Missouri Town Living History Museum is a 30-acre (120,000 m2) outdoor history museum located in Fleming Park east of Lake Jacomo in Jackson County, Missouri.[2] It is owned and operated by Jackson County Parks + Rec.

Missouri Town Living History Museum
Map
Former name
Missouri Town 1855
Established1964[1]
LocationBlue Springs, Missouri
Coordinates38°58′25″N 94°18′03″W / 38.973710°N 94.300855°W / 38.973710; -94.300855
TypeLiving History Museum
WebsiteMissouri Town - Jackson County Parks & Rec

Site description

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Missouri Town Living History Museum consists of more than 25 structures, most dating from before the Civil War (1820 to 1860). This antebellum open-air museum shows 19th-century lifestyle using interpreters dressed in period attire, the growing of various crops of the era, along with livestock (many rare).[2] [3]

Missouri Town was never an actual town. It is a representation of a mid-19th-century Missouri town, consisting of buildings which were moved there from other locations in Missouri. Buildings include:[2]

  • Barns (c. 1840, 1848, 1855, 1860)
  • Chicken Coop (c. 1830–1850)
  • Church (c. 1844)
  • Herb Shed (Unknown)
  • Hog Shed (c. 1838)
  • Law Office (c. 1880)
  • Luttrell Cabin (c. 1860)
  • Marsh House (c. 1841–1855)
  • Riffie House (c. 1844)
  • Schoolhouse (c. 1860)
  • Smokehouses (c. 1830, 1850)
  • Summer Kitchen (c. 1842–1843)
  • Tavern (c. 1822)
  • Webb House (c. 1848)
  • Withers House (1842)
  • Woodard Workshop (c. 1837)

Several buildings are reproductions using materials salvaged from other period structures, such as the Mercantile (c. 1973) and Blacksmith Shop (c. 1970) .

The Root Cellar is only building original to the property, having belonged to the farm that owned the site before being purchased by Jackson County Parks + Rec.

Programs and activities

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There are workshops available from spring to fall. The official website[2] should be referenced for details, as they vary from year to year.

Friends of Missouri Town 1855

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The Friends are a non-profit group formed shortly after the site opened, passionate about the history of the site and its legacy. They provide many talents to the village: including sewing, dying, candle making, cider pressing, weaving, etc.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fox, Jeff (October 3, 2014). "Missouri Town 1855 Turning 50". The Examiner. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d "Missouri Town 1855". Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  3. ^ Light, Kristina (May 2010). "Missouri Town 1855 & The Little House Project". KC Parent. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  4. ^ "About". FOMT 1855. Retrieved 2023-07-16.