Pony Express Museum

Great museum, I don’t know any bad museum here in this area! It has a nice tour through the history of the Pony Express and some other St. Joseph history. It’s one of those «hidden gems» in America and definitely a must see! It’s a shame some idiot stole some of the museum artifacts and probably sold them.
But otherwise, great museum. It walks you through the times of the Pony Express and the Wild West you would probably dream about as a little kid! Having an orphan that’s 11 – 13 years old ride to Sacramento, that would be a lot in today’s standards. But they were brave. The museum also has other exhibits about Buffalo Bill, why St. Joseph was chosen as the starting point, and much much more. You need to see this!

Took the kids 6 and 8 years old to the museum. They loved it! We spent almost two hours looking at the various exhibits, watching the documentary and playing in their old west cabin. Then we played «old school» Oregon trail.
I am very impressed with this museum and highly recommend it.

6 months ago, if you asked me, «Have you ever heard of the Pony Express?», I would’ve replied, «Of course!» But if you then asked me to describe it in detail, I’d have said, «It was where people delivered mail… to the west… on horses… and, uhh, collected mail to bring back.» I now know the very curious story of this brief-​lived business venture thanks to this charming, understated museum housed in the former stables themselves (and how cool is that?!).
A brief video, which appears to be low budget but made with love, leads you into a collection that detailed how the idea came about to deliver mail from St Joseph to Sacramento via the central route through the territories in a mere 10 days. The highlight of the museum is a huge diorama, probably about 30 feet long, that showcases the varied terrain a rider would need to endure, complete with sensor-​activated enhancements (thunderstorms, heating/​cooling temperature changes, etc). A great way to tell the story.
You can make it through here briskly in around an hour, and then you can step outside to enjoy the vintage Route 66-​esque Pony Express Motel sign before driving up to see the monumental statue in downtown. St Joseph is home to a unique piece of Anericana, and I’m glad they do it right.

The Pony Express started on April 3, 1860 with a lone rider on horseback leaving the Pikes Peak Stables, here in St. Joseph, Missouri.
I knew the Pony Express riders carried saddlebags filled with mail, messages, and peoples hopes and dreams, but I was surprised to learn they rode all the way to Sacramento, California…2000 miles away!!!
This little museum today rests within these stables and is a tribute to the legend and legacy of the Pony Express.
There are tours ($ 6.00), and they are quite educational conveying the need, creation, operation and termination of the Pony Express. There is also a souvenir store with all kinds of trinkets and momentos.