Wonderful site right by the farmers market and tons of shops. Parking not too bad either. Staff wonderful at the museum. Very knowledgable. Bob Hawley, one of the originators of the Arabia dig and preservation was there to talk to our group. Great! So much to see and for the folks in our group who had been there before they... more

This is a wonderful museum sprung from a truly remarkable endeavor by two Kansas City families who were so fascinated by tales of the sinking of the steamboat Arabia they decided to dig her up! The sinking of the Arabia was not so uncommon, as many other steamboats met similar fates as they navigated the log and tree-debris-infested rivers during... more

This museum captures two events: The sinking of the boat in 1856 and the raising about 20 years ago. I found the raising even more gripping. Both the recovery and the museum itself was accomplished by the members of five blue-collar families (three brothers and two friends) working together. The museum layout, organization, and preservation techniques could not be more... more

I visited Kansas City to see the WW1 museum and the Truman libarary and home but discovered this museum while driving around town. I'm glad I did because there is a lot of interesting history contained in this place. Reading about how the Arabia was wrecked and sank gives one a reality of just how dangerous the Missouri River was... more

We visited the museum as a side trip, on our trek to Kansas Speedway in September of 2007. What a treat! We urge anyone who has any interest in history or steamboats to visit. What a wonderful place for people of all ages. Many Thanks to the families who have spent endless hours (and apparently still do), uncovering this treasure.... more

This museum was so interesting and informative. It is a great place to go no matter what age group you are in. It is a great way to get a feel for what people in the 1850's had for clothes, tools, cooking & serving utinsels, etc. You'll be surprised how close it is to what we have today. Great background.... more

I'm a big history fan, American history, so I try to stop in interesting new museums as I spot them. This was, I admit, smaller than I expected, but then again I'm not sure how much stuff I expected to be unearthed from a single steamboat. In that sense, it was a vast amount of items, impressively so. Don't go... more

An absolutely fascinating, detail-filled look at life as it was lived more than 135 years ago. Tour is informative and interesting, and the items on display are wonderfully preserved .. they could be right off the shelves of a quality shop or right out of the factory! One could easily lose a day or two wandering the museum and gift... more

Family celebrated 'commissioning' at Liberty Memorial and spent next day in the KC Market area starting with Arabia Steamboat Museum. Our group included military officers, engineering retirees, educational folks, police officers and assorted friends and family from all over. Everyone was impressed at the quality and presentation of this remarkable museum. The overview and history presented by one of the... more