Hidden gems: Here’s your Kansas City museum bucket list

With museums opening their doors as the pandemic wanes and summer begins, we set out to find the “hidden gems” that you can see in the Kansas City area. We spoke with curators from some of the area’s most popular museums and asked them what pieces in their collections they found especially noteworthy.

“What’s your KCQ?,” in partnership with the Kansas City Public Library, reached out to six museums and is awaiting responses from a few more. Make sure to tell us what we missed at the bottom of this page.

Here’s what we found:

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

1616 E 18th St.

Kansas City Monarchs jerseys

Authentic jerseys from the Negro Leagues are hard to come by, so the NLBM is proud to have these two Kansas City Monarchs jerseys on display in their collection, said Raymond Doswell, the museum’s vice president of curatorial affairs. The first jersey belonged to Newt Allen, an infielder who played for the Monarchs in the 1920s and 1930s. Newt’s jersey is gray, made of wool flannel material and bestows the team’s name in Tiffany style lettering across the front.

Kansas City Monarchs jersey of Caroll Ray “Dink” Mothell at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the 18th and Vine Jazz District.

The second jersey belonged to Caroll “Dink” Mothell, a catcher who also played for the Monarchs in the 1920s and 1930s. Both of the jerseys were acquired by the museum in the late 1990s and are on display together in the museum.

Jackie Robinson signed baseball

A baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, Jim Gilliam, Joe Black and Ray Campanella on one side and Ty Cobb on the other is featured at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the 18th and Vine Jazz District.

After Jackie Robinson left the Monarchs to play for the New York Dodgers, Kansas Citians wanting to see the iconic infielder who broke the color barrier in professional baseball had to travel by train to Chicago or St. Louis to catch a major league game. When John Moore, a friend of Robinson, made that journey to Chicago, Robinson gifted him a baseball that he and other Black Dodgers players had autographed. On the backside of the ball: Ty Cobb’s signature. The ball is “a story about integration and the effects of integration in baseball and also the connections of Robinson to the (Kansas City) region,” Doswell said.

Museum hours:

Monday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, 12:00 .p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

5235 Oak St.

Miniature Architects’ Classroom

Inside the miniature Architect’s Classroom at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.

When Kansas City resident William R. Robertson visited the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, he told the museum’s founder, Barbara Marshall, that the exhibits she had on display lacked an “industrial” quality. With Marshall’s permission, Robertson decided to craft a miniature replica of an architect’s classroom. Decorated with miniature chalkboards, adjustable drafting tables, movable stools, little tool boxes and more, Curator of Interpretation Laura Taylor said this early-1900s creation is one of the museum’s hidden gems.

Museum hours

Wednesday - Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Kansas City Museum

3218 Gladstone Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Aireon Jukebox

This Aireon Jukebox is in storage at the Kansas City Museum. It is expected to go on display to the public this fall.

During World War II, a small Kansas City, Kansas, company called Aireon set out to make electronic equipment to support the United States’ war effort. After the war ended, the company used their production systems to make jukeboxes. This production didn’t last long, however, meaning there are not many of these jukeboxes in circulation. Now, the Kansas City Museum has acquired one from the late 1940s and is looking forward to displaying it for the first time this fall, Denise Morrison, Director of Collections & Curatorial Affairs, said.

The Kansas City Museum is temporarily closed. It is expected to reopen this fall.

The Arabian Steamboat Museum

400 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Buffalo fur boots

When world renowned appraiser Timothy Gordon visited the Arabian Steamboat Museum last year, one thing stood out to him among the 4,000 wet organic materials preserved in the collection: a pair of buffalo haired boots. The boots are insulated with buffalo fur that pokes out of the top of the ankle, according to David Hawley, owner of the steamboat.

Museum hours

Monday - Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, 12:00pm - 5:00 p.m.

What did we miss? If you know of something we should add to our list, email us at kcq@kcstar.com or fill out the form below.