TWA Still Soaring High In Kansas City

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The TWA Museum at the  Charles B. Wheeler Airport

Kansas City’s commercial aviation history is rich and fascinating, and to learn more about it, all you have to do is visit the TWA Museum at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport. 

Located at 10 Richards Road, in the same building as TWA’s original headquarters, the museum is run by two former TWA flight attendants, Pam Blaschum and Mary Ellen Miller, and spotlights all the major triumphs, tragedies, and headlines of the once world-famous airline, including its purchase by American Airlines in 2001.

TWA - Airline of the Stars

Even before you enter the museum, you notice the hallway is covered with photos of famous celebrities who once flew TWA because it was “the airline of the stars,” a reputation earned when Howard Hughes owned the aviation giant.

There are also display cases filled with news articles, artifacts and many of the “firsts” accomplished by TWA.   For example, did you know that in 1934 TWA was the first commercial airline to adopt the Sperry automatic pilot as standard equipment to reduce pilot fatigue?

Bullet Casing From Flight 847

One case holds a bullet casing recovered from TWA Flight 847, hijacked on its way from Athens to Rome on June 14, 1985 by Shiite Hezbollah terrorists.  The two-week ordeal resulted in the death of one passenger, U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem, whose body was dumped on a runway in Beirut.

Another case contains newspaper articles and a photo of TWA flight attendant Nellie Granger.  She was aboard a TWA DC-2 on April 7, 1936 bound for Pittsburgh when it crashed into a mountainside just outside of Uniontown, Pennsylvania.  Eleven of the fourteen people aboard were killed.

Nellie Granger

Nellie was thrown from the plane upon impact and injured, but she reentered the burning wreckage to save the other two survivors – the wife of the mayor of Newark and a man with two broken legs.   Afterwards, she trudged through dense woodlands to get help and then back again with the rescuers.  In all, Nellie walked eleven miles that day.

Pope John Paul II Flies TWA

The museum itself consists of three fairly compact rooms and a small gift shop.  Two of the rooms are filled with photos, vintage uniforms, airplane equipment, memorabilia, and artifacts from some of TWA’s most memorable flights, such as the one that transported Pope John Paul II.

The third room is dedicated to TWA founders Paul Richter, Jack Frye, and Walter Hamilton with a small memorial by its entrance to the employees of Flight 800 who perished on July 17, 1996, shortly after the plane left New York for Paris.

 

The museum takes approximately 60-90 minutes to tour, is better suited for adults than children and does a nice job of keeping TWA’s company history and spirit alive. 

SPRING & SUMMER HOURS
March 1 – September 30
Monday – Saturday
10AM - 4PM

FALL & WINTER HOURS
October 1 – February 28
Tuesday – Saturday
10AM - 4PM
Call to schedule a Special Tour
Closed Holidays.

Admission

Adults                   $5.00
Children 6-12     $3.00
Seniors                 $3.00
Military(w/ID)   FREE

Walk in the Footsteps of the Mentally ill at the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, MO

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Entering the Glore Psychiatric Museum

Disturbing, fascinating and insightful is an accurate way to describe the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, MO, about an hour north of Kansas City.

Named after George Glore, who worked for the Missouri Department of Mental Health for most of his 41-year career, the museum focuses on the history and evolution of mental health treatment.

Located on the grounds of the old State Lunatic Asylum #2 (a.k.a. State Hospital #2 and St. Joseph State Hospital), which opened in 1874, the museum successfully captures the feelings of fear, helplessness and internal confusion that a mentally-ill patient might experience.  It also gives a great overview of how much the treatment of mental health has advanced.

Today, the State Lunatic Asylum #2 no longer exists.  A new mental health facility, the Northwest Missouri Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center, stands across the street from the old asylum buildings, which have been converted into the Western Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center, a state prison facility.

The Glore Psychiatric Museum began its existence in one of those old asylum buildings, but now resides in a newer building on the property that was completed in the late 1960s.  This newer building was used for hospital admissions and as a patient clinic before the rehabilitation center across the street opened. 

