riverboat museum in kansas city mo

— OPEN FOR VISITORS —

The arabia steamboat museum, recovered 1988.

THE ARABIA STEAMBOAT MUSEUM 

A popular Kansas City attraction for more than 25 years 

When the mighty Steamboat Arabia sank near Kansas City on September 5, 1856, she carried 200 tons of mystery cargo. Lost for 132 years, its recovery in 1988 was like finding the King Tut’s Tomb of the Missouri River. The discovery was truly a modern day treasure-hunting story at its best.

The artifacts are preserved and displayed at the Arabia Steamboat Museum, located in the historic City Market. From clothing, fine china and carpentry tools to guns, dishes and children’s toys to the world’s oldest pickles—the collection captivates visitors of all ages. Whether it’s your first visit to this favorite Kansas City attraction or you come every year, the treasures of the Steamboat Arabia will connect you to American history in a new and exciting way.

INTRODUCING THE NATIONAL STEAMBOAT MUSEUM

The Arabia is an incredible story ... but there are other stories to tell. Hundreds of 1800s steamboats were lost to the Missouri River, hidden deep beneath riverbeds and farmfields. The National Steamboat Museum will be the pre-eminent historical and educational facility of our nation's long-lost steamboats and the stories they carried.

The National Steamboat Museum's vision is to discover, recover, and preserve other collections similar to that of the Arabia Steamboat for the cultural, historical and educational benefit of future generations.

Please donate here to help make this new, state-of-the-art facility a reality.

Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.*

Noon - 5:00 p.m.*

*Closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Closed one hour early on Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween and New Year's Eve.

Visit includes a series of short videos that show the story of this historic excavation and a short movie. Guests will see the treasures recovered from the Arabia and watch preservationists restoring artifacts in our lab.

Arabia Steamboat Museum 400 Grand Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64106

(816) 471-1856

[email protected]

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

Arabia Steamboat Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Sun - Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
• Mon - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• (0.46 mi) Holiday Inn Kansas City - Downtown, an IHG Hotel
• (0.35 mi) Hampton Inn Kansas City/Downtown/Financial District
• (0.61 mi) Ambassador Hotel Kansas City, Autograph Collection
• (0.48 mi) 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City
• (0.79 mi) Holiday Inn Express Kansas City Downtown, an IHG Hotel
• (0.07 mi) Blue Nile Cafe
• (0.05 mi) Brown & Loe
• (0.08 mi) Minsky's Pizza
• (0.07 mi) Pigwich
• (0.08 mi) City Diner

The Arabia Steamboat Museum Virtual Tour

Welcome to the Arabia's 360° virtual tour!

Click on the tour below to access.

Steamboat Arabia Virtual Tour

We hope you enjoy visiting the museum from afar.

Once you purchase the tour, you will be able to explore the museum for 24 hours.

Click anywhere you seen a yellow icon for more information, and let us know if you have any additional questions!

Please note, this is still a beta version of the virtual tour, and we are still working on perfecting it. It works on mobile, but is not completely optimized yet. We welcome your feedback to help make it better in the future, so please email us at [email protected] if you have any comments. Thanks for being one of the first to take our Virtual Tour!

Theme: Illdy . © Arabia Steamboat Museum 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Museum of the Moment: Arabia Steamboat Museum

September 18, 2019

What good can come from a shipwreck? Quite a lot, actually.

Get to know the Arabia Steamboat Museum , one of Kansas City’s most unique historical attractions—offering an in-depth glimpse into 19 th century frontier life of the American West.

The History

Before the United States was connected by railroads, the noble riverboat ruled the transportation industry, particularly in the still-developing West.

The Missouri River was once a hotbed for this interstate commerce and travel. Dangerous though it was—fallen trees and other hidden obstacles could easily snag and cripple unsuspecting boats—merchants and passengers alike utilized riverboats to traverse miles and miles of country, either to capitalize on business ventures or to search for new lives.

The Arabia Steamboat Museum tells a story of the American West through the lens of the ill-fated Steamboat Arabia, which met its demise in the middle of the 19 th century and remained hidden for 132 years.

The Shipwreck

Steamboat Arabia was constructed in Pennsylvania in 1853. The 171-foot boat could hold up to 222 tons of cargo, as well as passengers, and regularly made trips along the Missouri River during an era when settlements in Westport and Independence were best-known as jumping off points for the Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails.

After only three years on the water, Steamboat Arabia hit a snag of its own in September 1856. It only took a few minutes, but 200 tons of cargo was completely surrendered to the river. Thankfully, this tale is significantly less tragic than other infamous shipwrecks, because all 150 passengers and crew escaped safely.

However, the ship’s cargo remained embedded in the earth for more than 100 years. In 1988, a local father and his two sons learned Steamboat Arabia’s story and discovered its wreckage 45 feet underground—soil and erosion had shifted the path of the river—less than a half-mile away from the current channel of the Missouri.

Two more friends joined the trio and, four and a half months later, excavated the shipwrecked cargo—the single largest collection of pre-Civil War items in the world.

The Arabia Steamboat Museum displays this fascinating collection of artifacts once thought forever lost to history.

