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Jackson County Historical Society GROUP-TOURS & FIELD TRIPS TO
INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI (8/03) Adults as well as students between middle school and college visit Independence,
Missouri, to learn about the history of a pioneer town that has contributed
to … and continues to play a strategic role in the growth of our nation. A variety of historic sites await
visitors to Independence, including three sites
operated by the Jackson County Historical Society on the historic
Independence Square. ADVANCE REGISTRATION FOR GROUPS IS REQUIRED: 1) The interpretive exhibits at the 1859 Jail, Marshals
Home and Museum connect visitors with the experiences of Jackson
Countians during the period from about 1840 when Independence was the
“jumping off” point to the West, through the tumultuous time of the American
Civil War in the early 1860s. Exhibits
also graphically demonstrate the fierce warfare between the Missouri and
Kansas borders. The site may be of most interest to classes studying Missouri
history, the Civil War, Western Expansion or the history of Law and Order on
the frontier. Tour guides ask questions designed to encourage
visitors to compare, contrast, and think critically about events and issues.
For school groups, teachers are encouraged to add questions that will promote
thinking and understanding of the major issues that transpired during that
time period. Click here for a Teacher’s
Guide. Admission/Hours: Adult group tours (conducted Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) are $3.50 per
adult. One bus driver and one
tour leader are admitted free. Payment is requested at the time of your
visit, either by cash, check, or credit card. Student group tours (conducted Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) are $2 per
youth. One teacher and one
chaperone per 10 students are admitted free; additional accompanying adults
are $2 each. Payment is requested at the time of your visit, either by cash,
check, or credit card. Teachers
should determine prior to their visit whether students would be allowed to
make purchases in the gift shop (pre-priced, pre-selected/filled gift bags
are available). To schedule a visit, call 816-252-1892.
A guided tour of the 1859 Jail, Marshal's Home and Museum lasts
45-minutes to one hour. The site
will accommodate up to 3 groups of no more than 25. Larger classes will need
to be divided. For larger school groups, it is helpful if teachers divide
their classes and assign adult supervision prior to arriving at the
museum. 2) The Society’s Archives, Research Library
and Bookshop are located in the
1933 Jackson County Courthouse on the historic Independence Square, just down
the hall from the Harry S Truman Office and Courtroom. Most people are surprised to discover
in the Archives the many, varied resources that relate to Jackson County,
Missouri history. The
Bookshop is open FREE to
the public Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Researchers
desiring access to the Archives and Research Library may do so
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, and on Saturdays by advanced appointment
only. Access to the Archives and
Research Library is FREE to members who support the
work of the Society. Each
non-member researcher is assessed an access fee of $10 per visit for
research. (Annual Society
membership dues include a range of benefits, including free admission to
Society operated sites.) To
schedule a visit, call
816-252-7454. 3) The Harry S Truman Office
and Courtroom is located in the
1933 Jackson County Courthouse on the historic Independence Square, just down
the hall from the Jackson County Historical Society’s Archives, Research
Library and Bookshop. See the
recreated offices and courtroom used by Mr. Truman in the years before he
became a U.S. Senator …before he became the 33rd President of the
United States. Enjoy a 25-minute
audio-visual program, “The Man From Independence,” about Mr. Truman and his
hometown. The Harry S Truman
Office and Courtroom accommodates up to 50 people. This site is a popular spot for civil marriage ceremonies,
too. Admission/Hours: Screenings of “The Man From Independence” repeat every ½ hour
Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Admission to the Harry S Truman Office and Courtroom is $2 per adult
and $1 per youth. Payment is requested at the time
of your visit, either by cash, check, or credit card. To schedule a visit,
call 816-252-7454. Within
a short distance of these sites are other historic sites in downtown
Independence. Within walking
distance— Clinton’s Soda Fountain and
Gifts; 816-833-2046 Pioneer Trails Wagon Rides; 816-254-2466 The Truman Home Visitor
Center (next door to the 1859 Jail); 816-254-7199 Pioneer Spring Cabin;
816-325-7111 1827 Log Courthouse,
816-325-7111 Within a short
ride— National Frontier Trails
Center 816-325-7575 The Vaile Mansion
816-325-7111 The Bingham-Waggoner Estate
816-325-7111 Harry S. Truman National
Historic Site 816-254-2720 The Truman Presidential Museum
and Library 816-833-1400 |