Have you ever heard of #MuseumSelfieDay? I hadn't until recently. It's a day that blends the art of history with the art of ourselves. According to a CNN article, in 2015 Mar Dixon, a project coordinator and museum lover, developed this idea as a way to capture personal memories with loved ones while visiting museums - just as the # would imply. The trend caught on and now museums around the world participate in this cultural social media campaign. So in celebration of Museum Selfie Day, I thought it would be appropriate to list some of the lesser known Kentucky opportunities to take your museum selfie. Here are just a few:
1. The Riverview House Museum (Bowling Green, Ky) - Located on the site of Western Kentucky University, the museum features everything from collections of decorative arts, to Duncan Hines artifacts, to Civil War memorabilia, quilts, the Snell collection of European art and iconic items from America’s leaders in various fields including Dale Earnhardt, Jimmy Carter, Sandra Day O’Conner, Ken Burns, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Charlie Daniels, Liza Minnelli and many, many more.
2. Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History & Bardstown Historical Museum (Baardstown, Ky) - Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History displays a 50 year collection of rare artifacts and documents concerning the American whiskey industry dating from pre-Colonial days to post-Prohibition years. The museum includes exhibits on President Washington, Abraham Lincoln, authentic moonshine stills, antique bottles and jugs, medicinal whiskey bottles, unique advertising art, novelty whiskey containers, and much more. This is definitely a tour for the bourbon lover. What a cool selfie this would make!
3. Kentucky Coal Museum (Benham, Ky) - The Kentucky Coal Museum allows the public to learn about coal mining through access to perhaps the most comprehensive collection of mining memorabilia in the nation. The product of study and painstaking research, the Museum's collection uniquely portrays life in a coal camp.
4. Lincoln Museum (Hogenville, Ky) - Located in the Downtown Hodgenville National Historic District, the Lincoln Museum welcomes you to wander through the pivotal points in the life of the 16th President. A series of life-size dioramas, period artifacts, and a superb collection of wax figures brings to life the major events in Lincoln's life. From the "Cabin Years" to "Ford's Theatre" and the years between. The museum gift shop features local crafts, art, and music along with a fine selection of Lincolniana.
5. Owensboro Museum of Fine Art (Owensboro, Ky) - The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art presents traveling exhibitions from major museums, galleries and private collections and rotating exhibitions from the permanent collection. The facility includes two structures listed on the National Register of Historic Sites: the 1909 Carnegie Library and the John Hampden Smith House, a pre-Civil War era mansion which serves as a decorative arts wing. The Museum Gift Shoppe offers works for sale by regional artists and craftsmen. An interactive art studio and special galleries offer hands-on educational activities for children.
6. National Quilt Museum (Paducah, Ky) - Museum in-facility and touring exhibits are annually viewed by over 115,000 quilt and art enthusiasts. The museum is a global destination welcoming visitors from all 50 US states and over 40 foreign countries on a yearly basis. Visitors experience three galleries of extraordinary quilt and fiber art rotated 7-8 times per year so there is always something new to see. The museum is among the highest rated tourism destinations on TripAdvisor, having won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence four consecutive years.
For a comprehensive list of amazing museums in Kentucky visit, Kentucky Tourism. It's a great resource for all things good in Kentucky.