At the Missouri History Museum, display ideas can be found in unlikely places—and result in unlikely exhibits.
“It can be something as simple as a little black dress or the complex history of how one city’s sound helped create the soundtrack for a nation,” says Tourism and Group Sales Manager Tami Goldman. “The public is often surprised at how collaborative developing an exhibit is. It’s never one curator walking down rows of artifacts, cherry-picking things to be on display. It’s always a true team effort between curators and historians, librarians and archivists, graphic designers and local contractors.”
In 2014 the museum shifted its focus to local history rather than embracing large traveling shows to attract its visitors. This move has allowed the staff to tell the stories of St. Louis and highlight the city’s role in the larger narrative of the history of the region, state and country, Goldman says.
Its newest exhibit, “Mighty Mississippi,” allowed Goldman to collaborate with several CVBs along the Mississippi River, a process which she says has been fun and exciting. The 6,000-square-foot exhibit exploring the history of the largest waterway in North America, including its impact on commerce, culture, the environment and westward expansion, is set to open in November.
“Hundreds of artifacts spanning thousands of years will be on display, including the original pilothouse from the Golden Eagle steamboat,” Goldman says. “I’m excited to see the years of hard work and passion our team has put into this exhibit come to life for visitors.”
The museum is anchored by its permanent collections of 1904 World’s Fair artifacts and exhibits featuring Lewis and Clark. Goldman says temporary exhibits rotate based on things like the fragility of its artifacts as well as the level to which the museum’s visitors can personally connect to the content—which alludes to its recent rebranding.
“Our slogan is ‘Find Yourself Here.’ The Missouri History Museum strives to serve as the confluence of historical perspectives and contemporary issues. No matter where a visitor is from, we hope they can relate to the human experiences of the everyday people featured in our exhibits,” Goldman says.
The museum’s team is currently developing new permanent exhibits to open in 2022 and 2023. For more information, contact Goldman or go to mohistory.org.
Photos by Missouri History Museum
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J. Paul Getty Museum
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