The museum was created when Glore, with the help of other hospital staff and patients, decided to build “full-size replicas of 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th century treatment devices.”  Glore wanted to make the public more aware of mental health issues and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Over the years, Glore continued building popular displays and began collecting everything to do with mental health treatment.  Today, the museum has grown to four floors of captivating exhibits and memorabilia that will do nothing less than unnerve you.

The Morgue/Autopsy Room

The basement is actually a good place to begin a self-guided tour of the museum, where a morgue and autopsy room awaits you at the end of the hall.  The morgue was once used to house the bodies of patients until families could make arrangements for them. 

Additionally, the state of Missouri used the morgue/autopsy room anytime there were suspicious deaths, bodies pulled from the nearby river, or deaths involving foul play.  It was even used to house a Northwestern Missouri family of four after they were murdered.

Although the morgue is no longer in use today, the refrigeration units, which can hold up to four bodies at a time, still work and are kept at an average temperature of 40 degrees.   

Rugs being created in the weaving shop

Other museum highlights on the basement level include a therapy room and examples of items created by patients while working in various occupational areas of the old hospital, including rugs made in the weaving shop and an artificial leg made in the cobbler shop.

Artificial leg made at the hospital

Moving up to the first floor of the Glore, you will find a gift shop, old photos and letters from the asylum, and even a prescription log from 1927-1930 which shows alcohol as the medication given for anything from the flu to cancer.

Staircase from 1880

Toward the back of the first floor is also an exhibit showing the lower portion of the grand staircase from the asylum’s administration building, which dates back to 1880.

Stomach contents of patient

On the second floor of the museum is one of the strangest exhibits you will ever see, the artistically displayed stomach contents of a woman who was a patient at the hospital in 1929.  She suffered from an eating disorder and complained of stomach pains.  When the doctors performed surgery on her, they found 1,446 items inside her stomach, including nails, safety pins, buttons, carpet tacks, thimbles and a nail file.  Unfortunately, the woman died during surgery.

Restraint Cage

The second floor also displays scenes with authentic equipment that was used for different therapy methods on mental health patients throughout the years, including hydrotherapy, wet sheet packs and electro-convulsive therapy.  There is also a room with original examples and replicas of various containment devices used in the past to subdue mental illness sufferers, including a restraint cage and a tranquilizer chair. 

Tranquilizer Chair

Walking up to the third and last floor of the museum, you are greeted by a row of antique wheelchairs and a collection of crutches.  These are examples of what would have been used in the hospital during its more than130-year history. 

A row of wheelchairs

Moving down the hall, rooms with exhibits explaining the use of music therapy in the hospital, what church services were like, how the kitchen worked and meals distributed, and a replica of what a patient room would have looked like at the hospital are fascinating windows into the world of the mentally ill at the old hospital.  Patients at the facility had very little privacy, and the rooms in some buildings were crammed with up to four beds.

Replica of a patient room

Eggshell Mosaic

Also housed on the third floor is artwork created by patients during therapy.  Some of the artwork, including an eggshell mosaic is beautiful, while other things like a life-sized cloth doll named Robert are a bit creepy.  All of the art, however, is interesting, revealing, and seems to be screaming out for a sense of mental balance.

The most memorable items on this floor are a collection of 100,000 cigarette packages which a patient believed he could redeem for a new wheelchair, a television set stuffed with papers and letters that a patient possibly thought would be transmitted if they were placed inside the TV, and a framed embroidered sheet which a mute, schizophrenic female patient used to communicate.  Instead of speaking, she embroidered words and phrases into the sheet.

Robert the Doll

100,000 cigarette packages

 

Not accessible to the public on your visit are the underground tunnels that once connected the Glore  Museum building to the other buildings still standing on the old hospital grounds.

These tunnels were once used to transport patients from building to building without having to go outside.  Today, however, the tunnels connecting the museum building to any of the nearby prison facilities have been walled up for security reasons.

