KFC Headquarters, Colonel Sanders Treasures Head to Historic Auction
Memorabilia that some may describe as "finger-lickin' good" is going up for sale later this month.
The late, great Harland Sanders - otherwise known as Colonel Sanders - founded KFC nearly 100 years ago, and his wife helped build the iconic business up. Now, Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Kentucky is holding a public auction on July 28 that will feature "one of the most comprehensive collections" of the Colonel's personal memorabilia.
"For the first time in more than fifty years, the personal collection preserved by the Settle family, together with the historic Claudia Sanders Dinner House and Blackwood Hall, will be offered to the public," according to the auction's website.
That means that the first-ever headquarters for KFC will soon be up for sale, with the historic property going to the highest bidder. Any interest?
"These are not items assembled by a collector," said Bill Menish, auctioneer for the sale, in a statement shared with media. "They are artifacts preserved by the family who were hand selected to purchase the Colonel's home and business directly from Colonel and Claudia Sanders more than fifty years ago. Together they tell a story few people have ever had the opportunity to see."
The collection documents Sanders' personal life, business career and public legacy, offering insight into both the man and the cultural phenomenon he became, according to recent press release. The collection is expected to attract interest from museums, private collectors, franchise operators, food historians and Americana enthusiasts across the U.S. and internationally.
Auction organizers boast that one of the collection's most significant artifacts is Sanders' personal working planner, which gained additional historical significance when one of its pages later attracted significant international media attention and became the subject of litigation (since resolved).
Additional highlights from the collection include:
- Handwritten recipes and cooking notes
- Personal clothing and accessories
- Letters and correspondence from U.S. Presidents
- Colonel Sanders' engraved pressure cooker
- Personal kitchen and cooking artifacts
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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 10:07 AM.