Everyone becomes a kid again when they step into the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. With more than 72,000 antique toys and miniatures in the collection, the museum features exhibits of rarities like Treasure of the Kings: 18th Century French Interiors in Miniature to a G.I. Joe Marine Manual or a 1955 pink Singer sewing machine toy. Groups are welcome, but museum staff does ask that planners call ahead.
Healthcare has had a long, storied and occasionally squishy past. The Clendening History of Medicine Museum at the University of Kansas Medical Center offers a look into how modern medicine came to be with exhibits of treatment techniques from the Civil War through World War II and 20th century anesthesiology. Also included in the collection are medical artifacts from ancient times, including Japanese, Egyptian, Babylonian, Etruscan and pre-Columbian cultures. It’s guaranteed to make any attendee appreciate their doctor a little more.
The Steamboat Arabia may have sunk in the Missouri River, but it was unearthed in a Kansas field. That fact is just one of many fascinating tidbits in the Arabia Steamboat Museum, located in downtown Kansas City. The museum features the largest collection of pre-Civil War artifacts ever recovered, including shoes, delicately painted buttons, Native American trade beads, dishes, guns, knives and sealed bottles of pickles and preserved fruits, which were still edible. There’s also a reproduction of the deck to show how massive the craft was, along with an actual section of the preserved hull. The atrium features the 28-foot paddlewheel and grand view of the city market, and is available for receptions. A classroom space for meetings is also available.