TV stuffed with letters and notes

Embroidered Sheet

If you go to the Glore Psychiatric Museum, it will be unlike any museum you have ever experienced before, and it is filled with many more fascinating items and exhibits than I can possibly describe in this blog. 

All the time and energy George Glore put into creating this museum and educating the public about the history of mental health was well spent.  The Glore Psychiatric Museum will horrify you, captivate you, and maybe even give you a feeling of empathy for those afflicted with mental illness.

This attraction is definitely not geared toward children, but for adults who go, I doubt you will be disappointed. It is worth the admission charge.

VIDEO BY ST. JOSEPH MUSEUM

The museum is located at 3406 Frederick Avenue in St. Joseph and is part of the St .Joseph Museums, Inc. system.  They are open Monday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m, Sundays from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and closed on major holidays.

Admission is:

Adults - $5.00

Seniors (60 and above) - $4.00

Students (ages 7-18) - $3.00

Children under 6 – free

Group rate – (20 ore more) - $4.50

Museum members receive free admission

Guided tours can be arranged for groups by calling 1-800-530-8866 or 816-232-8471.

One a side note:   For your $5 admission to the psychiatric museum, you also have access to the other exhibits throughout the building that are not part of the Glore.  They include a great exhibit on Civil War medicine plus a small Jesse James area and a decent-sized doll display.

The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City Is A World-Class Museum With A Home Town Feel

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The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City

Not many things take me by surprise, but my recent visit to The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City did just that.

When I decided to check out the museum, I pictured myself entering a small building filled with a boring collection of old, dusty toys and a few miniatures for viewing. 

I could not have been more wrong.  This facility is a world-class museum filled with more fascinating items than I could ever begin to describe.

First of all, the massive collection of priceless toys and miniatures is housed in the gorgeous 38-room Tureman Mansion, which was designed by architect John McKechnie and completed in 1911 for prominent Kansas City physician Dr. Herbert Tureman and his family.

Entering the Toy and Miniature Museum

The home sits majestically back from the street atop a hill on the western edge of the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) campus and has its own interesting history.

Nell Donnelly, wealthy owner of the Donnelly Garment Factory, and her husband were leasing the mansion in 1931 after Dr. Tureman passed away. 

On December 16 of that year, Donnelly and her chauffeur, George Blair, were kidnapped at gunpoint from the driveway of the home and held for ransom in Bonner Springs.  To everyone’s relief, both were rescued two days later with the help of James A. Reed, a local politician and attorney, and John Lazia, a Kansas City mob boss.

In 1966, UMKC became the owner of the Tureman Mansion when Marie Tureman passed away and left the home to the university. 

A View of Tureman Mansion From The Street

The Toy and Miniature Museum moved into the building in 1982 and has since expanded twice to its current size of 33,000 square feet.

The museum was created by Mary Harris Francis and Barbara Marshall.  Both women were avid collectors, but Francis liked collecting antique dollhouses while Marshall enjoyed miniatures. 

Eventually, their individual collections grew so large that they were urged to open a museum.  In 1979, they formed a not-for-profit foundation and the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City was born.

Francis and Marshall also had assistance from Jerry Smith, who was a Kansas City Buick dealer before his retirement, and a passionate toy collector himself.  Many of his priceless toys and commercial pieces are also displayed within the museum’s walls.

When you enter the building, you are greeted by a docent.  This is nice because you get an idea of what you will be seeing and learn details about some of the museum’s oldest, most interesting, and most unusual pieces.

The toy collection, which spans the first and second floors of the mansion, includes one-of-a-kind antique dollhouses, mechanical toys, teddy bears, board games, child-sized kitchen and home appliances, furniture, foreign toys, specialized collections and much more.

The largest dollhouse in the museum, known as the Coleman House, stands nine feet tall and seven feet wide.  It originally belonged to the prominent Coleman family from Lebanon, Pennsylvania and appears to have had gas lighting and running water at one time. 

