Kansas City, Missouri: Arabia Steamboat Museum

Stopped here a couple of times. Very interesting story of discovery of a sunken ship in the Missouri River from the mid-1800s. Much of the cargo was amazingly preserved in the mud for 150 years. Unique display.

Small but very interesting museum, which give you a great outlook on what was happening in the movement West and what was sold in the general stores in the 1850s.

This is worth every minute. Five friends invested on a treasure hunt that involved a four month excavation of an 1850s steamship that still had all of its cargo. Their investment and zest lead to the attraction--which is still a work in progress. Over 200 tons of cargo recovered.

Tour included one of the five appearing in person and answering questions.

The wide variety of goods recovered from the site of the Arabia's wreckage is a wonderful education on mid-19th-Century live in Frontier America.

Boat carrying products for sale to small general stores sunk in the Missouri River on an oxbow. The oxbow dried up about 2 miles from the main channel, where the boat was found in a farmer's field. The ships contents were recovered in good shape and it is a museum to the times -- 1856.