Missouri Humanities

Lecture,"Missouri in 1861: The Rise and Fall of John and Jessie Fremont
2026-02-10 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | The Orris theater, 265 Merchant Street, Ste. Genevieve, 63670
Gregory Wolk, author of a new work of nonfiction published by the Missouri Historical Society Press, describes the eventful 100 days in 1861 that western explorer John C. Fremont commanded the Western Department of the US Army from headquarters in St. Louis. An in-depth discussion of important military campaigns of the period is coupled with political intrigue when Fremont’s wife – the daughter of Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton – joins her husband’s fight against the powerful Francis Blair family of Washington and St. Louis in order to advance the cause of emancipation. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln resists the call for emancipation, fearing that Missouri and Kentucky may join the Confederacy.

Unseen St. Louis
2026-02-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Ste Genevieve Museum Learning Center, 360 Market St, Ste. Genevieve, 63670
When historians visit the archive, they often find weird, surprising, and fun material that they rarely get to share with others…but that ends here! This event shares the stories of a selection of images and objects from various St. Louis archives that reveal an unknown side of St. Louis history. The presentation is fun, upbeat, and conversational spanning from the nineteenth century to today, from newspapers and magazines to photography and phonograph records.

Sweet Obsessions: Chocolate and candy history in Missouri
2026-02-12 12:00 - 13:00 | First Capital Lions Club Building, 520 N Benton, St. Charles, 63301
An overview of candy history and the celebrated confectioners who made created and sold candy in Missouri.

Civil Rights Night: The Impact of Racial Laws from Jim Crow to the Holocaust
2026-02-12 18:00 - 19:00 | St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, 36 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, 63146
Join the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum for Civil Rights Night: The Impact of Racial Laws from Jim Crow and the Holocaust featuring historian Dr. Dan J. Puckett, Professor of History at Troy University and Chair of the Alabama Holocaust Commission. Dr. Puckett will explore racial laws in both American history and the Holocaust. He will be joined in conversation by Reverend Rodrick Burton, President at St. Louis Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy and member of the Museum’s Board of Directors.
This event offers a thought-provoking look at how the histories of racial oppression in the American history and Nazi genocide relate, inviting reflection on civil rights, justice, and historical memory.

The Courtship of Ulysses and Julia Grant
2026-02-14 10:00 - 23:00 | Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63123, United States
Come learn about the love story of Ulysses and Julia on February 14th. Park Guide Sky Castilleja will present and discuss their courtship and young relationship.
The program is free. Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations.

Missouri in the Revolution
2026-02-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Missouri State Archives, 600 W. Main St., Jefferson City, 65101
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, NSDAR, the American Battlefield Trust, the Jane Randolph Jefferson Chapter, NSDAR, The Missouri State Archives, the Christopher Casey Chapter, SAR, and the Cole County America 250th Committee have partnered to bring a free, nationwide traveling exhibition, “The American Revolution Experience,” to Jefferson City from February 17 – March 5. Members of the Cole County America 250th Committee and the Christopher Casey Chapter, SAR, will present a program on George Rogers Clark and the Missouri in the Revolution to kick things off.

History Talk: Analyzing Historic Photographs
2026-02-28 10:00 - 11:00 | Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63123, United States
What are the differences between a daguerreotype, an ambrotype, and a tintype? Park Historian and Curator Nick Sacco will explore a variety of historic photos from both the
park’s collection and his own. He will explain the technology of photography and how it evolved during the19th century and how photographic technology combined with the
subject can help historians to date the image. Visitors are encouraged to bring a historic photo of their own to include in the discussion.
The program is free. Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations

