GOLDING-YANG ART GALLERY | 150 University Blvd | 606-783-2766 | website
Located within the Claypool-Young Art Building at Morehead State University.
- Features national entries for both group and thematic exhibitions, the gallery.
- Showcases the work of American contemporary artists, including faculty and student exhibitions.
- The gallery also hosts events, such as receptions with live music and refreshments, student performances, readings and book signings.
KENTUCKY FOLK ART CENTER | 102 West First Street | 606-783-2204 | Admission & Hours is Tuesday & Thursday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | website
The Kentucky Folk Art Center at Morehead State University is a must-see.
Located in the historic Union Grocery building, the Center offers much more than a typical museum experience. KFAC houses:
- A permanent collection of nearly 1,400 pieces of self-taught art.
- A rotating collection of folk art, fine art, textiles, photography, and historical content.
- One of the best gift shops in the region, offering original folk art, crafts, jewelry, books, toys, housewares and much more.
Upon viewing folk art for the first time, many are attracted to its whimsical attributes, and we should take joy in these works as the artists intended. But in many instances, the art that you see on the walls at KFAC was born out of hard times. The works displayed here stand as a document of and testament to the concerns, courage, and convictions of the common man.
MOREHEAD RAILROAD AND HISTORY MUSEUM | 130 East First Street | Temporarily Closed
Travel back in time to our railroad and general history of Morehead and Eastern KY museum. Featuring:
- Railroad artifacts from the six historic railroads which ran in Rowan County,
- Artifacts/stories from the infamous Rowan County Feud
- Sit atop a 1947 Farmall tractor and have your picture taken.
- A blacksmith shop and its collection of tools from a bygone era.
- Listen to a player piano belt out “The Old Piano Roll Blues”.
- Visit a real moonshine still taken in a raid and see how moonshine is made.
- Local Native American artifacts from arrowheads to stone tools
- A six-foot radio-controlled model of the “Belle of Louisville” steamboat back when she was called the “Avalon”.
- An early motion picture projector called the “Cosmograph,” manufactured right here in Morehead
- Model train displays and working layouts plus a large screen theatre room where live presentations and videos are frequent additions.
ROWAN COUNTY ARTS CENTER | 205 East Main Street | 606-783-9857 | website
The Rowan County Arts Center, located on Main Street in the historic Rowan County Courthouse, offers:
- Rotating art exhibits by local artists
- A variety of art workshops through the year
- Morehead Theatre Guild’s productions
- Event space, perfect for large and small meetings, receptions and more.
ROWAN COUNTY VETERANS’ MUSEUM | 118 University Blvd | Sat 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and on Patriotic Holidays or via appointment by calling Danny Knipp at 606-653-7190 or Bill Bolen at 606-776-3147
Dedicated to honoring our flag, military and veterans, this nonprofit organization is committed to education and preservation. It has over 375 artifacts from all five branches of the military.
- Free tours are offered to educational and civic groups upon request.
- Freedom Park, a memorial wall displaying names of Veterans, celebrates and commemorates our Rowan County Veterans who have served in the nation’s military.
- The Doughboy Statue showcases an American WWI soldier and commemorates all those who served during the World War from Rowan County. The pedestal was placed in 1919 and the statue was placed in 1929.