Hidden Gem of Louisville: Frazier History Museum

While Louisville is home to the “Louisville Slugger” baseball bat and the Kentucky Derby, the city – which is also known as the either one of the northernmost Southern cities or as one of the southernmost Northern cities in the United States – is also home to the Frazier History Museum.

Formerly the Frazier Historical Arms Museum and located on the city’s “Museum Row” it is named for founder Owsley Brown Frazier. First open in 2001, this museum is a hidden gem of American military history museums. It is now affiliated with the Smithsonian Affiliations program and is the only branch of the U.K.’s Royal Armouries in North America – and is the only national museum outside Great Britain to house a collection representing the history of British arms and armor.

With 75,000 square feet of exhibition space over three floors is the museum includes a large collection of toy soldiers, the ivory-handled Colt pistols of General George Armstrong Custer and Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” hunting rifle.

Owsley Brown Frazier passed away in August 2012 but in the final decade of his life he was able to amass a collection that will truly endure the test of time.