Georgiana is the oldest doll in the museum and dates back to the 1750s.  She is made of wood, has glass eyes, and even sports a wig made from human hair. 

As you walk from gallery to gallery, you slowly realize how many items are actually in the museum’s inventory.  There are collections of cars, trains, planes, circus toys and patriotic items, which include George and Martha Washington dolls along with a number of Uncle Sam collectibles. 

There is a room devoted to numerous Noah’s Arks with animals, a collection of toy soldiers, cowboys and Indians, jungle animals, tea sets, fire memorabilia, paper dolls, banks, churches – including a lovely wood church made by a German cabinet maker, a large grouping of Star Wars dolls and figures, which was the most successful movie-related toy line ever, and the list goes on.

Additionally, the museum houses one of the largest marble collections in the world.  An entire space is devoted to marble art, marble games, marble jewelry, marble contraptions, and drawers full of marbles of all sizes and designs for visitors to examine.

And if you are a Barbie fan, the museum has a special Barbie exhibit running through 2012.  In this gallery, you are able to view the very first Barbie and everything else Barbie you can imagine, including a Barbie dictionary, records, jewelry, purses, puzzles, and even Barbie dolls wearing gowns created by famous designers Vera Wang and Bob Mackie.

I learned a lot about Barbie by walking through this exhibit.  For example, did you know that Barbie’s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, that her hometown is Willows, Wisconsin, that she is the oldest of seven siblings, and that she has had more than eighty careers since she was created in 1959?

In fact, Barbie has been such a sensation over the years that the Mattel Toy Company has used more than 105 million yards of fabric creating Barbie fashions, which makes them one of the largest apparel manufacturers in the world.

After you finish looking at all the toys in the museum, it is time to check out all the fascinating miniatures displayed on the first floor.

There are miniature homes complete with everything that you would find in a full-sized house.  There are tiny instruments, books, jewelry, cameras, clocks, needlepoint pieces, paintings, animals and everything else you can imagine.

What I found most interesting about the miniature area of the museum was the room lined with microscopes.  When you look into each of the microscopes, you are able to see miniature pieces that you can barely distinguish with your naked eye  - such as intricate designs created on the head of a straight pin. 

Also in the miniature section of the museum is a film showing how artists create their tiny pieces of art and a small display that shows you step by step how a miniature violin is created and pieced together.

Overall, there are so many items to look at in the Toy and Miniature museum that it is truly hard to take it all in at one time. 

You should know that if you leave before seeing everything, the museum allows you to return the same day with your paid admission receipt and reenter at no charge, which I actually recommend.

You can spend the morning enjoying the huge toy collection.  Then, take a break and head to one of the nearby yummy Plaza restaurants for lunch. 

After you have given your brain a break and made your stomach happy, return to the museum in the afternoon ready to absorb the magnificence of the miniature collection on display.

While in the museum, be sure to also check out the fireplaces and beautiful woodwork in several of the rooms.  This gives you an idea of how opulent the museum was when it was a private residence.

At the end of your day at the museum, if you are still wanting more, there is a fun gift shop to look through which contains toys, trinkets, jewelry, dolls and more for you to purchase.

A Giant Windup Bear on the Lawn of the Museum

Note that the Toy and Miniature Museum does not allow photos, a guide can be arranged for tour groups, it is not a good place to take young kids, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Ticket prices are $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and full-time students, $5 for children 5-12, and free for children under 5, museum members, and students, faculty and staff of UMKC.

The Toy and Miniature Museum is located at 5235 Oak and is open Wednesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.  They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Remembering Our Fallen Military Tribute Comes To Kansas City

Remembering Our Fallen Tribute

With September 11 looming on the horizon, I am reminded of the horror of what happened on that day eleven years ago.


I am also reminded of all the brave military men and women who have lost their lives since then.


