All aboard for a trip to the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City! This fantastic locally owned feature which showcases Kansas/Missouri history in a positive way is open EVERY day except major holidays.
There are regularly scheduled, informative tours of the contents of the Arabia steamboat which sank in the Missouri River in 1856, to finally be located and rescued 132 years later.
Fabulous displays of the contents of the ship which were carefully sorted out by the Hawley family and staff. These items were then preserved using unique methods and are showcased artfully for your examination and enjoyment. Who would have thought how carefully one must handle items that have been preserved in water/mud for over a hundred years and are so susceptible to the ravages of air!
School age kids on up really can appreciate this glimpse of the past which shows us actual items of life from childhood to old age. Items of work, refinement; of the river prosperity and hope of the West. We may have deodorant, hair dryers and fast cars, but the folks looking for the cargo of the Arabia were anticipating some mighty fine things! That the passengers all escaped with their lives makes this a warm and positive story to relive through the possessions of their era.
The Arabia Steamboat Museum (http://www.1856.com/) is one of many cultural resources that encourage people to want to live around the Kansas City metro area. The museum graciously granted permission to link to these photos from the website. This facility is NOT to be missed. The rates are great and the people are even better!
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