McPherson Museum - McPherson, Kansas

McPherson Museum

1111 E. Kansas Avenue
McPherson, Kansas 67460
(620) 241-8464

Free
Open Saturday: 1-5 PM
Monday - Friday 10 AM - 5 PM

McPherson Museum - McPherson, Kansas

When I first visited the McPherson Museum & Arts Foundation in McPherson, Kansas it was one of the most interesting local historical society museums in Kansas. Unlike many local historical museums, this one had interesting collections devoted to minerals, fossils, Native American pottery, plus unique McPherson and central Kansas history. At that time, the McPherson Museum occupied an attractive 1920 Tudor Revival home and some of the rooms on the main floor retain the original character and beauty of the home.

The Museum and Arts Foundation purpose built a large modern museum in 2013, which is handicap accessible and should someday be even more impressive. The new structure had taken the available funds and it took several years for some of the new displays to be built.

The McPherson Museum is impressive again and one of the nicest free museum in Kansas.

The McPherson Exhibit Hall houses many stories of life in McPherson.

La Brea tar pits exhibit
La Brea artifacts were donated to McPherson College by its first graduate, J. Z. Gilbert, who discovered them
in the early 1900s at the La Brea tar pits.

dire wolf and saber tooth cat - McPherson Museum
A dire wolf and a saber tooth cat from the La Brea tar pits.

Mid Kansas Model Railroaders layout. They had several exhibits at the former Cedar's nursing home
which was demolished to make way for this new museum.

McPherson Museum Art Gallery
The Gallery of Fine Arts showcases the Museum's collections, including its Birger Sandzen pieces, art from the USD #418
collection and traveling exhibitions.

In March 1936 the McPherson Globe Refiners Basketball Team won the AAU Championship Tournament. 6
members of that team went on to form the core of the US Olympic basketball team that represented the United
States in Berlin and won the gold medal.

July 2022 display of the contents of a 1972 time capsule

The skin and head of Leo the Lion. one of the original lions used by MGM Studios,
is tucked away in the back of the McPherson Museum.

Old McPherson Museum in 2009
The former McPherson Museum in a nearby 1920 Tudor Revival home.

The Meteorite Man - Dr. Harvey Harlow Nininger exhibit in the former museum building.

McPherson Museum Map - McPherson, Kansas
McPherson Museum Map

McPherson Museum
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