Membership
The Filson is kept open by the people who use it.
There is no admission fee at the door, and there never has been. Membership is how we make that possible — by underwriting preservation, programs, and the working day of every researcher who walks in.
Why membership matters
Where your dues actually go.
Climate control in the stacks. Conservators at the bench. Archivists writing the finding aids that let researchers find what they came for. The doors open Monday through Friday, and a librarian on duty when you walk in.
The Filson has no admission revenue and no large public-sector subsidy. Members — individuals, families, and households — underwrite the daily work of an institution that has been doing this since 1884.
Tiers
Choose what fits.
Annual memberships, fully tax-deductible. Renewal each year on your join date. Switch tiers any time.
Educator
$30/ year
Teachers, students, and clergy
- Digital subscription to The Filson magazine
- Free admission to all public events
- Free use of the research library
- 10% off image reproductions and licensing
E-Member
$35/ year
Digital-first membership
- Streaming access to all online lectures
- Digital editions of The Filson and Ohio Valley History
- One free hour of remote research assistance per year
- 10% off image reproductions
Most popular
Individual
$85/ year
- Print + digital subscriptions to The Filson and Ohio Valley History
- Free or reduced admission to ticketed programs
- Free use of the research library
- Discounted remote research assistance ($35/hr vs $50/hr)
- 10% off image reproductions and gift-shop merchandise
Family
$140/ year
Two adults plus children under 18
- Everything in Individual
- Reciprocal admission at 1,300+ museums via NARM
- Recognition in The Filson magazine
- Family invitations to member events and exhibition previews
Friend
$250/ year
- Everything in Family
- Invitation to all exhibition openings
- Two guest passes per year for visiting researchers
- Recognition in the annual report
Sustainer
$500/ year
- Everything in Friend
- Two complimentary hours of archival consultation
- Four guest passes per year
- Invitation to the President's annual reception
Leadership giving
The 1884 Society.
Annual gifts of $1,000 and above. Members of the 1884 Society are the Filson’s leadership donors — underwriting major exhibitions, conservation work, and the public programs that make this institution a regional resource.
Become a member today.
It takes about three minutes. Members get their first issue of The Filson within four weeks and full benefits immediately.