St. Clair Historical Museum

St. Clair Historical Museum The St. Clair Historical Museum portrays local history of St. Clair, Missouri and surrounding areas. WE ARE NOW OPEN at our new location with limited hours.

In February of 2014, tragically our building and most of our collection was lost in a fire. If you would like to help our efforts as we are "Rising from the Ashes," leave a message here or at our email address. We are a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, staffed only by volunteers and admission is by freewill donation. All help, personal or financial is appreciated.

The State Museum's "From Mud to the Mother Road" display is up at the museum. Tomorrow is a sneak preview--it will be up...
06/06/2026

The State Museum's "From Mud to the Mother Road" display is up at the museum. Tomorrow is a sneak preview--it will be up the entire month of June--(has to be returned June 30.)

This consists of 5 double-sided 8-foot tall panels, telling the story of Route 66. Places in Franklin County, including St. Clair and Pacific, are mentioned on the panels.

This display is part of the Missouri State Museum's traveling exhibits-- and didn't cost the Museum anything to display--just a trip to Jefferson City to pick it up, and then to take it back.

Please come by and take a look. It will also be there next Saturday-- the date of our Route 66 Centennial Cruise-in. Anyone with a classic car is welcome to come to the museum and boast on their car for four hours June 13 from 10 am to 2 pm. Museum members will be on hand by 9 a.m. to help cruise-ees.

THIS SATURDAY June 13! This will be happening...Shine or Rain!People will be outside the Museum at 9 a.m. to help direc...
05/26/2026

THIS SATURDAY June 13! This will be happening...Shine or Rain!

People will be outside the Museum at 9 a.m. to help direct cruisers to parking spaces.

(Ok--tornadoes or lightning storms...all bets are off, but we're being positive-- it's June in Missouri, remember?)

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW! GOT A CLASSIC CAR? COME BE PART OF The St. Clair Route 66 Centennial Cruise-in June 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Corner of SPRINGFIELD and MAIN.

Jo from the Museum here. In addition to the Car Cruise-In , PEOPLE with classic cars, especially 1926 to 1985 are VERY WELCOME to come and show off at the Ability parking lot, provided they stay with their vehicles. No fee. Just be willing to talk about your ride!

There will be a food truck, music, and free maps showing St. Clair Then and Now along Route 66, the routes it took through town, and the buildings still standing on Commercial Avenue.

In Addition for the month of June, the Museum will be hosting a traveling exhibit from the Missouri State Museum, called From Mud to the Mother Road.

We are very proud to be working with the St. Clair Library-- at 11 a.m. some of the more senior members who have spent their lives in St. Clair will be talking about what it was to live here in the heyday of US 66.

June 13 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. FREE Come join us and celebrate Route 66 in St. Clair.

Thanks to everyone who commented on what was there before K&K Auto Sales! The museum learned a lot about the grocery bus...
05/10/2026

Thanks to everyone who commented on what was there before K&K Auto Sales! The museum learned a lot about the grocery business in St. Clair, and free map copies will be available on June 13.

Now....

The museum is looking for some person to help us make a repair to the 5x8 foot St. Clair diorama. This is the big case containing the Main Street of 1917 layout. This is the exhibit St. Clair firemen got out of the old museum in the middle of the night and saved on a flatbed trailer. The top is glassed over, and the side panels are plexiglass.

One of the side panels has popped out, and we'd like to put it back. Nothing was broken and we have the plexiglas panel. If you know how to replace a broken glass panel in a door, or a breakfront china cabinet, you are our go-to person!

It's probably not rocket science, but the current staff just doesn't know how to do this, what cement to use, or the procedure. Or if you can recommend a local company that does this work, that would be good, too.

If you can help us out, please call Carla Wulfers 636 667 0231 or Jo Schaper 636 667 4162 to make arrangements to look at it or come by the museum on Saturdays, 12 noon to 4 pm. We'd like to have it fixed before the car cruise-in on June 13.

Thanks!

04/28/2026

I know there are train people on here and in St. Clair. UP 4014, the "Big Boy" will be doing a whistle stop of 15 minutes in Pacific on Monday July 20, from 12:30-12:45 pm.

So: what does that have to do with St. Clair? The Pacific Railroad of Missouri, which was chartered in 1849 and built west to Franklin County by 1852, was the first railroad to build west out of St. Louis. Its destination was Jefferson City, then Kansas City and beyond. In 1855 the Southwest Branch of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad -- same trackage, different name--was begun with a destination of Springfield, reaching St. Clair in 1859.

In 1876, after some more financial chaos, the Southwest Branch was officially incorporated as the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway-- the Frisco. The Missouri Pacific was taken over by Union Pacific in the 1980s.

The UP has to run the engine on its own tracks for legal and liability reasons, so it probably never will come to St. Clair.

If you are a train nut, AKA "railfan"-- and you've never seen this thing under steam.. it is a thrill like no other. Take a long lunch hour and plan to see it somewhere in Franklin County. It will pass through, but not stop in Washington, towards its next whistlestop at Hermann.

04/28/2026

Crowd Source question: I am working on a detailed map showing the former and current business occupants of still existing buildings along Commercial Street from the north city limits to Old Gravois at highway exit 239 for the museum 66 celebration.

465 N. Commercial is now K&K Auto Sales. Maxine Scheske told me it used to be a grocery store, under several different brands or owners.

Does anyone know what the name(s) of the store were? Thank you!

04/21/2026

Finally! Details on our June 13 Route 66 Centennial Cruise-in, being held at the Museum, 560 S. Main (and the Ability lot next door with their permission) AND the Scenic Regional Library in St. Clair, a few feet west at 515 E. Springfield. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Questions? Email [email protected] or call 636 667 0231 or 636 667 4162.

Please right click and save this flyer, and invite your friends. A local car club will have their vehicles on display. If you would like to bring your ride (especially from 1926-1985 model years) and show it off for 4 hours, please contact one of the museum officers so we know to hold a spot for you. Drive-ins also welcome. Come celebrate 100 years of Route 66 in St. Clair!
Family friendly and Free.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF REVISED MUSEUM HOURSAt our last board meeting on April 14, we decided that starting on April 26, and con...
04/18/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT OF REVISED MUSEUM HOURS

At our last board meeting on April 14, we decided that starting on April 26, and continuing through the end of August, The St. Clair Historical Museum will be open the first, second and third Saturdays of the month. The LAST SATURDAY followed by a Sunday, we will be CLOSED, and OPEN on that last SUNDAY.

The time will be 12 noon to four p.m. on Sunday as it has been and is on Saturdays. We hear from people all the time who for one reason or another cannot visit the museum on a Saturday. This is an effort to accommodate them.

We have wanted to be open both days of the weekends for some time, however, we simply do not have the personnel to cover those expanded hours. If you would like to volunteer to help, we would be more than happy to talk with you! (636 667 4162 or 636 667 0231 or [email protected])

This is a trial run: if you've always wanted Sunday hours, now is the time to take advantage of that. We will reassess next September to see how it is working out.

THANK YOU, and please tell your friends about this change.

Address

560 S. Main Street (MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 137)
Saint Clair, MO
63077

Opening Hours

12pm - 2pm

Telephone

(636) 667-0231

Website

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