Arabia Steamboat Museum image

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Tourist attraction Museum History museum Local history museum

One of the Most Reviewed History museums in Kansas City


Address

400 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106

Website

www.1856.com

Contact

(816) 471-1856

Rating on Google Maps

4.70 (2.8K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 12 to 5 PM
  • Monday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Tuesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Wednesday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Thursday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Friday: 10 AM to 5 PM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: museum (49) artifacts (22) story (16) Arabia (15) steamboat (14) time (13) history (12) videos (11) amazing (11) collection (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Becca C. 2 years ago on Google
    The museum was extremely well done. The exhibits were nicely displayed and pretty self-explanatory, but there were employees, including Jerry, one of the original excavators, walking around telling stories, and pointing out details the signage didn't tell. That was probably my favorite part. It took us about 2 hours to go through the entire museum. The price is very reasonable, and definitely worth it. Made a great homeschool field trip.
    12 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bryan T. 2 years ago on Google
    This is an absolute gem for Kansas City, rich with both local and national historical significance. Not only does this well preserved collection share incredible insight of American frontier life prior to the Civil War, but guests are treated to an incredible story of how 5 average individuals and their families banded together to accomplish the unbelievable. The gift shop is a little hokey, but the real treasures are in the museum beyond.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Christopher C. 4 months ago on Google • 456 reviews
    Great place to take the family. We saw people of all ages at the museum. They have lots of videos for you to watch and learn about the steamboats, lots of artifacts on display. What i found interesting is they were still cleaning stuff and they did it right in front of you. The scientist that was working on a wagon wheel was puzzled because the mollusk were only eating the metal part of the wheel, not the wood...which is just weird. We spent about 90minutes, maybe 2 hours going through everything. Very unique attraction for Kansas City.