Speaker Series: Missouri Slave Stampedes and the Underground Railroad
2026-02-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Field House Museum, 634 S Broadway, Saint Louis, MO, 63102, United States
In the decades before the Civil War, Missouri’s unique position as a slave state bordering free states made it a flashpoint for escape attempts. Join us on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 1:00 pm when Dr. Charles Hotle explores the dramatic “slave stampedes,” large, coordinated efforts by enslaved people to flee across the Mississippi River into Illinois or north into Iowa. While some succeeded, many were thwarted, leaving behind court records and testimony that now offer rare insights into the lives, strategies, and networks of freedom seekers. This program examines what these stampedes reveal about the realities of slavery in Missouri, the workings of the Underground Railroad, and how exaggerated reports of such escapes fueled rising sectional tensions.
This program is free with limited availability in person and on Zoom. Reservations must be made in advance on our website, by calling the Museum at 314-421-4689, or by emailing info@fieldhousemuseum.org.

12 Months of Giving
2026-03-01 00:00 - 2026-03-31 23:30, 2026-04-01 - 2026-04-30 | Foster Wallace Personal Injury Lawyers, 4700 Belleview Ave Suite 304, Kansas City, 64112
At Foster Wallace Personal Injury Lawyers, giving back matters. Through our 12 Months of Giving initiative, we’re donating $3,000 each month in 2026 to local nonprofits making a difference. We invite you to nominate a local nonprofit meaningful to you using the form on our event page. Monthly recipients will be announced on our website and social media channels.

Echoes of Blackness
2026-03-06 09:00 - 2026-04-02 17:00, 2026-04-01 09:00 - 2026-04-28 17:00 | Black Archives of Mid-America, 1722 E. 17th Terr.,, Kansas City, MO, 64108
New Short Term Exhibit from April 1-28, 2026: Echoes of Blackness by Dawn Tree
Dawn Tree is a abstract surrealist artist, journalist, and author. Founder of Underground Tree Studios, she creates vibrant works on wood and textiles, blending heritage with social justice to bridge history and activism.

First Saturdays at Keystone: Arts, Culture & Creative Entrepreneurship
2026-03-07, 2026-04-04 | Keystone CoLAB, 800 E 18th St, Kansas City, 64108

Book Talk - Lucile and Betty: the Ozarks' Fearless Female Journalists
2026-03-07 10:30 - 11:30 | Barry-Lawrence Regional Library, 202 Jefferson, Aurora, MO 65605
Susan Croce Kelly is the author of Newspaperwoman of the Ozarks: the Life & Times of Lucile Morris Upton. Her talk will zero in on the years that Upton worked with newspaper photographer Betty Love, and the impression they made with people across the Ozarks.

Second Sunday- Free Days at the Museum
2026-03-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-12 10:00 - 16:00 | The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, 5235 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO 64112, Kansas City, M, 64112, United States
Bring the whole family to Free Days at the Museum. Occurring on every second Sunday of the month, Free Days provide greater access to The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures’ vast and awe-inspiring collections for visitors near and far.
All attendees can explore the Museum at no charge.

War Pigeon! Missouri’s role in the training of pigeons and pigeoneers in WWII
2026-03-10 08:00 - 18:30 | Missouri River Regional Library Art Gallery 214 Adams Street Jefferson City, MO 65109
Neosho, Missouri found itself the home to Camp Crowder, a US Army Signal Corps replacement training center, built in 1942. In 1943, the Army Signal Pigeon Corps moved from New Jersey to Missouri and began operations. Camp Crowder became the training and breeding home to the pigeon corps. Several of the ten Signal Pigeon Companies the Army created in WWII were built and training at Camp Crowder. In 1946 the pigeons moved back to New Jersey, leaving an unusual history in the Missouri base that has long been forgotten.
The presentation covers the Pigeon Corps from 1917-1957, with an emphasis on the training program at Camp Crowder. It also covers the unusual field formation of the Signal Pigeon Company, the only Army formation capable of self-sustaining it’s own staffing due to breeding of birds. Stories of hero birds are also told. The program survived through the Korean War and was disbanded in 1957, 40 years after it’s creation.