Visitors can ride the KC Streetcar to the institution, located at The City Market in Kansas City’s charming River Market neighborhood. There, they’ll find a time capsule depicting frontier life during the middle of the 19 th century.

Treasures include clothing, weaponry and tools, as well as everyday items like sweet pickles, liquor, ketchup and fruit preserves—all of which was originally destined for the shelves of pioneer general stores. As a result, museumgoers can truly step back in time to get a taste of the routine lives of the region’s recent ancestors.

Tours of the facility—open seven days a week—run every 30 minutes on the hour and at the half hour, beginning first with a 20-minute guided intro followed by a short film. The remainder of the experience is self-paced, and in whole, the museum recommends expecting at least an hour and a half to view every exhibit.

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Arabia Steamboat Museum

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In September 1856, the steamboat Arabia sank near Kansas City with 200 tons of cargo bound for towns in the west. In 1988, the Arabia excavation began, resulting in the astonishing discovery of pre-Civil War artifacts which are now on display. This unique museum has been featured in national television programs, magazines and in numerous newspapers.

Tours are conducted every half hour; last entry at 3:30 p.m.

Closed: Jan. 1, Easter, Thanksgiving and Dec. 24-25.

Information

Additional information.

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Arabia Steamboat Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Sun - Sun 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Mon - Sat 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• (0.74 km) Holiday Inn Kansas City - Downtown, an IHG Hotel
• (0.56 km) Hampton Inn Kansas City/Downtown/Financial District
• (0.98 km) Ambassador Hotel Kansas City, Autograph Collection
• (0.77 km) 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City
• (1.27 km) Holiday Inn Express Kansas City Downtown, an IHG Hotel
• (0.11 km) Blue Nile Cafe
• (0.08 km) Brown & Loe
• (0.13 km) Minsky's Pizza
• (0.11 km) Pigwich
• (0.13 km) City Diner

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Kansas City

In River Market, this museum displays 200 tons of salvaged 'treasure' from a riverboat that sank in 1856 (one of hundreds claimed by the Missouri River).

400 Grand Blvd

Get In Touch

816-471-1856

https://www.1856.com

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• Last Updated On
• October 23, 2023

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Immerse yourself in a riveting chapter of American history at the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City.

This immersive venue unveils the fascinating tale of Steamboat Arabia, lost in 1856 and rediscovered over a century later, perfectly preserved.

More than a museum, it’s a time capsule taking visitors back to the frontier era.

Opening hours:

• Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Sunday: 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Ticket price:

• Adult: $16.50
• Senior (60+): $15.50
• Children (4-14): $6.50
• Children under 4: Free
• Group of 20 or More: $14.50 per person
• School Groups (K-12): $6.50
• Discounted rates are available for elementary and middle school interactive

The Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, is a fascinating time capsule.

It tells the story of Steamboat Arabia, which sank in the Missouri River before the Civil War.

In 1988, the boat was discovered with over 200 tons of items, including fancy plates and children’s toys.

The museum provides a glimpse into life during the 1800s and showcases how the boat sank and was eventually found, much like an Indiana Jones adventure.

Visitors can marvel at the numerous artifacts submerged for 132 years and even observe archaeologists as they clean and uncover discoveries.

Expert Tips

• Take advantage of the guided tours : The tour guides are knowledgeable and passionate about the ship’s story and the era it sailed. Their firsthand accounts and anecdotes provide a rich and immersive experience that solo exploration might not offer.
• Don’t miss the short film at the start of your visit : This film sets the tone for the entire visit. Watching it will help you appreciate the artifacts and exhibits you encounter later.

Contact Details

400 Grand Blvd Kansas City, MO 64106 816-471-1856 Visit Website Social Media

Experiences

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This Attraction Featured in: Fun Things to Do in Kansas City with Kids

Arabia Steamboat Museum

400 Grand Blvd. , Kansas City , Missouri

Arabia Steamboat Museum Kansas City

Arabia Steamboat Museum is home to 200 tons of frontier bound cargo lost when the Steamboat Arabia sank in the Missouri River near Kansas City in 1856.

When the Steamboat Arabia sank in the Missouri River in 1856, some said she carried gold...others said fine china. What was actually discovered will amaze you! Explore the lives of the Western pioneers through the story of the sunken Arabia and its cargo, a remarkable time capsule of life on the American frontier. You will also be intrigued by one of the greatest treasure-hunting stories ever told. And don’t be surprised if you are greeted by one of the original excavators as they are often here to welcome guests. Their tale of adventure has made the museum a favorite Kansas City attraction since 1991.

TriggerPhoto Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Steamboat Arabia Museum

Come discover more than 200 pounds of buried treasure that has been meticulously excavated from one such ship, the Steamboat Arabia!

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Got family? And maybe some guests who need a different type of winter day outing? Try visiting the Kansas City River Market. It is open year round, but in case the outdoor produce stalls arent quite full, step inside the Arabia Steamboat Mu...

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MUSEUM – STEAMBOAT ARABIA TAKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME

Experience life during the time of westward expansion with a tour of the Arabia Steamboat Museum, home to the largest single collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world. This one-of-a-kind time capsule of life on the American frontier in the mid-nineteenth century shares the same vintage as the early days of City Market. Arabia Steamboat merchant link