Civil War History Day 2026

Cost: $30 KHS Members, Students, Educators | $40 all others 

Prices include a boxed lunch. Registration is required.

Kentucky never seceded, but it never escaped the war, either. Families split, neighbors turned on neighbors, and guerrilla violence tore through the state long after the major battles moved on. Join the Kentucky Historical Society for a full day exploring how Kentuckians lived through the Civil War, fought its shadow conflict, and shaped how it would be remembered for generations.

Featured speakers include:

• Keynote: Matthew C. Hulbert (Hampden-Sydney College) — how Union officials responded—often poorly—to the persistent violence across the state
• Brad Asher — Louisville historian and author of Most Hated Man in Kentucky
• Ben Fitzpatrick (Morehead State University) — the memory of John Hunt Morgan
• Staff from Camp Nelson National Monument and Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument
• Derrick Lindlow & Darryl Smith — hosts of the Dept. No. 2 podcast

Plus: Get an up-close look at Civil War artifacts from the KHS collection, presented by our curators.