  • 5/5 Abigail L. 3 months ago on Google • 303 reviews New
    This is probably the only museum I have gone back to several times. I always recommend it to anybody who was going to be in the Kansas City area. It has been renovated since the last time we were there. It is completely fascinating. I highly recommend stopping at each video and watching them. They're not only entertaining but full of information. They include good information to know as you walk through the rest of the museum. Great location as there's a lot of things to see, do, and eat in the area. Highly recommend!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chuck K. 2 years ago on Google
    This is an amazing story of five guys and happenstance. They excavated a sunken treasure and created this museum. It's a fabulous museum and incredible story. Here is one of the men that made it happen. I was so enthralled I failed to take photos. Look it up and real all about it.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Melissa H. 2 years ago on Google
    Better than I'd anticipated. You can't get a feel for the size when you walk into the building (you buy tickets at the souvenir shop counter, tickets are I think $15/person for adults) and then proceed downstairs. As you go down, there are videos that depict a pretty interesting story, and then there's more! It just keeps going and going as you go in, until you're seeing a huge collection of actual finds from within the steamboat wreck. Pretty amazing stuff!
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Harper C. 1 year ago on Google
    I LOVED this museum. There are videos to watch and displays to see. It isn’t very big but if you’re a fan of old stuff and getting a glimpse into the life of your ancestors, you’ll enjoy viewing the commodities they used to buy.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 P.A.E 2 years ago on Google
    While walking through the Arabia museum, i met Mr David Hawley, he was a great guy ... we spoke about finding the Arabia and we even touched on his discovery of The Malta among other things. It was nice to meet such a down to earth guy who actually takes the time to talk to people about his museum and his work.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Hugo S. 1 year ago on Google
    This was fantastic, staff are very informative and very friendly. This was a wonderful experience and can’t wait to watch the next dig live! Great collection can’t believe the quality of the collection of artifacts! Have to stop and see this when you’re in Kansas City! Awesome
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Michelle H. 3 months ago on Google • 71 reviews New
    My mom and I stumbled across this by accident. We are from Washington, MO and we’re in KC for 2 days and were looking for something to do. We were going to the Wizard candy shop and then we’re walking around the mall when we found it. We had to to the museum. Very educational and very exciting to learn something new. Never learn about Arabia steamboat in school. I feel like we should as it is apart of American history. Staff was very friendly and will to answer all questions.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joseph C. 8 months ago on Google
    The Arabia Steamboat Museum is one of the more memorable museums I've ever been to. I've been to museums where you could see the technicians working on artifacts behind glass. And I've been to museums where you have docents who talk about artifacts. In this museum you have an opportunity to speak directly to the curators and technicians. The down-to-earth story behind finding the Arabia steamboat and uncovering it is the stuff of legends. That the team of local people who did this amazing thing turned around and kept all the artifacts together in this museum is remarkable. It's unheard of to my knowledge anyway. So many artifacts in a variety of conditions that can be not only be examined examined and studied, but also simultaneously appreciated by the public. This place has great historical significance, both for the generation of the steamboat itself and also of the generation that uncovered it. If you're interested in American history, or steamboats, or a myriad of other cultures that traversed the path from Kansas City to Oregon along the Columbia River, then this museum is a must-see.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marty M. 2 years ago on Google
    Awesome place! We were driving on a 9 day road trip and were told this place was a must. Being a history buff, this was a hit! Incredible story and you can get lost in all the artifacts.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Brian F. 1 year ago on Google
    Very interesting to learn about the sinking and then re-discovery of this steam ship. Plenty to read and look at. Actual parts of the ship as well as the cargo(and there A LOT) You can just stroll through at your own pace. This could take several hours depending on how much you want to stop and read the signage. We took a little over an hour but we had to pay for parking so we went through quickly. If you go to the "center lot" parking is free.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 John O. 2 years ago on Google
    The Steamboat Arabia museum is amazing! The displays and presentation of the recovered artifacts and cargo aboard the ship is very well done; and the preservation work continues still. We briefly met one of the family members of the group of people who sought out finding the vessel and unearthed it. Also, we got to speak with a member of the preservation team, who was working on some shoes. They were very polite and quite passionate about the museum!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jason C. 8 months ago on Google
    The museum is pretty cool. There wasnt much of the original steamboat frame or timbers, but the display of all the goods found from that time are nicely cleaned up and displayed. I will say the museum is inside the city market area which made it near impossible to park within 5 blocks of the museum. There is no museum dedicated parking, and its not free.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gretchen Leigh W. 1 year ago on Google
    HISTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE!!! 🚢🚢🚢🚢 Incredible collection and beautifully explained history of the Arabia. If you are visiting or are a local, this is a MUST stop experience. Restrooms available before you enter and during the tour. Employees are meandering around to explain bits and stations. They were very welcoming.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 S A. 2 years ago on Google
    The quality and quantity of artifacts was amazing. One of the museum owners was also there to greet and talk with us and answer questions. Definitely worth the time. One could almost imagine what it was like be back in that time period.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Valerie B. 2 years ago on Google
    We really enjoyed this museum! The story of the Arabia and its rediscovery is amazing, and the artifacts are wonderful. The displays are well done. Be sure to stop by the lab to see artifact restoration in progress!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 A.J. W. 7 months ago on Google • 69 reviews
    Fascinating museum - the collection of artifacts found in the wreck of the Steamboat Arabia, including the personal story of the team that discovered the wreck. The sheer volume of artifacts is amazing and continues to expand as they restore and preserve items (intact jars of pickles, dishware collections, rubber boots, clothing,...). The layout is nice as it walks visitors though the modern discovery of the boat and object recovery before displaying and interpreting the artifacts from the boat and its cargo. My only reason for the 4 stars is the interpretation. Mention was made of Bloody Kansas and one display of guns specifically addressed the violence surrounding the question of if Kansas would be a slave or free state. A portion of a display addressed slaves working on the riverboats. While the men's entertainments aboard were addressed, little time was spent discussing the women aboard, seemingly assuming that they all were women going west to join their husbands? Admittedly, this museum is over 20 years old and our standards of presenting balanced interpretation of thorny historical topics while attempting to represent diverse voices have changed, but I would have liked to see a more nuanced discussion.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Laura H. 8 months ago on Google • 119 reviews
    So cool! We took my 2 year old and 9 month old. The baby could have cared less but liked looking at people but our 2 year old loved the giant water wheel and some of the other bigger things. My husband and I thought it was so interesting what good condition it all was in! They had such a nice little gift shop with some old school toys which felt very appropriate. We didn’t find any changing tables in the community bathrooms for this little area. Maybe they have them and we couldn’t find them…

