History
R.A. Long began buying land on Gladstone Blvd to build the future home of himself, his wife Ella, and one of their daughters, the equestrian Loula Long Ellis. [4] [5] The location of Corinthian Hall was chosen because it overlooked North Terrace Park (later renamed Kessler Park), giving ample room for Loula to exercise her horses. [6]
Long wanted an entire block for his estate, however two houses already sat on the desired land. He bought both of the homes with the condition that they would be moved. [7] One of the houses was a "high-turreted, three-story red brick mansion" that was the residence of Judge William Hockaday Wallace and his family. This house was moved to 3200 Norledge. [8] The other home was the residence of Herman F. Schmelzer, but after Long bought it and had it moved, he gave the house to Dr. George Hamilton Combs. Combs was not only the pastor of the Independence Boulevard Christian church where the Longs attended, but also the father of Loula's future husband, Robert Pryor Combs. [7]
After the houses were moved, Long had the entire block to build his final home, Corinthian Hall, alongside several other buildings and structures. The other buildings were the gatehouse or "lodge", belonging to horse trainer David Smith and his family, the carriage house where horses and tack were kept, the conservatory, a gardener's shed, and a greenhouse. A pergola covered in wisteria hung over a walkway which connected the carriage house, conservatory, and greenhouse. As of September 2025, all buildings and structures are still present, except for the greenhouse, which was destroyed in the 1960's. [9]
In 1917, Loula married Robert Pryor Combs, and the couple moved to Longview Farm. [10] While the Longs' other daughter, Sally America Long Ellis, did not live at Corinthian Hall, she would visit often with her children. She gave birth to four out of her five children at the home. [5]
This was the family residence until R.A. Long's death in 1934. [11] Daughters Sally and Loula removed decorative items and architectural features from Corinthian Hall for installation in their own homes, including a fireplace from the library, taken to Loula's home at Longview Farm. [12] [13] The remainder of the items were auctioned off over a two day period in the Fall of 1934. Then, the mansion sat empty and was for sale. The daughters donated the estate to the Kansas City Museum Association in 1939. The association gained ownership of the Dyer Collection of Native American objects, and absorbed collections from the Missouri Valley Historical Society. [12]
The museum's first director was John Ripley Forbes, a naturalist and conservationist from Massachusetts. After learning about the plans to turn Corinthian Hall into a museum, he borrowed $100, and drove down to Kansas City with no prior notice to city leaders. He told them, "I've come to work...I'll raise the money, set up a first-class museum, open a children's program and go without pay until you can afford me." During Forbes' time, he amassed 160,000 items for the museum's collection. [14] With the help of volunteers and labor from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the mansion was transformed into exhibits, and the conservatory became a space where school groups could interact with live animals. [15] On May 5th, 1940, the museum opened to the public. [16]
Funding for the museum was raised by two women's auxiliary groups, the Women's Division (who also created a garment collection), and the Musettes. While the two groups had a similiar purpose, the Women's Divison was for older, married women, and the Musettes was for younger, single women.
In 1942, Forbes was drafted into WWII, along with many workers from the WPA. Losing its director, many workers, and privy to war era scarcity, the museum closed its doors for the duration of the war. Upon reopening and facing financial difficulties, the museum was deeded to the City of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1948. [15]
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. [12] 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. [17] [18] In January 2008, the primary buildings of the museum—the residence and carriage house—closed for major renovations [19] of roofing, masonry, art glass, energy efficient windows, elevator, and HVAC.
From 2013 to 2021, the City of Kansas City and Missouri's Parks and Recreation Department operated and managed the Kansas City Museum. [20] In 2021, the Kansas City Museum Foundation took over "the governance, management and operations" of the museum. [21]
On May 5, 2025, the Kansas City Museum was renamed the Museum of Kansas City. [22]
