Our museum is currently closed for renovations. Please call or visit our research center at:
573-826-2460 — 106 E. 4th St., Fulton, MO — research@callawaymohistory.org
KCHS Museum Renovations – Why We Need Them
Living in a building built in 1880 has its challenges. Over the course of a weekend in mid-August, 2025, a mold outbreak began to bloom in our museum. We immediately closed the museum to safeguard the health of our guests and volunteers, then sought expert advice as to how to proceed.
Professional testing was completed to determine the type and extent of the contamination and to enable a cleaning protocol to be developed. It was necessary to empty the building of all contents to clean it, along with removing the ceiling tiles and HVAC ducts.
The Board decided this would be an opportune time to do any remodeling, fix maintenance issues, plus renovate our climate control system to better preserve our artifacts and help prevent any future mold issues.
As with any old building, some major wiring issues were exposed in removing the ceiling tiles and duct work. With the building empty, it also became apparent that there were structural issues with both the ground and upstairs floors.
An engineering consultant, along with City of Fulton engineers, evaluated structural and mechanical needs. With their results in hand we had a plan to move forward.
Work began to remove flooring to add concrete footings for posts that would support the upper floor. In doing so, it was discovered most of the original floor joists were rotting on the ends and had to be replaced. This also involved removing the old display cases in the front part of the museum.
Once the old floor joists from 1880 were removed, it was further discovered that the foundation stone had begun to fall away from under the brick walls. It was thus determined that pouring a concrete floor is the best alternative to fix the issue and provide a solid, level floor for years to come.
This also necessitated removing the existing front door and window areas on the main floor. Our new frontage will allow for better window displays, plus an ADA compliant entrance.
KCHS is dedicated to preservation of our history. As such, it was decided early on that the building would not be abandoned. The mold remediation and structural/engineering renovation costs are being covered by the Historical Society’s reserves. With the public capital campaign we will be able to furnish the renovated space with new cabinets, shelving, displays, lighting and storage solutions to effectively showcase and preserve our artifacts for years to come and provide a welcoming environment for all.
Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Museum
Most museum exhibits are grouped by subject, such as agriculture, business & industry, communities, institutions, people (famous & infamous), etc. Other exhibits are of larger physical items such as tools, household items, quilts, dolls, arrowheads and more.
Our window displays are changed out approximately every one to two months so you’ll find something fascinating and new each time you visit.
One exhibit tells of Jesse Howard and the origin of Sign Painter Road. The Civil War and WWI-Vietnam exhibits show the service of local residents to the country. The Civil War exhibit includes a diorama of the Battle of Moore’s Mill and items excavated from the mass grave following that battle. Our children’s area continues to expand with puzzle pieces to create quilt blocks, a vintage shoe store horse and an area where they can sift through sand to find artifacts.
Book and Gift Shop — Available at our research center
Our book shop has a variety of historical and contemporary books on Missouri and Callaway County. Many are written and signed by local authors.
The gift shop contains Callaway County items such as pitchers, ceramic mugs and insulated cups. We also have a variety of postcards, note cards and caches.
programming
Our Triple L (Life Long Learning) classes have been quite a success! A few have been offered for children such as “How Animals Build Houses,” grandparent/grandchildren classes and native plants. However, most classes are aimed at adults. We have different classes each spring and fall with a variety of times and venues and a selection of titles and topics.
Images of Museum Exhibits
Select any image to enlarge.
