Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley Events

Do you like to carve a pumpkin for Halloween? Do you think you are good at it? Do you think you are better than everyone else? Then this is your opportunity! Carve your pumpkin at home and drop it off at our museum on Friday, Oct. 30th. Voting will be on Halloween, Sat., Oct 31st from 9am till 2pm at our museum, and all are invited to vote! The pumpkin with the most votes will win a $15 TSP giftcard. Entry fee is $5.00 per pumpkin

For More Information: 731-593-6445

It is often said to gain a better understanding of an event you must visit the site on the anniversary of when the event happened. Step back in time with Dr. Jerry T. Wooten, author of Johnsonville: Union Supply Operations on the Tennessee River and the Battle of Johnsonville, November 4-5, 1864 as he leads and in-depth walking tour of the Johnsonville Supply Depot and the Battle of Johnsonville which occurred November 4, 1864.

For More Information: 931-535-2789

The roar of Civil War cannon will again echo across the Tennessee River. Join us as Federal troops portraying the 1st Kansas Artilery demonstrate the firing of a 10 pounder Parrott artillery field piece. Learn the role of the artillery and its destructive power as it was used during the Civil War and at the Battle of Johnsonville on November 4, 1864.

Demonstration scheduled to take place near the Tennessee River area of the park. Program will follow all Tennessee State Parks COVID-19 guidelines. Program made possible thanks to the grant support of the Tennessee Wars Commission.

For More Information: 931-535-2789

The 43rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized at Madison, Wisconsin and mustered into Federal service under the President's call of July 18, 1864. The first company was mustered in August 8 and the last October 8, 1864. The following day they left the State, and proceeded to Nashville. From Nashville the regiment moved by rail to Johnsonville, the terminus of the Government railroad which had been built to convey supplies from Nashville to the Tennessee River. Here they performed guard and garrison duty details, being sent daily to guard railroad trains to Nashville. At that time vast amounts of army supplies of all kinds were passing through Johnsonville to Nashville, being brought up the Tennessee on transports and then shipped by rail.

The 43rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment will have a living history camp set up at the Soldier Huts Living History area of the park. Program will follow Tennessee State Park COVID-19 guidelines.

For More Information: 931-535-2789

Step back in time to visit the places and people of the Johnsonville Supply Depot to commemorate the 156th anniversary of the Battle of Johnsonville which occurred November 4, 1864.

During your 2-hour walking tour learn the role of photography in documenting the civil war stories of Johnsonville. Visit reproduction soldier huts and meet soldiers of the 43rd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Find out how Federal Brownwater Naval operations used Johnsonville for a base to patrol the Tennessee River. Walk the former Nashville and Northwestern Military Railroad to visit the remains of the Civil War era railroad turntable and learn how the 1st Michigan Engineers built the defenses of Johnsonville. Arrive at what once was the center of the Johnsonville Supply Depot operation and learn the locations of the warehouses and wharfs which received Federal supplies to support the Atlanta Campaign of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Watch for the locations where Confederate artillery under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest fired upon the Johnsonville Supply Depot and from where the 100th United Stated Colored Troops and the 1st Kansas Artillery attempted to answer the attack.

Online registration required.

For More Information: 931-535-2789

Photographer Sam Reed will discuss ambrotypes, tintypes, and glass plate negatives using reproduction cameras and wet-plate chemistry faithful to the original 19th-century recipes. Program will take place at the Soldier Huts Living History area of the park. Program will follow all Tennessee State Park COVID-19 guidelines.

For More Information: 931-535-2789

Dr. Wooten will be available at the Johnsonville State Historic Park Welcome Center from 11am-3pm to share insight behind his research on Johnsonville and to sign copies of his books.

For More Information: 931-535-2789

Formed in 1990 and based in Memphis, TN, the 52nd Regimental String Band has provided Civil War era music and entertainment to audiences from Iowa to Georgia and Virginia to Louisiana. Dressing in reproduction Civil War era clothes, these talented re-enactors use “period type” instruments and vocals to perform a variety of songs of the 19th century including military songs, parlor songs and minstrel songs. They are also known as “The Most Entertaining Dance Band in Civil War Re-enacting.”

For More Information: 931-535-2789

This holiday season, the Kentucky Lake Chamber of Commerce is excited to be working with the Benton Partnership on their Holiday Open House where locals fill out bingo cards as they make stops at local businesses throughout Benton. There will be special savings and promotions at participating locations. For more information, call (270) 527-7665.

