Kentucky Research Roadtrips
Where are the records? Let’s go find them together.Some discoveries can’t happen behind a screen. We’re hitting the road to the places where Kentucky’s records actually live — together.
What a road trip unlocks
Taking a research road trip offers several unique advantages that digital archives simply can’t replicate. Given your focus on Kentucky research, here are some key benefits:
Access to Offline Records
Many local resources—like courthouse deeds, church ledgers, or vertical files have never been digitized or made available online. Being there in person allows you to flip through pages that aren't behind a paywall.
Expert Local Knowledge
Local librarians and volunteers at historical societies or archives often have deep, specialized knowledge of the area’s families and migrations that isn't captured in a database.
Incidental Discoveries
While at a local archive or historical society, you might stumble upon a mention of your ancestor in a newspaper, a school yearbook, or a diary that wouldn't show up in a targeted name search online.
Networking with Kentuckians
You’re more likely to run into distant relatives or researchers working on the same lines or geographical area while visiting local repositories, leading to shared research, images, or documents.
Destination: the State Archives
Kentucky Department of Archives & Libraries
"Wondering what the KDLA has in its collection that sheds light on your Kentucky ancestors? Join us on a road trip to the Archives and find out for yourself!"
What You'll Learn
In a digital age, what makes a trip to the physical archives worthwhile to a family historian? Meet up at the KDLA for a tour and research day to find out.
In a small group, you'll tour the facility and learn about the collection and how to access archival materials. Then you'll put that knowledge into practice with hands-on research at the Archives.
To make the most of your time, we'll send enrollees planning links ahead of the visit so you arrive ready to work.
The Experience
To keep it intimate, the free tour and research day is limited to twenty-five members and held on a day the Archives are closed to the public. Sign-up is first come, first served.
You'll check in, get a locker, then tour the facility with staff instruction on the collection. A box lunch is available on site for a fee, or brown-bag your own — lunching off site isn't advised given the location. After lunch, research with staff assistance until the day wraps at 3:30 p.m.
Box lunch orders must be placed at the time of registration.
Join the Society — and ride along for free
Become a member and this roadtrip is free. Membership opens the door to far more than one great day at the Archives:
- Free access to all educational webinars in the year ahead
- Every past webinar in the Learning Library
- More roadtrips coming — you won't want to miss them