The Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County began as an idea discussed on a local radio show in the 1970s. Founded as the Pennyroyal Area Museum in 1975, this institution has grown to incorporate two facilities, wide-ranging exhibits, educational programs – all dedicated to sharing the stories of Hopkinsville and Christian County.
The Pennyroyal Area Museum opened in 1976 in the old post office building in downtown Hopkinsville. Initially, its mission was to collect, preserve, and share the history of the nine counties in the Pennyroyal region of Kentucky. Exhibits focused on local history and interesting artifacts donated by the local community.
In 1984, the Pennyroyal Area Museum became a mandated joint agency of the City of Hopkinsville and Christian County. In 1991, the museum was named a beneficiary of a charitable trust left by William McCarroll. A farmer, investor, and WWI veteran, McCarroll had served on the founding board of the museum and left a desire to preserve our community’s history as his legacy.
In 2008, the museum opened the Woody Winfree Fire-Transportation Museum. Housed in the former Central Fire Station, this museum focuses on the history of the Hopkinsville Fire Department and on the evolution and impact of transportation on our society. This exhibit features antique fire trucks, vintage automobiles, and historic fire equipment. The building also supports the historic town clock and tower, easily the most iconic architectural element on Hopkinsville’s skyline. This museum is currently closed due to damage during a major storm in March 2023.
The Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County strives to tell a comprehensive and inclusive story of our community. We hope you will come see us soon!
Alissa has served as the Executive Director since 2012.
Sacra takes care of all the museum's stuff as our Collections Manager and has been with the museum since 2022.
Brett joined the museum staff in June 2023 as our Learning Coordinator.
The Museum’s Board of Directors is composed of 12 community members, ten of whom are appointed by the Mayor of Hopkinsville and two appointed by Christian County’s Judge Executive. Board members serve four-year terms. In addition, a city councilperson and a county magistrate are members of the board. Advisors from Planters Bank and from Visit Hopkinsville round out our 16-member Board of Directors.
Kiley Killebrew, Chair
Trevor Hooks, Vice Chair
Shannon Snorton, Secretary
Jordan Talley, Treasurer
B.J. Cayce
Magaline Ferguson, Christian County Magistrate
Crystal Ferreira
Chris Gilkey
Wayne Goolsby
Scot Hancock, Planters Bank
Matthew Handy, Hopkinsville City Councilman
Russ Hayes
Brooke Jung, Visit Hopkinsville
Melanie Noffsinger
William Turner, Hopkinsville-Christian County Historian
Desaepa Vansauwa
To apply to be a member of the Museum board, visit the Board & Commissions page on the city’s website.