Book Talk: Betty and Lucile - the Ozarks' Fearless Female Journalists
2026-03-10 18:00 - 19:00
Author Susan Croce Kelly will talk about her biography of Springfield newspaperwoman Lucile Morris Upton, focusing particularly on the years she teamed up with photographer Betty Love

Speaker Series: The Skouras Brothers and the Making of the Immigrant American Dream
2026-03-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Field House Museum, 634 S Broadway, Saint Louis, MO, 63102, United States
Mike Tsichlis explores the life of the Skouras brothers, three Greek immigrants who found the American Dream in St. Louis. The Skouras brothers, driven from their home in Greece by impoverishment, sought opportunity in the United States in 1910. As they worked in hotels in St. Louis, the Skouras brothers looked for opportunities to make their mark. Eventually, the brothers found that opportunity in the theatre and film industry.
Join us, Sunday, March 15th at 1:00pm to learn more about the unique story of the Skouras brothers.
This program is free with limited availability in person and on Zoom. Reservations must be made in advance on our website, by calling the Museum at 314-421-4689, or by emailing info@fieldhousemuseum.org.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Tsichlis was born and raised in the City of St. Louis and is a lifetime resident of the St. Louis region. He has had a passion for learning about St. Louis and Missouri history since reading about local and state history in middle school and visiting historic sites and museums with family and on class field trips, including the Eugene Field House! After finishing a doctorate in Public Policy Studies at Saint Louis University and completing a dissertation examining demographic change in St. Louis, Dr. Tsichlis went on to pursue a career in higher education and non-profit institutional advancement. During this time, he took his childhood interest in regional history to a new level, deeply researching, publishing, and speaking on a variety of topics related to St. Louis and Missouri history, with a special interest in ethnic history, theater and cinema arts, firefighting and public safety, and demographic change.
He is currently completing a biographical manuscript on the Skouras brothers, three Greek immigrant siblings who came to St. Louis and went on to become major motion picture moguls during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. He resides in Fenton, Missouri with his spouse, a retired school principal and university professor, and their college-aged son.

Cy Avery and the Invention of Route 66
2026-03-20 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-20 13:00 - 14:30 | Maplewood Church, 25396 Hwy O, Sedalia, 65301
Author Susan Croce Kelly will tell the story of the early days of Route 66 and how it became an American tourist attraction and a worldwide icon,

Ranger Talk: The Women of White Haven
2026-03-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63123, United States
White Haven was home to one of the most famous men of the 19th century, but it was also shaped by the lives of many remarkable women who made or witnessed history in their own right. Park Guide Evan Meyer will explore The Women of White Haven, from Julia Dent Grant and her sisters to the enslaved women who quietly kept the home and farm running.
The program is free. Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations.

Living in Ste. Genevieve House Tour
2026-03-21 11:00 - 14:00 | Two Rivers Gallery, 73 N. Main St., Ste. Genevieve, 63670
This year’s Living in Ste. Genevieve House Tour is focused on transformation and adaptation. Homeowners will discuss recent renovations to the homes you are touring. Some have been major renovation projects, completely transforming the homes for their next chapters. Others have consisted of modernization and a focus on design. Five of the six homes are completely new to the spring tour, and the sixth home (on the tour in 2023) is definitely worth a second look!
Tour private homes throughout the downtown area and see how they are lived in today. Limited tickets available the day of event. Tour six homes at your own pace from 11 am to 2 pm and then have plenty of time to stroll downtown and enjoy shopping, restaurants, museums and historic sites. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for Foundation Members. This event is not recommended for small children.
Tour check in is 11 am to Noon at Two Rivers Gallery, 73 N. Main St. Not all homes are accessible. Please contact us at 573-883-9622 with any questions.

