The Friends of Audubon is a non-profit organization formed in Henderson, Kentucky in 1984 as a means to support, promote, and enhance the John James Audubon State Park.

The first major project of the Friends was to raise money to purchase the Tyler Collection. This collection of original artwork and artifacts had been on loan from the descendants of John James Audubon to Audubon State Park since the Museum opened in 1938. This was no easy task, as the price tag was $2 million. The group set out to raise $1 million in local funds, which would then be matched by the state. The campaign was a success, with FOA raising $1.5 million, thus ensuring the collection would stay in the rightful place and care of those at the Museum for all to enjoy.

The surplus created an endowment fund, and meant the citizens of Henderson would always have an open link to the John James Audubon Museum and continue to preserve, support, and enhance what the FOA organization worked so hard to attain. FOA is proud to say the John James Audubon Museum hosts one of the finest collections in the world of art, history and artifacts by and regarding its namesake. Since the 1990s, the FOA has grown and has a full Board of Directors and many “Friends,” spread far and wide across the country and the world! The FOA Board has since made many more improvements to the Museum, and also lends a financial and physical hand to many events at the Park, fixing nature trails, constructing a 50-seat theater, and most recently acquiring a 649 acre property called Audubon Wetlands nearby, which will create peaceful trails and natural habitats for numerous local wildlife.

If you are interested in becoming a Friend of Audubon, kindly click on the “Become a Member” button. Thank you!