Atchison County Historical Museum

The cafe outside of the Atchison County Historical Museum

"The lonely coffee shop" by Thiophene_Guy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Quick Facts

Location:

Atchison, KS

MANAGED BY:

Atchison County Historical Society

Amenities

28 listed

ATM/Cash Machine, Accessible Rooms, Accessible Sites, Audio Description, Audio Description - Live, Benches/Seating, Bicycle - Rack, Cellular Signal, Electrical Outlet/Cell Phone Charging, Fire Extinguisher, Gifts/Souvenirs/Books, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Maps Available, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Internet/WiFi Available, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Restroom - Family, Telephone, Toilet - Flush, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Water - Drinking/Potable, Wheelchair Accessible

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Located in the city of Atchison, Kansas, the Atchison County Historical Museum is housed in the historic 1880 Santa Fe Freight Depot.  

It was here in Atchison that, in 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark of the Corps of Discovery celebrated their first independence day of the expedition in present day Atchison. Later, in 1854, the town of Atchison was founded, incorporating as a city in 1858. It takes its name from Kansas Senator David Rice Atchison, who is considered to have served as president for a single day between the Polk and Taylor administrations. In more recent years, Atchison county is significant for being the hometown of the 20th century female aviator Amelia Earhart.  

Today, the Atchison County Historical Museum is dedicated to preserving the area’s history. Visitors will learn about Lewis and Clark’s time in Atchison, as well as the history of Amelia Earhart, Jesse Stone, David Rice Atchison, and the Atchison County Railroad. Also on display is a collection with over 200 weapons from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and both World Wars.  

For more information on the Atchison County Historical Museum, call [phone] or email [e-mail].