  • 5/5 Keanu S. 1 year ago on Google
    I would totally go back. I went with family as a birthday outing. The entire family enjoyed the museum. It is an unbelievable story of friendship and family all supporting each other to research and find the hidden location of the Arabia Steamboat. I do not want to spoil too much. Go and take the tour!!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Amiel D. 1 year ago on Google
    Absolutely amazing collection! What a lot of work restoring all the items that went down with the ship. A true glimpse of the past way of life. Met Dave who actually found the ship He is a wealth of info on all the items and back story as well. Very reasonable admission, don't skip this one! A gem!!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 terry h. 2 years ago on Google
    Great story about treasure hunting and modern technology to recover a boat that was buried under farm land after the river shifted. I had no idea that the people going west brought door knows and door locks. The display of the things carried as cargo was very interesting.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 DK M. 2 years ago on Google
    A really great museum with a really cool story. Spent two hours going through the exhibits. A must see if in the area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 karen b. 2 years ago on Google
    This place was so cool! I’m not a museum lover at all but this one was extremely interesting to me!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tom M. 8 months ago on Google
    This is an awesome museum! They laid it out just perfect. I really enjoyed seeing all the artifacts they recovered from the steamboat. I would really recommend this museum if you are in the KC area.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Corrigan D. 11 months ago on Google
    Ok so this was a really cool place to visit. Cost $15 to get in. But the exhibits were really informative and it was pretty cool to run into Dave that was part of the Dig. Found out about it when I was in parkville they have a sign right across from the dig site.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alison W. 1 year ago on Google
    It took me a couple visits to City Market to convince my hubby to visit the museum. I am so glad to finally get a chance to go. It was so incredibly interesting!! I was very impressed with quality videos, large collection of preserved treasures, and the staff was amazing sharing with us personal anecdotes from the recovery and describing the incredible effort going into preserving the collection. I highly recommend checking out this museum with your family!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 LS T. 2 months ago on Google • 98 reviews New
    After hearing about the Arabia Steamboat Museum for years, we finally were able to see it for ourselves yesterday on December 28th, 2023. The location was easy to find and there was no wait to get right in and purchase passes. The museum does an excellent job of telling the story of how the discovery of the Arabia came about. What started as a way for a few to find treasure, soon turns into a sharing of a one of a kind discovery for all to enjoy. The artifacts are very well displayed and the museum, unlike many other similar museums, is not crammed packed full of items that soon lose the interest of visitors. I think this museum included the perfect amount of items and by no means felt overwhelming. We spent about 45 minutes to an hour from start to finish but we didn't read every plaque or display. I would recommend anyone coming to the KC area to stop and visit this one of a kind hidden gem.

  • 5/5 Flere B. 4 months ago on Google • 98 reviews
    This was very interesting. Maybe I’m enjoying history more now that I’m older. There were short videos in the beginning that talk about the history and who eventually recovered all of the artifacts. A must see if you are in the area.

  • 5/5 Sarah N. 1 month ago on Google • 60 reviews New
    One of the coolest museums I’ve been to—you’ve got to go and see for yourself.

  • 5/5 L J. 1 year ago on Google
    I love this museum. Lots of history and got to talk with one of the family members that did the excavation. They still have a lot to preserve and put out especially clothes. The videos are great too

  • 5/5 Jonathan T. 1 month ago on Google • 38 reviews New
    We are a pair of steamboat historians. We thought the presentation of the story of the location and excavation of the wreck was excellent. The collection is certainly impressive, but in particular we enjoyed speaking with a member of the conservation staff (Len W, if memory serves) who generously answered all of our many questions and clearly had a passion for their work. The main deck steamboat display was very well dine, and the interpretive signage most helpful - not just for us, but also for the general public. While we were there, several locals mentioned that they’ve been there multiple times over the years and keep coming back and also recommend the museum to all their visiting family and friends. Our only disappointment was that neither of the two books published about the ARABIA remain in print nor, we were told, are available used online. But of course this isn’t the fault of the museum, and the videos and displays at the museum do a fine job of telling the story. We were also fortunate to speak with Matt Hawley, son of one of the original project team and now runs marketing for the museum. We hope the museum continues to operate for many years to come and can potentially serve as the seed for the establishment of a national steamboat interpretive center.

