A traveling version of the Smithsonian exhibit “Americans” started its Kentucky tour this month at the River Discovery Center in Paducah.
The traveling showcase is based on the major exhibit found at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. It highlights how Native peoples have been part of the nation’s culture and identity – even prior to its inception – and encourages participants to think critically about their perceptions of the American Indian.
The exhibit is part of a collaborative effort between the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, state humanities councils and various cultural organizations. It is free of charge and open to the general public.
Officials with River Discovery Center in Paducah held a ribbon cutting Tuesday to welcome the exhibit to the Bluegrass State. Assistant Director Lindsay Ramsey said it’s an honor to display an exhibit dedicated to a rich, historic culture.
“It is such a great representation of our Native people, and it just does a really great job of bringing light to that culture. And so I'm very honored that we were chosen to be the host [and] kind of kick off the tour here in Kentucky,” Ramsey said.
Lindsey Launius, River Discovery’s executive director, said the group is working with area schools to organize field trips and other activities for students to engage in. Not only will the students get the chance to visit the exhibit, but they can also take part in a guided tour of the floodwall murals just outside the center, which depict the far western Kentucky region’s history.
“We've actually created a really great immersive experience, so that students will not only have the experience of the Smithsonian exhibit, but we also have the wall-to-wall murals just outside of the museum,” Launius said.
So far, the organization has reached out to around 15 schools in western Kentucky and southern Illinois to arrange field trips, with some groups expected to have more than a hundred students.
While the center has previously hosted traveling Smithsonian exhibits, Ramsey said this event marks the first time that it has been the first stop on a tour.
The showcase will stay in Paducah through Sept. 27. Through July 2026, the exhibit will stop in Muhlenberg, Hickman, Henderson, Carroll, Woodford and Boyd counties.
The tour will last for six years and will make stops in around 20 states. The full itinerary can be found on the Smithsonian's website.