It is my appreciation of these military personnel that made me drop by the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe this weekend to view the "Remembering Our Fallen" display, which is a "tribute to those who have died as a result of wounds suffered in a war zone, while in uniform, since 9-11-2001."

This particular tribute focuses on fallen Kansas soldiers and Marines, but the "Remembering Our Fallen" organization does do tributes for fallen military from other states as well.


The display at The Great Mall is not large or fancy, but it is extremely touching. As I circled around it, 72 photos looked back at me. That's 72 faces who were sons, spouses, parents, brothers, and more - and who proudly gave their lives for us.

Also attached to many of the photos are personal notes from family members letting them know how much they are missed along with cards from complete strangers thanking these American heroes for their dedication and service.


Perhaps the tribute is particularly touching to me because my oldest son is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, but I felt it necessary to visit this exhibit just as a way to say thank you to these special people and as a reminder that they may be fallen, but they are not forgotten.


If you would like to check it out for yourself, The "Remembering Our Fallen" tribute will be set up at the Great Mall of the Great Plains through September 12 and was put together by Patriotic Productions, an organization formed by Bill & Evonne Williams of Omaha, Nebraska - whose four sons have all served in the military.

If you would like to learn more about their organization, you can visit their website at rememberingourfallen.org. 

"They're Not Going To Get Me!" Gangster Crime in the 1930s

A Fascinating Exhibit in the National Archives at Kansas City Examines Gangster Crime in the 1930s

The "Crime In the 1930s" Exhibit Poster

 "They're not going to get me!" is a quote from the famous gangster John Dillinger.  It is also the name of an intriguing exhibit currently showing in one of the galleries at the Kansas City National Archives facility about the epidemic of Midwestern crime during 1933-1934.

The 1930s were a tough time for citizens in the Heartland.  The depression was in full force, the area was in one of the worst droughts it had ever seen, citizens didn't trust large institutions like banks, railroads and the government, plus a new type of criminal was making its violent presence known - the gangster.

Gangsters were different than mobsters.  Mobsters were more urban and concentrated on gambling, bootlegging, and prostitution to make their money.  Gangsters mainly traveled rural areas of the country and focused on robbery and kidnapping.

Some of the more well-known gangsters of that era were John Dillinger, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, "Pretty Boy" Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde, and the Barker-Karpis Gang.  

All of these notorious criminals, their major offenses and eventual undoings are explored in this fascinating National Archives exhibit along with the development of the FBI to combat the growing crime frenzy - beginning with the 1933 "Kansas City Massacre" at Union Station.  

On the morning of June 17, a green Plymouth crammed with men carrying submachine guns pulled up to Union Station and began shooting at the lawmen accompanying gangster Frank Nash by train back to Kansas City from Hot Springs, Arkansas.  From Kansas City, Nash was headed directly to Leavenworth Penitentiary.  

The gangsters were attempting to help Nash escape authorities, but by the time the bullets stopped flying, Nash and four lawmen lay dead.

The exhibit displays photos of the crime scene taken that day along with wanted posters, warrants, and prison ID cards for several of the men involved - including "Pretty Boy" Floyd.  It also discusses the manhunt and punishments for the lawless thugs involved in the bloody slaughter.

The massacre was so bold and brazen that it changed the FBI forever.  After the crime, agents began carrying weapons, using two-way radios and wearing bulletproof vests.

From the bloody Kansas City Massacre, the exhibit delves into the frightening kidnapping of rich oilman Charles Urschel on July 22, 1933 by gangsters "Machine Gun" Kelly and Albert Bates.  

Urschel was at home playing bridge with his wife and friends when the armed men burst into his house and drug him away.  He was driven to Texas where a $200,000 ransom was demanded.  

The Federal Kidnapping Act, also known as The Lindbergh Law, had been passed in 1932 and made kidnapping a federal offense punishable by death.  Urschel's wife contacted the FBI to help recover her husband.  The agency quickly formed a large manhunt and captured the savage criminals, along with Kelly's wife and others who were involved in the plot.  

