1859 Jail Museum

09/03/2026

Santa-Cali-Gon is here! The 1859 Jail Museum will be open for tours 10 - 4 Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the festival. We'd love to see you!

09/03/2026

It's been an eleven month journey...

Last October, we picked up the Howard School with a crane and placed it gently in our parking lot. A new foundation was poured, then the little school was returned to it's home...

Now, after months of restoration, we've been able to move the furniture back in and get it ready to host Independence 1st Graders! If you're coming to Santa-Cali-Gon, please stop in at the 1859 Jail Museum for a tour and you can get a peek at the school!

08/24/2026

Is it fall yet? The 1859 Jail Museum's October Events are LIVE!
Are you interested in the darker side of a county jail?

Follow the link below to the 1859 Jail Museum's fall events!

Haunted History Tours are appropriate for age 13 and over accompanied by an adult.

Paranormal Investigations - 18 and over only.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/organizations/jackson-county-historical-society

Please email, call, or stop by if you have any questions!

1859 Jail Museum
217 N. Main St.
Independence, MO 64050
816-252-1892
[email protected]

The Jackson County Historical Society preserves and promotes the rich history of Jackson County through educational programs, exhibits, and community…

08/24/2026

08/06/2026

Please Join Us for a Ladies-Only Event!!

An Evening of History and the Paranormal! Mark your calendar for August 29, 2026, from 7 PM to 11 PM at the iconic 1859 Jail Museum in Independence, MO.

We'll be sharing tales of intriguing ladies who once spent time on both sides of the bars in this Jackson County Jail, presented by Becky Ray from Ghosts a Go-Go. And the excitement doesn’t stop there — Becky and her team from Paranormal Activity Investigators (P.A.I.) will take you on a ghost hunt in the dark, where anything could happen!

Your ticket includes entry to the event, two drink tickets to toast to the spooky night, and tasty snacks to keep you energized. Please note, this is a 21+ event (IDs will be checked), and because the museum is a historic building, it’s not fully ADA accessible.

Tickets are only $25 if you purchase before August 29th - The day of the event, they are $30 at the door, and they may sell out! Hurry and grab yours now - this is one night you won’t want to miss. Ready to embrace the spooky side? Get your tickets today at the link below! Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ladies-of-the-night

07/19/2026

The 1859 Jail Museum will be closed on Tuesday, July 21, so that our staff and volunteers have a chance to see Union Pacific’s No. 4014 “Big Boy” locomotive as it rolls through Independence! The train is scheduled to depart California, Missouri at 10:15 A.M. and arrive in Kansas City's Union Station by 5:30 P.M. where it will be open for public viewing until 8:00 P.M.

The best estimate we can provide for viewing the train in Independence is sometime between 12:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M.

It will be traveling on the tracks that run along Noland Rd. and will pass the historic Truman Depot.
Big Boy No. 4014 was built in November 1941 by the American Locomotive Company, (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York.

The Union Pacific Railroad designed no. 4014 to manage steep mountain grades in the western United States and after more than one million miles in revenue service, it was retired in 1961. The UP shops in Cheyenne Wyoming restored it to operating condition in 2019, and at 133 feet long and 1.2 million pounds it remains the world’s largest operating steam locomotive.

Learn more about its history and restoration, please visit: https://www.up.com/about-us/history/steam/big-boy-4014

07/02/2026

Please Join Colonel Swope and The Jackson County Historical Society! Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 P.M. at the Truman Memorial Building for a re-enactment of the 1910 Swope Murder Trial!

Tickets are $20, and may be purchased here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/swope-murder-trial-a-re-enactment-tickets-1991498389292?aff=oddtdtcreator

You can also purchase tickets at The 1859 Jail Museum at 217 N. Main St. just north of the Independence square.

06/25/2026

It's a dark, stormy afternoon at The 1859 Jail Museum.

We took the opportunity to dress the parlor for Independence Day.

Be safe out there!

06/09/2026

Join us Thursday, August 27, at 6:30 pm, and witness a re-enactment of the Swope Murder Trial !!!

Tickets are just $20 and are available now through Eventbrite
https://swopemurdertrialreenactment.eventbrite.com

You won't want to miss the trial of the century!

05/26/2026

https://www.independencemo.gov/events/restoring-1859-jail-howard-schoolhouse