Built in 1858, the Wornall House is one of the few surviving pre-Civil War homes in Kansas City. Notably, it was used as a field hospital during the Battle of Westport. The Museum is designed to resemble how it may have looked in 1858 and includes many items that belonged to the Wornall family in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The house also contains artifacts from the Civil War and Battle of Westport. In addition, the Wornall House interprets the lives of the enslaved residents of the Wornall farmstead through extensive signs located throughout the home.
Self-Guided Tours (always available!): Expect to spend 30 minutes to an hour exploring the museum. Signs are placed throughout the museum about a variety of topics from the Wornall family to enslavement on the Missouri-Kansas border. A 25-minute audio guide is also available and can be streamed on your personal device or borrow ours with a deposit. While self-guided tours are not formally guided, a staff member or volunteer will be present to answer questions as needed.
Guided Tours (1:00 & 2:00 Saturdays, additionally when available): Guided tours range from 45 minutes to an hour and are guided and narrated by a docent. Guided tours are an option when a tour guide is available. If you want a guaranteed guided tour, we offer scheduled tours at 1:00 and 2:00 PM on Saturdays.
Please note: Public tours at the Wornall House focus on house history only. We do not tell ghost stories. If you are interested in ghost programming, we offer public ghost tours in October.
Accessibility: The Museum is not fully wheelchair accessible due to the historic nature of the home. However, those with mobility issues should be able to view the first floor of the House with few difficulties, and a wheelchair ramp is located on the north side of the front porch. If you are unable to use the stairs to access the second floor, we have a visual guide of items in the second floor bedrooms your docent can guide you through.