The manhunt and the conviction of 21 gangsters involved in this outrageous abduction was so large and effective that federal agents were coined with a new name - G-Men (Government Men).

The exhibit has many of the Urschel kidnapping crime documents on display.  You can also watch a short film with actual footage of Kelly and examine the original handwritten Leavenworth Penitentiary "Daily Count Log" book showing that on Sunday, September 4, 1934, "Machine Gun" Kelly was transferred from Leavenworth, where he had been serving time for the kidnapping, to Alcatraz.

Next in the archive's captivating gangster exhibit, you are confronted with a large photo of Bonnie and Clyde and the details of their short and bloody history as bank robbers and murderers.  

One of their more famous and violent incidents was the "Platte City shootout."  In July of 1933, Bonnie and Clyde were staying at the Red Crown Tourist Court in Platte City, MO.  A photo of the motel from at time is on display.  

They were hiding out at the motel because Bonnie had been burned in a car accident approximately a month before and was recovering.  Clyde went to the local drug store to purchase medication for her injuries.  

The alert druggist became suspicious of Clyde's behavior and called the Missouri Highway Patrol.  Soon, their cabin at the Red Crown was surrounded by authorities.  The standoff ended when the fearless duo escaped in a massive gunfire battle with police.  

A pair of binoculars, which Clyde had stolen in Enid, OK, was among Bonnie and Clyde's personal belongings recovered from the Red Crown Tourist Court.  They are on display in the exhibit for intrigued visitors to examine.  

From the violent actions of Bonnie and Clyde, the archive exhibit moves on to spotlight the gangster activity of John Dillinger.  A notorious criminal who escaped jail three times and killed numerous innocent people with his brutal gang, Dillinger was once the FBI's "Public Enemy #1" and a nationwide celebrity at the same time.  

Original footage of Dillinger being returned to Lima, OH for the murder of a police officer plays on a monitor while you examine documents related to his lurid life of crime and violent death.

Dillinger's demise began on July 21, 1934, when Romanian immigrant Anna Cumpanas (aka Anna Sage), who was the madam of a Gary, Indiana brothel, called the FBI and informed them that she, Dillinger, and another woman would be going to the movies the next day.

As promised, the trio went to the Biograph Theater the next evening to see Clark Gable in Manhattan Melodrama.  When they left the building, Dillinger was killed in a shootout with authorities. 

One misconception that the archive's exhibit corrects is the legend that Anna was the "woman in red" that evening and that was how law officers recognized her and Dillinger.  Actually, she was not wearing red at all but a white blouse and orange skirt.

After the death of Dillinger, there was just one main group of gangsters left from the 1933-1934 gangster crime era that the FBI needed to capture, the Barker-Karpis gang.

The Barker-Karpis gang usually robbed banks, but after they successfully kidnapped and received a large ransom for Minnesota brewery chairman, William Hamm, they planned another kidnapping that would be their undoing.

On January 17, 1934, Arthur "Doc" Barker and fellow gang member Volney Davis forced themselves into the automobile of Edward Bremer, a rich St. Paul banker.  They hit him over the head and sped off with him to a safe house in Bensenville, near Chicago.  

Bremer was forced to write letters to his family to prove he was alive, and the gang held him for a week until they received a $200,000 ransom.  The Barker-Karpis gang was linked to the crime when the FBI traced serial numbers from ransom money bills directly to them.

Doc Barker was caught in Florida while other members of the violent gangster ring were involved with the FBI in a shootout on January 16, 1935.  Fred Barker and Kate "Ma" Barker were killed in the gun battle.  Alvin Karpis was captured later in 1936.

One of the original letters, which Bremer's captors forced him to write during the kidnapping, is displayed in the archive exhibit along with photos of the Bensenville house and living room in which Bremer was held, and many other interesting documents and photos related to the crime.

The "You're Not Going To Get Me" Crime In The 1930s exhibit in the National Archives at Kansas City wraps up with the focus on FBI men Melvin Purvis and J. Edgar Hoover.

