
Join us for a walking tour of the places the Marquis de Lafayette visited in downtown Lexington in 1825!
Tour Length 1.76 miles
The music clips used in this tour…
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The Kentucky Room, located on the third floor of the Central Library, contains a wealth of information about Kentucky and Fayette County. The collection features books on all aspects of Kentucky, subject files on Kentucky and Lexington, local newspapers, city directories, maps, and state and local government documents, including select census and vital records. The Lexington Public Library is a FamilySearch Affiliate Library.
You can contact the Kentucky Room at 859-231-5500, ext. 1008, or by email with questions and specific information requests.
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Help us transcribe handwritten items in the Digital Archive!
The Lexington Public Library’s Digital Archives provide open access to researchers and students to learn more about the rich history of Lexington and Fayette County. It contains a fraction of the Library’s physical holdings, which are housed and available for reference in the Kentucky Room at the Central Library. New material is being digitized and added constantly, so there's always something new to find.
Listen to our local history podcast, Tales from the Kentucky Room, or take a guided walking tour of Lexington areas and attractions.
Join us for a walking tour of the places the Marquis de Lafayette visited in downtown Lexington in 1825!
Tour Length 1.76 miles
The music clips used in this tour…
Join us for a walking tour of Lexington’s literary history!
Tour Length 1.05 miles
The music clips used in this tour are from “Walking Barefoot on Grass” by Kai…
Join us for a walking tour highlighting Lexington's unique role in Abraham Lincoln's life.
Tour Length: 1.42 miles
This tour is adapted from the 2009 Tour…
Join us for a walking tour of downtown Lexington's most notorious places! The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3…
Join us for a walking tour of Lexington Public Library's historic downtown locations! The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the…
Join us for a walking tour of Downtown Lexington’s historic sites. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3, music…
Join us for a walking tour of Downtown Lexington’s public art. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3, music will…
Join us for a walking tour of Downtown Lexington’s historic LGBTQ+ places. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3…
Join us for a walking tour of Downtown Lexington’s African American Heritage Sites. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the…
Join us for a walking tour Lexington's Gratz Park Historic District. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3,…
Join us for a walking tour of Lexington's Historic Lexington Cemetery. The full tour is available as a single MP3, or you can download individual tracks. For the single MP3,…
Created by the Lexington Public Library's Kentucky Room staff and powered by Google Maps. Maps are available for Fayette and several surrounding counties.
These services can be accessed for free with your library card. Book a Librarian for a quick, one-on-one tutorial.
Ancestry Library Edition
Start your genealogy search with billions of records including census data, vital records, directories, photos and more. Available only to customers inside Lexington Public Library locations. Provided by the Kentucky Virtual Library.
Heritage Hub
Search for obituaries and death notices from newspapers around the country.
Lexington Herald-Leader Digital Issues
Read the Lexington Herald-Leader in its original printed format, including pictures. New issues are published on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. Includes issues from January 1, 2016 to present.
Lexington Herald-Leader Text Archive
Lexington Herald-Leader full text article search beginning from April 25, 1983.
Lexington Herald-Leader Today's Edition
Read the daily electronic edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Includes issues from June 8, 2024 to present.
Local History Index
Search selected articles in Lexington newspapers about significant people, places, and events from 1787-2007.