Hidden among the dozens of theaters and attractions in Branson lies a small museum with a big heart. This quaint little museum offers a huge impact on the visitor who walks through their door. Located in an unlikely setting, the museum makes its home on the upper floor of the Majestic Steakhouse building. The American Presidents Museum is gaining recognition daily. Recently appearing in an article in the Houston Chronicle, and not too long ago, in the Atlanta Journal, the museum is being touted for its incredible collection.
The American Presidents Museum is part of a new private nonprofit organization, The National Center for Presidential Studies. The focus of the museum and the managing organization is to preserve and disseminate the great history of the American Presidency.
Visitors are pleasantly surprised as they enter the museum to find themselves inside a replica of the Oval Office. There a greeter tells them the history of this most famous office, and some of the furnishings you find there. They even have a replica of the famous Resolute desk. Upon leaving the Oval Office, visitors learn of the seven roles of the President, and what those roles entail. From there, you are off on a journey through history. The timeline begins in 1620 with the arrival of the Mayflower and the writing of the Mayflower compact. Much of the course traveled through the museum is formatted upon the Documents of Freedom, a collection of photo-originals of some of the most important documents of our nation’s history. The Museum collection is divided into eras. From the Spirit of 1776 you travel to a House Divided, The Civil War Years, and on into Turn of the Century Presidents. Franklin Roosevelt’s years in the White House is a moving exhibit reminding us if WWII, the great depression, and old-fashioned American pride. Other Presidents featured in the collection include Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and several others. The “Political Americana” exhibit houses an incredible collection of unique campaign, convention and inaugural items, some dating back to the 1800’s.
Of course not to be forgotten, there is a dine collection from First Ladies, and a tribute to First Families, and of course, First Pets. The collection features hundreds of replica and authentic pieces tucked into the various displays. Artifacts such as Franklin Roosevelt’s document case, a chunk of 200 year-old limestone from the White House dated 1792, a 60-year span of Inaugural medals, an awe inspiring collection of Vietnam era P.O.W. items, and much more, make you wonder how this unique museum came to be.
An out-of-state businessman who tried to create a Presidency attraction here in Branson formerly owned the collection. The business closed and the collection was slated to be sold off on an Internet auction site. “I was broken hearted at the thought of this wonderful collection being scattered to buyers across the country,” stated Stormy Lynn Snow, a former employee of the ill-fated attraction. “So I sat down with my family, and shared my plan to save it, or at least as much of it as we could afford. After a lot of planning, hours and hours of paperwork, and cashing in my retirement, The National Center for Presidential Studies was born.” The collection was packed up and moved to its current location at 2849 Gretna Road. Located on the third floor, the museum shares space with the Majestic Steakhouse, Justin Flom’s Imaginary Theater and several other businesses.
“Probably our biggest challenge next to funding is getting the word out about our location. We don’t have any signs yet, as we’re dealing with the city’s sign ordinances, and old location is still on all of the area maps,” said Snow. The museum is designed to be an asset to the community – there are only six museums in the entire country that feature the American Presidency. A primary focus is going to be meeting the needs of school field trips, home school families, scouting groups and most importantly families in the community and surrounding areas looking for a quality and family friendly outing. “This is a temporary home for the museum, and we are so thankful to the building owners for stepping up and offering us this space. Our goal is to build a state of the art educational center with about 40,000 – 50,000 square feet,” Snow said. She continued, “The new center will house a much larger museum, classrooms and activity space, a hall for temporary exhibits from museums around the country, a research library, an auditorium, and an area for artifact restoration.”