$20M Revolutionary War museum to open on Louisville's Museum Row. 5 things to know

Walking down Museum Row in downtown Louisville, it's easy to get drawn in by the massive baseball bat outside the Louisville Slugger Museum or the large reflecting mirror outside the Kentucky Science Center.

Soon, another museum will join the mix.

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution will open the Sons of the American Revolution Education Center and Museum at its national headquarters, 809 W. Main St., in 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

"You've got science, and you have baseball across the street, and you have Kentucky's history. Now you have something committed to American history," said Todd Bale, executive director for NSSAR.

Recently, the museum garnered interest from the Kentucky General Assembly, seeing $5 million of funding allocated to the ongoing construction.

"This will not be a 'display case of artifacts' type of museum, but one that is interactive and helps visitors understand what led to the American Revolution, what took place during it, and what the aftereffects were," said Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown.

Here's what we know about the Revolutionary War museum headed to downtown Louisville.

What is the Sons of the American Revolution Education Center and Museum?

The museum and education center, which Bale said has been more than 10 years in the making, is focused on curating an interactive experience for visitors.

Rather than show guests artifacts from the Revolutionary War period, the goal is to draw guests in with participatory elements through experiencing "events, debates, and ideas" that led to the American Revolution.

The NSSAR will display an extensive collection of memorabilia for visitors to learn from and interact with. The museum and education center will also boast a theater room.

"This museum is important because if you don't know where you've been, you don't know where you're going," said John Dodd, the president general of the NSSAR. "These days, a lot of school budgets are being cut ... and so it's important for us to take up the mantle and remind folks of the sacrifices of our ancestors that gave rise to the nation."

Bale said the museum will curate special exhibits focused on diversity, showcasing the roles Black people, Spanish people, Native Americans, and women played in the early U.S.

What can you do at the Sons of the American Revolution Education Center and Museum?

Currently, phase one of the museum project is open to the public. The Genealogical Research Library opened in 2010 shortly after NSSAR purchased its headquarters building on Main Street. Today, visitors can explore their family heritage, likely tracing it back to the American Revolution, or use a preservation station to preserve their family's history with professional tools. Tickets are $5.

"For years its library has been one of our city’s best-kept secrets," Nemes said.

When will the Sons of the American Revolution Education Center and Museum open?

The roughly $20 million museum project broke ground on construction in February with plans to open in late 2026.

Who are the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution?

The group is a private lineage society with roughly 40,000 members spread across the country that calls Louisville home. Dodd said the organization is congressionally chartered and focused on "perpetuating the memory of the men and women that served in the revolution and to promote patriotic activities."

The NSSAR moved to Louisville from the East Coast in the 1970s to make their work more accessible, with Dodd noting that the metro is within easy travel distance to a majority of the country.

Why did the General Assembly give the museum $5 million?

The General Assembly supported the appropriation of $5 million to the museum earlier this year. Nemes said he felt compelled to support the museum because "it will highlight the roles of men, women and children, as well as the diversity in culture, religion and race of those who helped achieve our independence. It will focus on what unites us as Americans."

Dodd and Bale both said the museum is a worthy investment of state funding because it stands to bring in substantial tax revenue for the state, tourism dollars, and overall support for downtown Louisville.

The NSSAR is still seeking an additional $8 million to be fully funded.

"We've been here since 1978 and it's kind of invisible but this is the coming out party for us," Bale said. "But I think more importantly, this thing doesn't belong to the 38,000 members, it belongs to the community it resides in, and it is a community treasure and asset I hope everyone utilizes."

Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sons of the American Revolution to open museum in downtown Louisville