Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Museums


I've written before about our weekend mini-vacations here in a post called Weekend Ramblers.  And I've written about a historical museum in Miller County, MO that we have visited several times and my husband is a life-time member of. However, in my positivity journal this month, I have written a list of museums we (either my birth family or my husband's birth family or our married family) have visited because we enjoy history, some show exhibits of people we find interesting (see my history nut blog) and some pertain to our genealogical research. 

In my journal, I will only be listing the Museum's name, city and state.  Read the labels down below the post which might give you some clues to the various surnames that we found exhibits on or genealogical information at or places that were important to our ancestors. I don't want to make this post too complicated, but if you see a leaf emblem behind the name, that indicates a important place for His 🍁 or Her 🍀 family. 

So this list of 112 museums stands for now upon publishing, but as we visit other museums or remember more, then I'll come back later to update this list. How many museums and historic sites have you visited, especially those that pertain to your family tree? 


  1.  1859 Jail, Marshal's Home & Museum, Independence, MO. 
  2.  Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, Springfield, IL (2015) 🍀
  3.  Alexander Majors Historic House & Park, Kansas City, MO.
  4.  Arrow Rock State Historic Site, Arrow Rock, MO.
  5. Bates County Historical Museum, Butler, MO.  🍀
  6. Battle of Lexington - State Historical Site, Lexington, MO. 
  7. Battle of Westport Museum and Visitor Center, Kansas City, MO.
  8. Belton Historical Museum, Belton, MO. 
  9. the Big Well, Greensburg, KS
  10. Bolduc House Museum, St. Genevieve, MO.
  11. Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City, KS
  12. Bothwell Lodge - State Historic Site, Pettis Co, MO.
  13. Buffalo Bill Center, Cody, WY
  14.  Bushwhacker Museum, Nevada, MO. 🍀
  15. Christian County Historical Museum, Taylorville, IL (2015) 🍀
  16. Cole Camp Museum, Cole Camp, MO. 
  17.  Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, CO
  18.  Constitution Hall and Territorial Museum, Lecompton, KS. 🍀
  19. Corrie ten Boom Virtual Museum, Haarlem, Holland
  20.  Dalton Defenders Museum, Coffeyville, KS. (1992) 🍀
  21. Dalton Hide-out Museum, Meade, KS. 
  22. Dwight D. Eisenhower Museum, Abilene, KS. 
  23. Felix Valle House - State Historical Site, St. Genevieve, MO. 
  24. First Missouri State Capital, St. Charles, MO. 
  25. Focus on the Family Welcome Center, Colorado Springs, CO
  26. Fort Bliss Army Museum, El Paso, TX
  27. Fort Larned National Historical Site, Larned, KS.
  28. Fort Osage, Sibley, MO. 
  29. Fort Scott National Historical Site, Ft. Scott, KS.
  30. Frontier Army Museum, Ft. Leavenworth, KS.
  31. Glen Miller Birthplace Museum, Clarinda, IA
  32. George Washington Carver's National Monument, Diamond, MO. 
  33. Grant's Farm, St. Louis, Mo. 
  34. Grandview Historical Society Train Depot Museum, Grandview, MO.
  35. Grinter's Place, Kansas City, KS.
  36. Hallmark Visitors Center, Kansas City, MO
  37. Hannibal Historical Museum, Hannibal, MO. (2015)
  38. Harry S. Truman's Birthplace, Lamar, MO. 
  39. Harry S. Truman's Library and Museum, Independence, MO. 
  40. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Dearborn, MI
  41. Illinois State Military Museum, Springfield, IL. (2015) 🍀
  42. John Brown Museum, Osawatomie, KS. 🍀
  43. Johnson County Museum, Overland Park, KS 
  44. John Wornall House Museum, Kansas City, MO. 
  45.  Kansas City Historical Museum, Kansas City, MO.
  46. Kansas City Toy Museum, Kansas City, MO. 
  47. Katy Depot and Railroad Heritage Museum, Sedalia, MO.  
  48. Kaw Indian Mission, Council Grove, KS
  49. Kit Carson Home and Museum, Taos, NM 🍁
  50. Laura Ingalls Wilder Homes, Independence, KS and Mansfield, MO. 
