackenWestern WaterlandsMaritime, river transportation, steamboats, captains, locks and dams, natural history and habitats
Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen LandingLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoric house1840s house, archaeological excavations, gardens
Riverview at Hobson GroveBowling GreenWarrenSouth Central KentuckyHistoric houseMid-19th century home
Rob Morris HomeLa GrangeOldhamDerby RegionHistoric houseHome of Rob Morris, the second and last poet laureate of Freemasonry and the founder of the Order of the Eastern Star
Robert Penn Warren Birthplace MuseumGuthrieToddWestern WaterlandsBiographical, birthplace of poet Robert Penn Warren
Rosemary Clooney MuseumAugustaBrackenNorthern KentuckyBiographicalHome of singer Rosemary Clooney
Royal Spring ParkGeorgetownScottBluegrassHistoric housePark that includes 1874 log cabin
Rowan County Historical Veterans MuseumMoreheadRowanKentucky's AppalachiansMilitary
Samuel May House Living History MuseumPrestonsburgFloydKentucky's AppalachiansHistoric houseEarly 19th-century house
Shaker Museum at South UnionAuburnLoganSouth Central KentuckyReligiousHistory of the South Union Shaker Village and Shaker folklife and material culture
Shaker Village of Pleasant HillPleasant HillMercerBluegrassLiving19th century Shaker village
Scott County Arts & Cultural CenterGeorgetownScottBluegrassArtLocated in the Scott County Jail Complex
Simpson County Archives and MuseumFranklinSimpsonSouth Central KentuckyLocal history, operated by the Simpson County Historical Society, housed in an old jail and jailer's residence; also known as Old Stone Jail - Simpson County Archives
Sons of the American RevolutionLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionMilitaryDisplays on the early history of the United States and the American Revolution in its library
South Central Kentucky Cultural CenterGlasgowBarrenSouth Central KentuckyLocal history, also known as Museum of the Barrens
Speed Art MuseumLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionArt
Swamp Valley MuseumFrenchburgMenifeeDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
Swope's Cars of Yesteryear MuseumElizabethtownHardinDerby RegionAutomotive, historic automobiles
Thistle CottageGreenvilleMuhlenbergBluegrass, Blues & Barbecue regionMultiple, formerly the Duncan Center Museum & Art Gallery, operated by the Muhlenberg County Public Library, art exhibits and area coal history displays
Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky HistoryFrankfortFranklinBluegrassHistoryOperated by the Kentucky Historical Society, over 12,000 years of Kentucky history
Thomas Edison HouseLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionBiographical
Thomas Merton CenterLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionBiographicalWorks and memorabilia of Thomas Merton, an American Catholic monk, writer and mystic
Three Forks Historical CenterBeattyvilleLeeDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
University of Kentucky Art MuseumLexingtonFayetteBluegrassArtEuropean and American artwork ranging from Old Masters to contemporary, and a selection of Non-Western objects
U.S. 23 Country Music Highway MuseumPaintsvilleJohnsonKentucky's AppalachiansMusicExhibits on the country music entertainers who grew up near U.S. Route 23.
Vent Haven MuseumFort MitchellKentonNorthern KentuckyPuppetOnly museum devoted to the art of ventriloquism
Ward HallGeorgetownScottBluegrassHistoric house19th-century Greek Revival mansion
WaterWorks Museum at Louisville Water Tower ParkLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionTechnologyRestored 19th-century pumping station with steam engines, exhibits about its technology
Waveland State Historic SiteLexingtonFayetteBluegrassHistoric house19th century plantation home
Wayne County MuseumMonticelloWayneDaniel Boone CountryLocal history, also known as the William Crenshaw Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Museum, operated by the Wayne County Historical Society
Whitehall House & GardensLouisvilleJeffersonDerby RegionHistoric house
White Hall State Historic SiteRichmondMadisonBluegrassHistoric house1860s period mansion
Whitney Young Birthplace and MuseumSimpsonvilleShelbyDerby RegionBiographicalHome of civil rights leader Whitney Young, open by request
WicklandBardstownNelsonDerby RegionHistoric houseEarly 19th-century house that was home to three state governors, two for Kentucky and one in Louisiana
Wickliffe MoundsWickliffeBallardWestern WaterlandsArchaeology
William Clark Market House MuseumPaducahMcCrackenWestern WaterlandsLocal history
William Arnold Log HomeWilliamstownGrantNorthern KentuckyHistoric house1811 log house, operated by the Grant County Historical Society
William S. Webb Museum of AnthropologyLexingtonFayetteBluegrassAnthropology, research collection of the University of Kentucky
William Whitley House State Historic SiteStanfordLincolnBluegrassHistoric houseLate 18th-century pioneer brick home
Wolfe County Historical MuseumCamptonWolfeDaniel Boone CountryLocal history
Woody Winfree Fire-Transportation MuseumHopkinsvilleChristianWestern WaterlandsTransportation, includes fire trucks, automobiles, wagons, buggies, a sleigh, license plates and local fire memorabilia
Wrather West Kentucky MuseumMurrayCallowayWestern WaterlandsLocal history, part of Murray State University, history of West Kentucky and the Jackson Purchase
Yeiser Art CenterPaducahMcCrackenWestern WaterlandsArt

Defunct museums

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