GKCBHSG Women's History Month Program
2026-03-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Black Archives of Mid-America, 1722 E. 17th Terr.,, Kansas City, MO, 64108
The featured guest speaker will be Dr. Debra Foster Greene, professor emerita of United States History at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, who will explore
four years (1906-1910) in the life of educator, author, and activist, Anna Julia Cooper, in her presentation, “Her Exile: Anna Julia Cooper in Missouri.”

A Life in Columns: Stories from Bill McClellan
2026-04-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Field House Museum, 634 S Broadway, Saint Louis, MO, 63102, United States
The Field House Museum is pleased to welcome longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan for a special program on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
For more than 40 years, Bill McClellan has written a beloved column that captures the everyday life of St. Louis. He often compares his work to that of a historian, chronicling the daily lives of people in and around St. Louis. Characters come and go, and sometimes pop up again. Many of his stories are about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Other characters are stories in and of themselves. Join us as McClellan shares some of these memorable stories and reflects on the people and moments that have shaped his decades of writing about St. Louis.
This program is free with limited availability in person and on Zoom. Reservations must be made in advance on our website, by calling the Museum at 314-421-4689, or by emailing info@fieldhousemuseum.org.
About the Speaker:
Bill McClellan grew up in Chicago and, after a brief stint at the University of Illinois, he served in the Marine Corps. After the service, he lived in Arizona, where he completed school and got a newspaper job in Phoenix. He later followed his girlfriend to St. Louis when she came to attend dental school—she is now his wife. Together they have two children and five grandchildren.

Civil War Weekend
2026-04-11 10:00 - 2026-04-12 16:00 | Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63123, United States
A living history event celebrating life during the Civil War. Activities throughout both days include soldier encampments, historic weapons demonstrations, 19th century
musical performances, an old-time medicine show by Professor Farquar & Miss Polecat Annie, and information on researching your Civil War ancestors.
This event is free and brought to you by your National Park Service.

History Talk: Now is Our Time to Strike: 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry
2026-04-11 10:30 - 11:30 | Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63123, United States
The First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry were the first black troops to see combat in the American Civil War and this distinction was given to them at a battle that took place in Missouri!
The risks they took in fighting for freedom included re-enslavement and death, yet they joined anyways and helped to encourage hundreds of thousands of others African Americans to do the same. General Grant himself said ‘They will make good soldiers’, and he could not have been more correct.
Come join Park Ranger Cody Faber as he discusses this important unit’s creation, the battles they fought in, where they served and how their fight for freedom made them so influential in America’s history!
The program is free but reservations are required. For reservations call 314-842-1867 ext. 230.

History Talk: Did the Civil War Really End at Appomattox?
2026-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, 7400 Grant Rd, St. Louis, MO, 63123, United States
It is commonly believed that the Civil War ended at Appomattox, Virginia on April 9, 1865 when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. However, was that really the case? As the Confederacy was falling apart an estimated 175,000 troops remained in the field and were not included in the surrender. These troops were loosely dispersed throughout the Confederacy. Confederate President Jefferson Davis vowed to keep the war going.
Ranger Ashton Farrell returns to the park to discuss what happened in the weeks and months after Generals Grant and Lees met at Appomattox Court House.
The program is free. Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations.

Community Preview & Talk "Barter Boat: Engaging Communities on Route 66 Through Object Exchange"
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:00
In celebration of the Route 66 Centennial, the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) presents Barter Boat—a traveling art project built on object exchange, storytelling, and community connection.
Before we dock downtown on May 1st, join artist and professor Desireé Moore at the Springfield Library Center on April 13th for a community preview. Learn how the project works, hear stories from past trades, and find out how you can contribute to a new oral history archive. Whether you have a small trinket or a legendary Route 66 story, we want to hear from you!
Want to try it out? Bring an item to barter with us during the talk!
Desireé Moore is an Assistant Professor of Digital Storytelling and Film Production at the School of Visual Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Barter Boat is a collaborative project by Anna Elliott, Desireé Moore, and Robin Schwartzman. Sponsored by SHSMO in partnership with Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund.
