Museum of World Treasures

File:Worldtreasuresbuilding.jpg

Front entrance to the museum

The Museum of World Treasures is a prominent world history museum in Wichita, KS. Among the many items on display are Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus, & Tylosaurus specimens (Including "Ivan the T-Rex"), Egyptian Mummies, signatures of all the American Presidents, a section of the Berlin Wall, and the Scarecrows Pitchfork from "The Wizard of Oz".

History

The museum first opened on April 22, 2001, at the Garvey Center in Downtown Wichita. The bulk of the exhibits were originally from the collection of the museums founder, Dr. Jon Kardatzke. Dr. Kardatzke was a private collector who had recently retired from 35 years as a private practice clinician, and believed it was time to showcase his extraordinary collection for the public. Due to tremendous growth in the first few years, the museum relocated to the "Farm and Art Market" in Old Town, Wichita in 2003. The new building was a reconstructed 3-story warehouse that was completely renovated to house the expansive museum collection.

Mission

To provide a gateway to the past that educates, entertains and inspires lifelong learning

Layout

The three stories of the museum represent different eras in world history. Access to the separate floors can be obtained via a central spiral staircase, or the popular glass elevator the rises above the towering dinosaur exhibit. The first floor also contains the entry foyer and museum gift shop.

First floor

Ivan the T-Rex

A piece of the 50 ft. long Timeline featuring all the Roman Emperors and their coinage.

The 1st floor of the museum focuses on fossils and and ancient human history, as well as a room dedicated to geology. Exhibits of note are:

• Ivan the T-Rex - found by Alan Komrosky in 2007, this giant Tyrannosaurus Rex is one of the most complete ever found.
• Sea Monsters of the Plains - Showcasing Kansas Marine fossils, such as a 34 ft. Tylosaurus, a Xiphactinus, and a Mosasaur.
• 2 Royal Mummies - Female mummies from ancient Egypt
• Coins of the Emperors - A 50 ft. timeline that showcases gold, silver, and bronze coins from nearly every Roman Emperor, as well as write-ups on all of their exploits and conquests.
• World Civilizations - Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Egyptian, Pre Columbian, African, Southeast Asian & Ancient Near East showcases

Second Floor

Entrance to the Hall of American Presidents

The 2nd floor of the museum focuses on military history, presidents, and european royalty. Exhibits of note are:

• Hall of Royalty - Signatures and artifacts from the great leaders of Spain, England, France, Russia, Germany, and the Holy Roman Empire.
• Global Warfare - Weaponry and artifacts from the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, World War I (including a large scale recreation of Trench Warfare), World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
• Hall of American Presidents - Contains the signature of every American President, as well as a replica of the famous Resolute Desk.
• Pioneers of Thought - A gallery containing signatures and information from global pioneers of innovation.

Third floor

A frontier log cabin diorama

The exhibits on the 3rd floor feature an ensemble of material from American History. In addition, the top floor of the museum also has a large banquet room that is occasionally rented out for private functions. Exhibits of note are:

• American Sports Memorabilia - artifacts from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan,Joe Montana and more.
• Ballard - Deep Sea Explorer - footage and artifacts from native Wichitan Robert Ballard's famous discovery of the sunken Titanic.
• American Pop Culture - features Scarecrow's pitchfork from "The Wizard of Oz".
• The American Frontier - contains cowboys, indians, frontier living, the Pony Express, and even the scalp of George Armstrong Custer's nephew Autie.
• Historic Composers - features original manuscripts from Mozart, Beethoven, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra.
• Kardatzke Historic Authors Collection - collections of famous historic authors and poets such as Robert Frost and Mark Twain.

Rotating Exhibits

The museum features a rotating collection, of which upcoming events are detailed on the Museum of World Treasures Web Site.

Organization

The Museum of World Treasures is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Kansas corporation. Tax-deductible donations go directly to support the museum's many educational programs.

Staff includes:

• President
• Curator
• Director of Exhibits
• Director of Education
• Director of Operations
• Director of Sales & Marketing
• Volunteer Docents

Outreach

The museum focuses heavily on educational outreach with programs such as:

• Camp Ins
• Student Tours
• Scout Programs
• Community Outreach Programs
• Educational Partnerships

External links

• Museum of World Treasures Home Site
• 360 Wichita Museum Featurette
• Kansas Travel - Museum of World Treasures
• TripAdvisor.com Museum of World Treasures Review
• Buzzle.com Review - "One of the Most Exciting Museums in the Country"