The Arabia Steamboat Museum
A gem of a museum in the heart of Kansas City.
Forcing visitors through introductory videos can be challenging. But in this instance, it really works. You quickly become invested in the story as the anxiety to view the uncovered treasures builds.
A series of 5-minute videos introduces you to the overall story and their passion for the project.
In some places, watching the videos would be difficult given the tight corridors. But the museum opens up as you get past the first three screens where visitors begin to explore.
The large working paddlewheel was an obvious draw, but also gave a sense of scale for the ship (as did the wooden floor, sized to match that of the ship's deck).
Some large components were prominently displayed without protection.
But most of the contents were carefully stored behind glass in dimly lit display cases.
Chatting with the on-site conservator was a highlight.
Some of the displays were extremely simplistic, although most still worked ok given good photography and scale.
Others felt slightly out of place.
Or just felt dated.
Overall though, the experience was fast, fun, and memorable. Definitely worth the visit. And if they realize the dream of creating a National Steamboat Museum, we'd visit in a heartbeat. And if we had the chance to help bring this vision to life, it would be a capstone project to be sure.
