The primary mission of the Wrather West Kentucky Museum is to highlight and promote an understanding of the social, cultural and economic development of West Kentucky and the Jackson Purchase. Acquisitions, exhibits and special programs support this mission. Both permanent and changing exhibits are open to the public at no charge.
Wrather Hall was the first permanent building constructed on the campus of Murray State in 1924. In the early years of the university, the building was used for campus classes, chapel, pep rallies, debates and plays; it also housed the bookstore, post office, a dining room, science laboratories and the administrative offices. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1975. Shortly after that, the facility was extensively renovated and dedicated as the Wrather West Kentucky Museum. It opened as the museum on September 22, 1982.
Wrather Museum has just undergone a major renovation project and will be open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday for the fall 2023 semester. Building use requests for special events should come to me directly at smclaughlin1@murraystate.edu. We are continuing our work on new exhibits and will have a full slate you by the fall of 2024 when we open our collaboration with the Smithsonian, FOOD. (We completed a revamped Murray State Room in May of 2022 and will open our Greats of West Kentucky Arts and Entertainment exhibit in the fall of 2023).
If you have any general questions about the museum, please feel free to email me at smclaughlin1@murraystate.edu. We look forward to seeing you soon!
All the best,
Jeff McLaughlin
