Missouri Town Living History Museum
Preserving the Authentic Experience of 1800s Western Missouri Agriculture
DETAILS
Project: Cultivating Connections: Bringing Mid-1800s Agriculture to Life
Term: Five Years
Commitment: $125,000
DESCRIPTION
Missouri Town Living History Museum connects the past and present through interpretation, hands-on learning, and historic preservation. Across nearly 30 acres, more than 25 buildings dating from 1822 to 1880 bring mid-19th-century Jackson County to life. Original structures from seven western Missouri counties are filled with historic tools and furnishings that help visitors imagine daily life in the region.
Through Cultivating Connections, the museum will use living history to show how agriculture shaped western Missouri’s politics, economy, society, and culture. The project will offer agricultural workshops, expand the crop and livestock programs, improve pastures, and create programs for toddlers and homeschool families. Funding will also strengthen the museum’s volunteer program and community partnerships.
OBJECTIVES
Marketing: Increase admissions and attract additional volunteers through expanded marketing efforts
Programming: Purchase materials for agricultural workshops, pasture maintenance, and hands-on demonstrations using historic agricultural equipment.
Volunteers: Purchase more interpretive clothing for volunteer interpreters, provide opportunities for training in historic crafts
Livestock: Purchase cattle, related care supplies, and interpretive signage.
Learn more about the Preserving America Partners program.