For More Information: 270-527-3128

Have you ever wondered how our modern spacecraft can navigate quickly and accurately to Earth orbit and beyond? Find out in EXPLORE, the lavish 2017 full dome production from Creative Planet. It's the story of humanity's fascination with the stars - from ancient stargazers and astrologers to the breakthrough discoveries of Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler. Today's explorers depend on Kepler's genius for their work in space. Showtimes are Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:00 p.m.; Mondays and Fridays at 2pm.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

In this daytime laser offering, we get two stories associated with the constellations. These are classical Greek stories hundreds of years old. Perhaps you have heard versions of the same stories. The first story is the legend of Perseus and Andromeda, which takes a lighthearted and imaginative look at the myths associated with these prominent constellations. Narrated by Aesop the owl and Socrates the mouse, the show brings to life the mythological figures of Perseus, Andromeda and a host of other characters in an action-packed epic story of heroism, romance and of course Astronomy. The second story looks at the myths associated with the constellation Orion, the great hunter of the winter sky. The show brings the mythological Orion to life in a fun-filled, animated adventure. Accompanied by narrators Aesop the owl and Socrates the mouse, we follow Orion's adventures as he grows to manhood, battles mythical beasts, foils the plot of an evil king and wins the heart of Artemis, the beautiful moon-goddess. By the end of the story, we learn how the constellation Orion was placed in the sky, forever turning overhead throughout the seasons. This is not a traditional planetarium show. It is a bright and colorful laser light show produced in the spirit of a cartoon. We do also have this show available as a traditional planetarium show, which is a full-dome animated version of the same show. Admission fees apply. Showtimes are daily at 10:00 a.m. For details, call (270) 924-2233.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

Please come and enjoy the many beautiful full-dome images of our universe on this virtual space tour as seen from the eyes of the world's largest telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope. Along the way, you will learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and see impressive images from today's giant telescopes that allow us to probe ever deeper into the Universe. Showtimes are Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays at noon; Mondays and Fridays at 4pm. For details, call (270) 924-2233. Admission fees apply.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

Living networks connect and support lifeforms big and small-from colonies of tiny microbes and populations of massive whales to ever-expanding human societies. In the California Academy of Sciences' latest original planetarium show, Habitat Earth, discover what it means to live in today's connected world. Through stunning visualizations of the natural world, dive below the ocean's surface to explore the dynamic relationships found in kelp forest ecosystems, travel to see how Earth's tallest trees rely on tiny fungi to survive, and journey to new heights to witness the intricate intersection between human and ecological networks. Admission fees apply. For details, call (270) 924-2233. Showtimes are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3:00 p.m.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

Some of this debris collides with the Earth daily and is harmless. Some of the other objects may also collide with us, but we surely hope not. But we know it has happened before as you will learn in the show. Dedicated nightly searches are carried out around the globe using the most sophisticated instruments and computer software to detect Near Earth Objects (NEOs). A collision with a large comet or asteroid has the potential to destroy an entire civilization and change the course of history. Just ask the dinosaurs. Admission fees apply. Showtimes are Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 11am; Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm; Mondays and Fridays at noon.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

The entire family will enjoy discovering the secrets about our home planet and its most familiar neighbors with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions, who has many misconceptions about how these three celestial objects interact. Laugh out loud as Coyote attempts to explain how the moon and sun always appear to astound us with their celestial antics. Showtimes are Tuesdays/Thursdays at 11:00 a.m and Saturdays and Sundays at 1pm. For details, call (270) 924-2233. Admission fees apply.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

Your family will enjoy this full-dome presentation narrated by Tim Allen. Right now there is a new space race going on as teams of young scientists all around the globe compete for 30 million dollars in prize money offered by Google to see who will be the first private organization to land a rover on the moon in 2018. Not since the Apollo missions 40 years ago has there been this much lunar exploration. Admission fees apply. Showtimes are Wednesdays at 4pm.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233

This show is one that we have brought back to our line-up again many times... because our visitors love it. It may even be somewhat of a classic here at Golden Pond. Two junior high students attend an evening star party where they get to view planets through a massive Newtonian reflector telescope. In the process they learn all about the history and the development of the telescope, as well as all the things humanity has gleaned since Galileo first turned his spyglass to the heavens. As you know, this must be a lot of information. We have come a long way in our understanding of the cosmos since 1611 when the telescope was invented. If you have been thinking about getting a telescope, then you really should visit us and enjoy Two Small Pieces of Glass. Admission fees apply. Showtimes are Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm.

For More Information: (270) 924-2233