  • 5/5 KC P. 4 months ago on Google
    I'm so glad we visited! Exhibits walk you thru with photos how they located and excavated the steamboat. My kids were interested the whole time as well! Ages 9 and 12. Highly recommend!

  • 5/5 Tess K. 2 months ago on Google New
    I hadn't been to this Museum in maybe 15 years but it was so fun going again with my kids. 8 & 10 yo They really enjoyed learning about the history and seeing all the stuff in the exhibits. We had a really nice time

  • 5/5 Hope H. 1 year ago on Google
    So many artifacts from this sunken steamboat! It's a fascinating window into a slice of life in the 1850s. Very cool to see the preservation work continuing. The self-paced tour begins with four stations that each play ~5-minute videos, then there's a longer video in a theater, then free range exploration of the rest of the museum. All of the videos are optional, or you can go back, if you just want to skip ahead to see the exhibits. Our group had some reductant museum-goers, but this offered a little something for everyone in our group: human interest stories, history in context, geology, science and engineering, arts and culture. The gift shop is the beginning where you can purchase admission and the tour ends there as well. The staff members here were kind and informative. We parked in front of the museum (off Grand) and it was easy to pay for 2-hour parking online ($2.29), and that was just the right amount of time for our group. Worth a visit, especially if you want an outing with out-of-town guests.

  • 5/5 Mark S. 10 months ago on Google
    Very cool museum with an amazing display of artifacts! One of the gentlemen that found the steamboat was there telling stories! Fascinating glimpse into the past! Worth your time!

  • 5/5 Sami P. 10 months ago on Google
    The Arabia museum was very cool if you enjoy history and see old artifacts. I’d say you don’t need more then 90mins to watch all the videos and walk though. The recovers artifacts are very well keeps and you can still see all the detail on the objects.

  • 5/5 Darren W. 10 months ago on Google
    Love the history of this place. It is great for gun and tool collectors too. Many different antebellum makers and maker marks. Henry Disston saws, authentic Russell knives, lots of axe head patterns from around the eastern US.

  • 5/5 Steve K. 9 months ago on Google
    We have been wanting to visit for a few years and finally took the time. What a thrill to dive into the history of the river boats on the Missouri River. The displays are very well done. The one area shows the size of the boat in real time. Awesome! Don't miss it!

  • 4/5 Cameron W. 1 year ago on Google
    We stumbled upon this awesome museum while traveling cross country for a move. You buy the tickets in the gift shop and go below for the museum itself. Tickets are a little pricey for adults. Not all of the audio video was working and it could be a touch more accessible for kids, but we learned a lot about the time period (1850s) by walking through the exhibit. My kids were fascinated by all the artifacts.

  • 4/5 Pepper P. 2 years ago on Google
    What a wonderful discovery. Good bite sized museum. I appreciate the videos and how the artifacts are displayed.

  • 5/5 Laura W. 1 year ago on Google
    I asked dear friends of mine who live in Kansas City what is one place I absolutely don't want to miss seeing here, their answer? - Arabia Steamboat Museum. It was well worth the price of admission ( and they have kids, seniors, and military discounts)! The best part was getting to see one of the men who dug it up and getting to have a conversation with another during our visit!! It was outstanding to see all the materials and supplies carried on just one steamboat. I never thought about the hundreds of steamboats, their passengers, and the amount of goods they supplied in building the frontier settlements. This museum is one of the best that brings life in the mid-1800s to life before your eyes. I want to come back again with my kids and parents!!

  • 5/5 Eric K. 2 years ago on Google
    Walked through on a whim while getting lunch at the market and fell in love with the story of locating and excavating the Arabia. It’s a pretty fascinating adventure foe 4 guys.

  • 5/5 lisa d. 2 years ago on Google
    A must visit to any travel itinerary! The way you are lead down to the ship via movie snippets is amazing! Loved the WHOLE experience and as an added bonus, meeting one of the family members and actually talking to him about the next adventure of unearthing yet another steamboat WELL SIGN ME UP FOR MORE ADVENTURES!!! , Really folks it is very exciting to see! From the buttons to the bow of the boat check it out!


Call (816) 471-1856 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Free parking lot
    • ✓️ Paid parking lot
    • ✓️ Paid street parking
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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