KHS HistoryMobile
Now Available: Torn Within and Threatened Without: Kentuckians and the Civil War Era


The Kentucky Historical Society's HistoryMobile is a mobile museum featuring exhibits on Kentucky history. The 300 square-foot exhibit is housed in a 45 foot tractor-trailer. Since 1973, this program has presented a wide variety of exhibits on Kentucky history to at least one million Kentuckians, half of which have been students.


“Torn Within and Threatened Without: Kentuckians and the Civil War Era”

Step into the KHS HistoryMobile and meet eight Kentuckians ranging from the famous to the everyday citizen! Through personal recollections, primary sources, authentic artifacts and touch-screen activities, students can learn critical thinking strategies and explore the difficult decisions Kentuckians faced during the Civil War. Each story highlights the importance of individual choice as a major factor in shaping Kentucky history.

The "Great Compromiser" Henry Clay

John J. Crittenden

Union soldier Ben Buckner and his slave Jim

Elijah Marrs, who was born into slavery but became a Union soldier

Ellen Wallace, a wealthy homeowner

Confederate soldier Henry Lane Stone

Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court John Marshall Harlan

This program is made possible by the generosity of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the Pilot Corporation and the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Pre-visit classroom materials will be available for intermediate and middle school teachers to provide background information and teaching ideas to enhance school group visits to the exhibit.


To request more information or schedule a KHS HistoryMobile visit, contact:

Warren Greer
502-564-1792, ext. 4478
warren.greer@ky.gov

The KHS HistoryMobile season runs from February through December and is booked several months in advance. Sponsoring organizations are requested to pay for lodging for the program coordinator. The KHS HistoryMobile is accessible to people with mobility disabilities.

The KHS HistoryMobile must be located on a level, hard surface within 120 feet of a 208/220-volt, 60-amp, single-phase electrical source. A skilled electrician must be present to connect and disconnect the power source. The KHS HistoryMobile trailer requires an additional 25 feet for the folding access ramp at the rear of the trailer (total length is 80 feet, including tractor.) The trailer also requires 13 feet, 7 inches of overhead clearance.


Past exhibit: “Kentucky’s Abraham Lincoln”
Visitors explored Lincoln's frontier childhood, his career from log house to the White House and his struggles to end slavery and lead the nation through the Civil War. The exhibit contained artifacts and images as well as audio, video and interactive elements to appeal to a variety of learners.

Elementary-level teacher materials (PDF, 940 KB)

Middle-school-level teacher materials (PDF, 934 KB)

Teachers who have signed up to participate in pre-visit and post-visit assessments for their students, please take our online test