St. Joseph
FreeMissouri River town famed as the starting point of the Pony Express and where outlaw Jesse James was killed.

16701 286th Rd · Atchison, KS
The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opened in 2023 in a hangar at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison, the aviator's birthplace. Its centerpiece is Muriel, a restored Lockheed Electra 10-E, the same model Earhart flew on her final flight. Around the plane, 14 interactive exhibits trace her life, from a crank-turned model roller coaster to a riveting challenge and recordings of her voice. A copy of her bronze statue from the U.S. Capitol stands at the museum.
General museums guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Check the special exhibition separately
Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.
Look for the free window
Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.
Travel light through the door
Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.
Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons
School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.
The closest stops to Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Missouri River town famed as the starting point of the Pony Express and where outlaw Jesse James was killed.
22 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Step inside the small frame house where outlaw Jesse James was shot by Robert Ford in 1882, with artifacts from his life and death.
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A Kansas City-area county along the Missouri River, home to the region's international airport.
25 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
An airport hotel three miles from KCI with a free shuttle, a heated indoor pool and a free hot breakfast.
33 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
Lecompton, Kansas museum run by the Lecompton Historical Society covering the town's role in the Bleeding Kansas territorial era.
38 mi awayMore like this
200 tons of pristine 1856 frontier cargo, dug from a steamboat buried 45 feet under a Kansas cornfield.
45 mi awayMore like this