What to See in St. Joseph - Top Sights and Attractions

Museum in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The Jesse James Home Museum is the house in St. Joseph, Missouri where outlaw Jesse James was living and was gunned down on April 3, 1882, by Robert Ford. It is a one-story, Greek Revival style frame dwelling measuring 24 feet, 2 inches, wide and 30 feet, 4 inches, deep.

At the time, the house was located at 1318 Lafayette Street in St. Joseph. In 1939, it was moved to a busier Belt Highway location. In 1977, it was moved to a location directly behind Patee House at 12th and Mitchell in St. Joseph, only two blocks away from its original location, which restored more of its historic context.

The investigation into the shooting death of James was conducted at Patee House Hotel (formerly the World's Hotel). Mrs. James, her two children, and Jesse's mother stayed in Patee House for two nights after Jesse James was killed.

The house has a large bullet hole on the north interior wall. The hole was actually much smaller but over the years, souvenir hunters carved shavings from the hole and enlarged it.

The Jesse James Home contains a number of items owned by Jesse James and his family. In 1995, top forensic scientist Professor James E. Starrs, of George Washington University, conducted an exhumation of the grave of Jesse James to settle persistent controversy about the remains. In February 1996, he announced that DNA tests performed on the remains and compared to the DNA of existing known relatives proved a 99.7% reliability that the body in the grave was that of Jesse James. The museum includes new exhibits based on the 1995 exhumation, including artifacts such as coffin handles, bits of wood, and a pin Jesse James wore in his death photo, as well as numerous photos taken during the exhumation.

The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1980. It is a contributing resource to the Patee Town Historic District.^[2]

Museum in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The Pony Express Museum is a transport museum in Saint Joseph, Missouri, documenting the history of the Pony Express, the first fast mail line across the North American continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific coast. The museum is housed in a surviving portion of the Pike's Peak Stables, from which westward-bound Pony Express riders set out on their journey.

The Pony Express Museum is one of the most historically educational museums in the country in respect to the legendary mail service that ran from April, 3, 1860 to October 26, 1861. Between exhibits, a 7-part diorama, maps, an archeological dig and artifacts, the museum has entertained and educated visitors from all over the world. The museum just celebrated the 150th Sesquicentennial of the Pony Express on April 1–3, 2010 which drew over 10,000 people. The museum is located at 914 Penn Street, St. Joseph, Missouri. In 2011, the museum produced a live action documentary titled Days of the Pony Express produced by Jim Conlon with Scout Films. The film was given a favorable review by Wild West Magazine.^[3]

Hotel. The Patee House, also known as Patee House Museum, was completed in 1858 as a 140-room luxury hotel at 12th Street and Penn in St. Joseph, Missouri. It was one of the best-known hotels west of the Mississippi River.

The Patee House was built by John Patée as part of his Patee Town development around the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad station. Office space included the headquarters and eastern terminus of the Pony Express, founded in 1860 to provide fast overland mail service to the West Coast. During the American Civil War, the Union Army Provost Marshal's office was located in Patee House. The Army conducted war trials in the second floor ballroom.

After the war, the Patee Female College operated in the building from 1865 to 1868. Its space was taken over 1875–1880 by the St. Joseph Female College, founded in affiliation with the Baptist Church. These private schools were part of the postwar expansion of educational facilities for young women across the country.

After outlaw Jesse James was killed in 1882 at his nearby home, his surviving family stayed at the hotel during the investigation of his death. It was then called World's Hotel. Also resident at the hotel within two weeks of James's death was Oscar Wilde who lectured in St. Joseph on April 18, 1882. Later the building was adapted to house the R.L. McDonald shirt factory and other light industrial uses for 80 years.

Since 1963, the building has been operated as a museum of United States history, with an emphasis on transportation. An 1892 Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad steam locomotive and 1877 railroad depot are displayed inside the building.

In 2008 the museum was selected as one of America's Top Ten Western Museums by True West Magazine. It was also listed in 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die.

The building was designated a National Historic Landmark for its role as the Pony Express headquarters. It marks the eastern terminus of the Pony Express National Historic Trail. The Jesse James Home Museum is located on Patee House grounds. Both are owned and operated by the Pony Express Historical Association, a not-for-profit organization. Both are contributing resources to the Patee Town Historic District.^[4]

Theater. The Missouri Theater is a theater located in St. Joseph, Missouri. Completed in July 1927, the Missouri Theater was built as a cinema in the atmospheric style, using a combination of Art Deco and Moorish detailing.

The Missouri Theater was designed by noted theater architects Boller Brothers of Kansas City, Missouri, with sculpture by Waylande Gregory. It was constructed by the Capital Building Company of Lincoln, Nebraska for local attorney and promoter Joseph Goldman. The theater has a single balcony that looks over a house designed to resemble an open tented courtyard, decorated with details borrowed from Assyrian and Persian architecture. While the theater was principally designed for movies, it could also be used for live performances, with dressing rooms, a fly loft and an orchestra pit. It also featured a Wurlitzer theater organ.

The Missouri Theater operated as a cinema until 1970. For the next few years it operated as a community theater, and was purchased by a community group in 1976. In 1978 the city of St. Joseph bought the theater for use as a performing arts center. The theater and office building were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is located in the St. Joseph's Commerce and Banking Historic District.

The theater was renovated in 2002. A 1960s canopy was removed and the marquee was restored.^[9]

Museum in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The Pony Express Museum is a transport museum in Saint Joseph, Missouri, documenting the history of the Pony Express, the first fast mail line across the North American continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific coast. The museum is housed in a surviving portion of the Pike's Peak Stables, from which westward-bound Pony Express riders set out on their journey.

The Pony Express Museum is one of the most historically educational museums in the country in respect to the legendary mail service that ran from April, 3, 1860 to October 26, 1861. Between exhibits, a 7-part diorama, maps, an archeological dig and artifacts, the museum has entertained and educated visitors from all over the world. The museum just celebrated the 150th Sesquicentennial of the Pony Express on April 1–3, 2010 which drew over 10,000 people. The museum is located at 914 Penn Street, St. Joseph, Missouri. In 2011, the museum produced a live action documentary titled Days of the Pony Express produced by Jim Conlon with Scout Films. The film was given a favorable review by Wild West Magazine.^[13]