The Arabia Steamboat Museum

The Arabia Steamboat sank near Kansas City in 1865 and was lost for 132 years before being recovered in 1988.  Now, the boat is part of an impressive museum that tells the story of the hundreds of steamboats lost in the Missouri River during the 19th century.  The Arabia’s cargo was well-preserved, lying 45 feet deep below a Kansas cornfield, and is now on display, featuring clothing, fine china, children’s toys, and the world’s oldest pickles.  Visitors can learn more about conservation by watching the museum’s preservationists restoring artifacts in the lab.  With the largest single collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world, the Arabia Steamboat museum provides a unique window into the life of pioneers in the early days of the American West.