  51. Lawrence Visitors Center, Lawrence, KS. 
  52. Legler Barn Museum, Lenexa, KS.
  53. Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum, St. Charles, MO.  
  54. Lexington Historical Museum, Lexington, MO
  55. Lincoln's New Salem-State Historic Site, Petersburg, IL
  56. Lincoln University Museum, Lincoln, IL
  57.  Logan County Historical Museum, Lincoln, IL (2015) 🍀
  58.  Lone Jack Historical Museum, Lone Jack, MO.
  59.  Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Home, Olathe, KS
  60. the Magic House Children's Museum, St. Louis, MO. 
  61. Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, Hannibal, MO (2015)
  62.  Miami County Historical Museum, Paola, KS. 🍀
  63. Miller County Historical Museum, Tuscumbia, MO. 🍁
  64. Mine Creek Battlefield State Historic Site, Pleasanton, KS. 🍀
  65. Missouri State Museum and Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, Jefferson City, MO.
  66. Missouri Town 1855, Kansas City, MO. 
  67.  Morgan County Historical Museum, Versailles, MO. 
  68. Museum of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO. 
  69. National Airline Historical Museum, Kansas City, KS.
  70. National Agricultural Hall of Fame Museum, Bonner Springs, KS 
  71. National Battlefield of Wilson's Creek, Republic, MO. 🍀
  72.  National Frontier Trails Center, Independence, MO. 
  73. National WWI Liberty Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO. 
  74. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO.
  75.  New Santa Fe Historical Society Trailside Center, Kansas City, MO.
  76. No Man's Land Historical Museum, Goodwell, OK (Mom worked here during college years for Dr. McQuarter) 🍀
  77. Old State Capital, Springfield, IL. (2015) 🍀
  78.  Osawatomie Historical Museum, Osawatomie, KS. 
  79. Pablo Agricultural Center, Blue Mound, IL (2015; permanently closed) 🍀
  80.  Papinville Historical Museum, Papinville, MO. 🍁
  81. Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK
  82. Pony Express Museum, St. Joseph, MO. 
  83. Precious Moments Chapel and Visitors Center, Carthage, MO. 
  84. Providence Hospital Medical Museum (Bethany Hospital memorabilia), Kansas City, KS 🍀
  85. Ralph Foster Museum, Point Lookout, MO
  86. Ray County Historical Museum, Richmond, MO. 
  87. Ripley's Believe it Or Not Museum, Branson, MO
  88.  Santa Fe Trailside Center, Kansas City, MO.
  89. Sappington House-State Park, Arrow Rock, Mo. 
  90. Science Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
  91. the Science Center, St. Louis, MO.  
  92.  Shawnee Indian Mission, Fairway, KS. 🍀
  93. Shoal Creek Living History Museum - Hodge Park, North Kansas City, MO.
  94. State Capital Museum, Jefferson City, MO.
  95. Strang Carriage House, Overland Park, KS.  
  96. Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE. 
  97. Strawberry Hill Historical Museum, Kansas City, KS
  98. Stauth Memorial Museum, Montezuma, KS
  99. St. Joseph Hospital Medical Museum, Kansas City, MO. 
  100. Thomas Hart Benton -- State Park, Kansas City, MO.
  101. Tippecanoe Battlefield & Museum, Battle Ground, IN.
  102. Trail of Tears - State Park, Jackson, MO.
  103.  Truman House, Independence, MO. 
  104.  Union Station Science City Museum, Kansas City, MO.
  105. War Eagle Air Museum, Santa Teresa, NM.
  106. Watkins Woolen Mill - State Park, Lawson, MO. 
  107. Western Historical Trails Center, Council Bluff, IA. 
  108.  Westport Historical Society Museum, Kansas City, MO. 🍀
  109. Wonders of Wildlife National Museum, Springfield, MO.
  110. Wonderscope Children's Museum, Red Bridge Road, south Kansas City, MO. 
  111. Wyandotte County Historical Museum, Bonner Springs, KS
  112. Young-Truman Home, Grandview, MO.

MUSEUMS WE WOULD LIKE TO VISIT:
1.  Mather House Museum, Port Jefferson, NY (for Earline Spinney's clock collection) 🍀
2. Morton County Historical Museum, Elkhart, KS  🍀
3. Santa Fe Trail Center Museum, Larned, KS. 🍁
4. Wyckoff House, Brooklyn, NY 🍁

    Updated: 3/31/2023