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Jesse James Home Museum, St. Joseph, MO

Photo: CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsHistory BuffQuirky Fun

Jesse James Home Museum

1202 Penn St · St. Joseph, MO

Why you should go…

This one-story house is where Jesse James was shot and killed by gang member Robert Ford on April 3, 1882. Moved twice, it now sits on the grounds of the Patee House Museum. Inside you see items from Jesse's life and death, artifacts of Frank James and the Ford brothers, and finds from the 1995 exhumation, including his tie pin and a casting of his skull. Look for the bullet hole in the wall, enlarged over the years by souvenir hunters.

  • #outlaw history
  • #historic house
  • #wild west
  • #house museum

Good to know

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.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Jesse James Home Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    St. Joseph

    Free

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

    6.3 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Platte County

    Free

    A Kansas City-area county along the Missouri River, home to the region's international airport.

    26 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Eat & Drink
    Family Favorite

    Dave & Buster's Kansas City

    $25–$50

    A restaurant, sports bar, and arcade in the Village West district of Kansas City, Kansas, with dining and hundreds of games.

    43 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Museums
    Quirky Fun

    Arabia Steamboat Museum

    Under $25

    200 tons of pristine 1856 frontier cargo, dug from a steamboat buried 45 feet under a Kansas cornfield.

    47 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    College Basketball Experience

    Under $25

    Interactive downtown Kansas City attraction with basketball skill games and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

    48 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Local Gem

    American Jazz Museum

    Under $25

    In the historic 18th & Vine district, hands-on exhibits trace Charlie Parker, Ella, and Duke, with live sets in the museum's own Blue Room club.

    48 mi awayMore like this