A fascinating adventure into an exciting display of history awaits you at the St. Joseph Museums. Located 30 minutes from the Kansas City, Missouri, airport, the St. Joseph Museums offer a full schedule of award-winning exhibits that will stir new thoughts and observations about the shaping of history in the Midwest and across the country. You’ll learn unique stories, enjoy unusual visual art, and gain new insight into a variety of areas.
The St. Joseph Museums offer not just one destination for your day trip, but a family of museums with exhibits to captivate visitors: the Glore Psychiatric Museum, American Indian and History Galleries of the St. Joseph Museum, Black Archives Museum, and the Doll Museum are located at 3406 Frederick Avenue, just off of I-29 Highway at exit 47. In Downtown St. Joseph, visit the 1879 Wyeth-Tootle Mansion, 1100 Charles Street.
For a memorable experience, make plans to take in these exciting exhibits at St. Joseph Museums:
Celebrate 50 years of the Glore Psychiatric Museum with a special exhibit entitled, “Thinking About Thinking,” opening in May 2018. Named one of USA TODAY’s 10 Best Attractions in Missouri, the Glore Psychiatric Museum has been the subject of documentaries produced by Discovery Channel, PBS, The Science Channel and The Learning Channel.
The Glore Psychiatric Museum, recipient of the TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence, chronicles the history of the treatment of the mentally ill and the story of a hospital that opened in 1874 as “State Lunatic Asylum No. 2.” On display are treatment devices, surgical tools, nurses’ uniforms, personal notes, as well as fascinating pieces of artwork by hospital patients that provide a glimpse into their lives.
Some of the most memorable displays at the Glore Psychiatric Museum include a collection of 453 nails and other items recovered from the stomach of a patient. Another item that inspires both curiosity and empathy is a sheet embroidered with the thoughts and musings of a schizophrenic patient who preferred not to communicate verbally.
Called one of the “50 Most Unusual Museums in the Country,” the Glore Psychiatric Museum is a destination for thousands of visitors each year and remains an intriguing place to contemplate the inner workings of the mind and future of mental health treatment.
American Indian Galleries at St. Joseph Museums
One area of the St. Joseph Museums that is always fascinating to visitors is the American Indian Galleries exhibit, which provides context to the natural, cultural, and Native American influences that remain important in the current world.
A great many items in the Gallery are part of the Harry L. George collection. From 1904 to 1923, George amassed one of the largest collections of Native American items in the world at a time when their way of life was dramatically changing. In doing so, he preserved a huge portion of their material culture. He acquired thousands of objects that the Native Americans used and made for trade and kept detailed records on each item. His meticulous research and huge collection allows the Museum to include Native American items from the ten cultural areas of North America. Featured exhibits include pottery, cradleboards, masks, items from the Lakota Nation, and archaeological pieces.
Black Archives Museum
In the Black Archives Museum, you’ll learn intriguing facts about the contributions of African Americans to St. Joseph, Missouri, and beyond. A variety of exhibits showcase the achievements of leaders and legends from the Civil War, jazz music, sports and civic and community leaders. Originally founded as the Knea-Von Black Archives, the museum collection was founded in 1991 by Jewell Robinson.
As a former teacher in St. Joseph, Missouri, Robinson used the archives to teach local young adults about black culture and heritage, and Robinson’s wife Geraldine continued this work until 2002 when it became part of the St. Joseph Museums, Inc., system.
Exhibits explore such topics as slavery in Missouri, Before We Were Soldiers 1840s-1850s, Colored Soldiers in the Civil War, and the local impact of the Civil Rights era. No visit would be complete without stopping to hear from such musicians as the “Father of the Tenor Sax,” Coleman Hawkins, a St. Joseph native.
Doll Museum
Explore the world of dolls from many cultures through this collection which dates from the 1840s to the present day. The museum houses a large collection of antique, collectible, and modern dolls, as well as doll accessories, doll houses, miniatures, and many other types of toys.
View dolls you remember well, such as Barbie, Chatty Cathy and a whole garden of Cabbage Patch Kids, and you’ll find an amazing collection of unique and beautiful examples from doll companies such as Simon & Halbig, Jumeau of France and Handwerck of Germany.
You’ll also enjoy a variety of other toys, from tin soldiers to pull toys, and be inspired to remember your own childhood and think about your favorite pastimes from your own youth. Be sure to visit the Doll Museum, where collections span a variety of cultures and generations.
Make St. Joseph Museums Your Destination This Year
If there’s ever been a perfect time to visit the St. Joseph Museums, 2018 is the year. St. Joseph, Missouri, turns 175 in 2018, and the occasion is marked with a celebratory exhibit called, “175 Years of Unusual and Uncommon St. Joseph History.” It will open in July 2018 and is expected to draw attention to the distinctly unique qualities of St. Joseph, Missouri.
From the 175-year celebration of St. Joseph history to the 50-year anniversary of the Glore Psychiatric Museum, you’ll enjoy every moment of your visit to St. Joseph, Missouri.
As a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum Association, the St. Joseph Museums offers exceptional benefits to its members. If you join at the Sponsor level, you not only enjoy admission to all five St. Joseph Museums, but you also receive reciprocal benefits at 925 participating museums and sites. These include children’s museums, and botanical gardens, as well as science and technology centers.
A day of exciting exploration and adventure is waiting for you at the St. Joseph Museums. Make it a day trip or spend the weekend enjoying all five museums and sampling the vibrant dining and shopping available in Downtown St. Joseph, Missouri.
