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Kansas City Museum

Coordinates: 39°06′57″N 94°32′33″W / 39.1158°N 94.54241°W / 39.1158; -94.54241
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R. A. Long House
The Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall
Kansas City Museum is located in Missouri
Kansas City Museum
Kansas City Museum is located in the United States
Kansas City Museum
Location3218 Gladstone Blvd.,
Kansas City, Missouri
Coordinates39°06′57″N 94°32′33″W / 39.1158°N 94.54241°W / 39.1158; -94.54241
Area3-acre (12,000 m2)
Built1909; 115 years ago (1909)
ArchitectHenry F. Hoit
Architectural styleBeaux Arts
Websitekansascitymuseum.org
NRHP reference No.80002366[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 14, 1980

The Kansas City Museum is located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. In 1910, the site was built by lumber baron and civic leader Robert A. Long as his private family estate, with the four-story historic Beaux-Arts style mansion named Corinthian Hall. In 1940, the site was donated by Long's heirs to become a public museum. Seventy-five years later, it began extensive renovation.[2]

Background

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The 3-acre (12,000 m2) estate consists of Corinthian Hall, named for its Corinthian columns, and its outbuildings. Built for Robert A. Long and his family, this private residence was completed in 1910 for an estimated $1 million (equivalent to $32.7 million in 2023). It was designed by local architect Henry F. Hoit. The four-story mansion features 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2), with 24,292-square-foot (2,256.8 m2) of livable space,[3] was the family residence until R.A. Long's death in 1934.[4] Daughters Sally and Loula removed decorative items and architectural features from Corinthian Hall for installation in their own homes, and held a two-day auction in late 1934 to sell the remainder of the items. Then, the mansion sat empty and was for sale. Very little remained of the original furniture, and some rooms lost all architectural fabric. These changes lessened the value of the building as a "historic house". Still, the Longs' daughters donated the estate to the Kansas City Museum Association in 1939. In 1940, it was opened to the public as a history and science museum. Facing financial difficulties, the museum was deeded to the City of Kansas City, Missouri in 1948.

In the 1950s, the museum focused on display and interpretation of natural history. Early in 1951, taxidermy specimen displays expanded into the basement, along with mineralogical exhibits of fossils, rocks, and minerals.[5] During its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, the museum housed hundreds of stuffed animals in lifelike dioramas and offered various presentations and classes in taxidermy. It featured a 50-seat planetarium, and a 1910-style soda fountain serving phosphates and ice cream.

By the 1970s, museum staff realized that the building was too small for its potential in local history and science and began to split it. Museum staff and civic leaders considered the newly empty Union Station as a potential site for a new science museum.

From 2005 to December 2013, the museum was managed by Union Station Kansas City, Inc., which maintains Union Station.[6][7] In January 2008, the primary buildings of the museum—the residence and carriage house—closed for major renovations[8] of roofing, masonry, art glass, energy efficient windows, elevator, and HVAC.

Since May 2014, the City of Kansas City and Missouri's Parks and Recreation Department operate and manage the Kansas City Museum.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Kansas City Museum Visitor Experience Plan. Gallagher & Associates. 28 April 2017. p. 2.
  3. ^ "3218 Gladstone Blvd". homefacts.com. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  4. ^ Bradley, Lenore K. (May 22, 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination: Long, R.A. Residence" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-29. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  5. ^ "Journey to Now" (PDF). Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Spencer, Laura (May 1, 2014). "A New Era For The Kansas City Museum".
  7. ^ "Union Station Kansas City, Inc". Propublica. 9 May 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  8. ^ Campbell, Matt (December 20, 2007). "A KC Museum Revamp". Kansas City Star. p. A1:2. The Kansas City Museum will close on January 7, 2008, and not reopen until 2010 or later.
  9. ^ Horsley, Lynn (July 4, 2016). "Kansas City Museum is laying out a roadmap for mansion renovation". Kansas City Star. That phase could be completed in 2019
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