Kansas City History

Buried treasure! The prospect holds an allure for the adventurous nature in all of us. Visit the Arabia Steamboat Museum and learn about the excavation of the 1850s steamboat and her treasure on display at a 25,000-square-foot museum. Visitors are amazed by the number of everyday items, ranging from pickles and ketchup to rubber shoes, sewing supplies, precious jewelry and porcelain dolls. Tools, clothing and personal items are also on display. After viewing the cargo, visitors stand on a full-sized reproduction of the boat’s main deck with its original boilers and steam engine, where murals depict life in Kansas City in the 1850s. The museum’s story is one of a great adventure.

Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm in Johnson County brings 1850s farming to life with tours and programs all year, including stagecoach rides, family programs and a working blacksmith shop. On snowy Saturdays, enjoy horse-drawn sleigh rides on the property.

Learn firsthand about life in the 1850s on a tour of the John Wornall House Museum or the Alexander Majors House, home of the founder of the Pony Express. Missouri Town 1855 and Shoal Creek Living History Museum are two historic villages teaching pioneer life through fun events, festivals and programs. Shawnee Town 1929 is a slightly more modern village where families explore living history firsthand.

At the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, you can load a wagon bound for Oregon and learn about the Westward Expansion. For a truly historic experience, take a wagon tour with Pioneer Trails Adventures.

Kansas City was home to the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman. Learn about his childhood at the Truman Farm, his humble lifestyle at the Truman Home in Independence and his presidency at the Truman Presidential Library. There, visitors participate in interactive exhibits including a replica Oval Office; they also explore Truman artifacts and special exhibits.

Spend a day at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, the nation’s museum dedicated to the history of the Great War. Be sure to take a tour to the top of one of Kansas City’s most iconic landmarks, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the city’s ever-changing and improving skyline.