Purvis, a famous FBI agent in the 1930s,  joined the agency in 1927 and was in charge of the Chicago office.  He oversaw the manhunts that ended the lives of  John Dillinger and "Baby Face" Nelson. 

It was rumored that Hoover did not like the public attention Purvis received for "taking down" these famous gangsters because it diverted attention away from him.  Purvis left the FBI in 1935.  He became a lawyer but committed suicide in 1960.

The last thing in the gangster exhibit is a video message from J. Edger Hoover which outlines what he thought were the three needs of law enforcement:

1.  Cooperation between agencies

2.  Elimination of politics in law enforcement

3.  A focus on efficiency

In the video, Hoover looks in the camera with his famous “FBI conviction" and says, "That means gangsters, you can't get away with it."  

National Archives at Kansas City

If you decide to visit the "You're Not Going To Get Me" Crime In The 1930s exhibit in the National Archives at Kansas City,  you will need to do so soon. The exhibit only runs through August 18.

There are no photos allowed in the exhibit gallery. It takes about an hour to tour, is free of charge, and completely worth your time.  I would not, however, recommend it for anyone under 14 years of age.

On a final note, The National Archives at Kansas City is one of 14 facilities in the nation where the public can access federal documents. It is located by Union Station, is a true “hidden Kansas City gem,” and always has interesting exhibits open to the public. 

For more information, click on the Visit KC webpage for the National Archives at Kansas City.


National Archives at Kansas City press release for the "They're Not Going To Get Me" Crime In The 1930s exhibit

Is Kansas City's Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Really Worth A Trip To Union Station?

Heading Down to the Titanic Exhibition

 

A Look At Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition as it Docks in Kansas City For Its 100-Year Anniversary

 

“Is the Titanic exhibition worth going to see?” is the first question I am usually asked when people learn I have visited the popular attraction at Union Station.  My answer is yes.

The next question is then, “What do you actually see and how is it set up?”  That is a much longer answer, but I hope the following response is helpful. 

The exhibition, which includes more than 250 artifacts, begins on the bottom level of Union Station, where each person receives a boarding pass containing information about an actual passenger on Titanic.

(Note that you will be asked if, for an extra $5 per person, you would like to purchase the “accompanying audio tour,” which includes a hand-held device and a pair of headphones.  This is supposed to give you additional information while walking through the exhibition.  I did this, found it completely unnecessary, and thought it was a waste of money.)

After “boarding,” you are then filtered into an eerily darkened area with a light shining on a single artifact – the crow’s nest bell which once sat perched high up on Titanic, to be rung by a crew member if any danger was spotted up ahead.

It was rung three times on the fateful night of April 14, 1912, as the doomed words were simultaneously shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!”

While moving into the next gallery, cheerful orchestra music is heard, and the chronological story of Titanic’s short life begins with the building of the famous ship. 

A film about creating the massive vessel is played while you view an intricate model of Titanic.  This is also where you see the beginning of various artifacts, including a leather Gladstone bag with key, which remains unopened because of its delicate state.

More haunting artifacts come into sight as you wind into the next space.  Pieces of floor tile, coat hooks, ashtrays, a soap dish and faucets from the ship are displayed along with silverware, dishes and other items used by the crew and travellers on their fateful trip.

Large photos of the The Verandah Café (on A deck), the Titanic gymnasium, and several passengers adorn the walls as you inspect some of the evocative personal effects of those aboard the ship.

Jewelry, a hand mirror, a tobacco pipe, and even a cherry toothpaste jar complete with a lid decorated with a picture of young Queen Victoria are displayed, while you pass by a replica of an opulent first-class cabin on Titanic.

Spilling into the next gallery is a much different scene.  This is where you see a reproduction of a third-class room aboard Titanic, set up dorm-style with two sets of bunk beds.

