Exhibitions

Calvert Gallery

Our Changing Exhibit Hall

The Gallery is named in honor and memory of Jean W. Calvert.

The Calvert Exhibits Gallery is 2,000 square feet of space that hosts temporary exhibits from across the country and from our own collections. Riverworks Discovery, Lego Mania, Tying the Knot, and The Amazing Castle are examples of past exhibits.

Current Exhibit on Display: “Scaled to Perfection: Encore & More!”

KSB Miniatures Collection

A New Way to Look at the World

We invite you to journey through this unrivaled collection of thousands of 1/12 scale miniatures, each selected or commissioned by Maysville native Kaye Browning. The Kathleen Savage Browning Miniatures Collection is housed in our 3,300-square-foot exhibit hall and features hundreds of limited-edition or one-of-a-kind homes, room boxes, vignettes, and individual works of art that captured Kaye’s heart either for their charming stories or their historical significance.

From glorious mansions to small apartments, our miniature homes offer a glimpse of how people lived in different times and different cultures. Each one captures the essence of life, whether it was lived in the distant past, in some faraway place, or in the here-and now.

Absorb the Amazing Details

Incredible artistry and craftsmanship turn each of our miniatures into a true marvel. Some were made by world-famous miniaturists, while others were lovingly handcrafted by anonymous artisans, but all invite you to appreciate the details of life—past, present or imaginary—from a powerful, new perspective. Visit again and again to see how the collection changes with the seasons.

Focus on: Russell Theater

The Russell Theater facade miniature on display was the first miniature in the collection where the general public was invited to have a personal hand in construction. Many of the 11,000 bricks in the facade were purchased and engraved by anyone who wanted to commemorate the memory of someone or honor their lives. Half of the money raised from this activity went to the Russell Theater restoration committee and the other half will be used by the museum for operational expenses. The miniature of the Russell joins two other Maysville miniatures, the Cox Building and the Bethel Baptist Church.

Artisans Allison Ashby and Steve Jedd’s attention to detail included researching and hanging movie posters of shows that played at the Russell the same year Rosemary Clooney premiered her movie, “The Stars Are Singing” at the theater. There is even an empty coke glass in the ticket booth which leads you to believe the ticket seller had just finished her drink and stepped out for a minute. Each detail was meticulously researched and reproduced from the tiles on the floor to the placement of the decorative plaques and drain pipe from the theater marquee.

Ashby and Jedd have completed the Russell interior to their exacting standards and it takes its place next to a miniature of the exterior of the theater, both a reminder of the hey-day of local movie houses and all their opulence.

Wormald Gallery

Regional History Exhibits

1789 Diorama of Limestone Landing

At the time of the Revolutionary War, the Ohio River was the main pathway open from the original thirteen colonies to the western frontier. A major stop after Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh) was Limestone, a small port on the south bank of the river where settlers could unload their flatboats and escape the Indian threat to the north by proceeding inland.

Led by men like Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone, many pioneers continued west, but others stayed in Limestone—which they officially renamed Maysville in 1833. But whether they stayed in the area or passed through, each contributed to our history. It is this rich legacy that we share through our fine collection of dioramas, artifacts, documents and art.

The Power of Ordinary Things

As historian David McCullough puts it, “history is who we are and why we are the way we are.” From quilts to clothing, from weapons to movie posters, nothing brings history to life like the everyday things our ancestors actually used. When we hold these things in our hands, or see them up close, we touch the lives of those who have gone before. These artifacts tell stories of courage, creativity, and celebrity.

Current Exhibits on Display: “Art & Sole”