Instead of music, visitors now begin to hear the steady throb of the ship’s engines around them and read about the many iceberg warnings issued and ignored by Titanic that evening. 

A large iron wrench and part of a catwalk stair tread are laid out as you pass through a mock watertight door (there were 15 of them on the six lowest decks) and into a replica of the hot, dirty boiler room where men, known as the “Black Gang” pumped tons of coal into the ship’s belly to try to keep up with Titanic’s veracious appetite.

Next, is the recreated mailroom, which was also located deep within the ship and employed five workers.  The actual Titanic mailroom carried over 3,000 mail sacks and seven million pieces of mail. 

The massive ship also carried other miscellaneous and valuable cargo including a 1912 Renault automobile. 

At this point, you learn that Titanic was travelling 21 knots, close to top speed, as Captain Smith presided over a gala and dinner on its last night above the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Bottles of beer, wine, and even champagne (with champagne still in it) can be seen to signify the carefree attitude of passengers and crew.

A Photo of Captain Smith and the Titanic Officers

The mood becomes more somber and tense as you enter the reproduced Captain’s Bridge where Smith and his officers commanded the speed and direction of the ship. 

The steering wheel stand from the wheelhouse dominates the room along with a photo and information about the overly confident Captain Smith. 

You also experience how dark it was that night when you look through the windows of the bridge. Stars are visible, but little else, including the iceberg that gashed Titanic’s side.

First-class passenger, George A. Harder described the collision as “Just a dull thump,” but you realize it was much more serious as a buckled porthole, cracked window from the officer’s quarters, sheet music for a clarinet, and a leather boot stamped with EWP on its heel stare back at you while an unsettling whale-like sound is heard all around you in the next area.

An imitation iceberg also occupies the space, which you are allowed to touch, as Titanic’s last moments afloat are recreated. 

An animation of the “unsinkable” ship filling with water and slipping under the cold Northern Atlantic waves plays on the wall showing that at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the mighty Titanic met its watery fate.

The exhibition then begins to focus on the discovery of the Titanic wreckage, which was found on September 1, 1985, a long 73 years after it succumbed to its tragic destiny.

A full-scale model of the shipwreck, stoically perched in two parts on the ocean floor, is presented and fascinating to examine.

Better yet, there is a thick fragment of Titanic’s actual hull set out that visitors are allowed to touch.

Several au gratin dishes, which were lined up like dominos on the ocean floor, are displayed in the same position that they were found, along with other poignant artifacts recovered from the wreck.

Sadly, this gallery also focuses on the inevitable fact that the fragile Titanic is disintegrating and will probably implode on itself within the next 40-90 years.

The last portion of the exhibition presents personal items from specific passengers, some who survived, and some who did not.  

These personal effects include perfume samples with perfume still in them, a linen handkerchief, a silk necktie, a pocketknife and many more moving items.

A memorial wall also comes into sight.  Here, you can check the name on the boarding pass you received at the beginning of the exhibition to determine if “your person” survived.

One hundred twenty five first-class passengers, one hundred sixty eight second class passengers, five hundred twenty nine third-class passengers, and seven hundred one crew members tragically perished that night when the “unsinkable” Titanic slipped beneath the frigid Atlantic waters.

A small tribute dedicated to Millvina Dean, the last known Titanic survivor who passed away in 2009, also adorns an appropriate space near the memorial wall. 

After the unbelievable loss of the massive ship, hearings were held to determine the cause of Titanic’s sinking and how to improve maritime safety in the future. 

Photos of those hearings and information about new safety requirements put into place as a result of Titanic’s sinking, such as a special radio frequency for ships and enough lifeboats to accommodate all passengers, occupy the end of the artifact exhibition.

Additionally, as you leave, there is a visitor book, which you may sign.

If you do plan on going through the exhibition, know that no photography is allowed, it takes roughly a little less than two hours to explore, and it will be at Union Station through September 3, 2012.

If you would like to know more about ticket prices and hours, check out Visit KC  for further information.