Skip to Main Content

Custer's nephew's scalp, held by Lon Smith.

Museum of World Treasures

Field review by the editors.

Wichita, Kansas

The Museum of World Treasures is called "the Smithsonian of the Midwest" according to museum employee Lon Smith, who was our guide. We don't know if we'd go that far, but the museum does have a lot crammed into what was an old warehouse, including a couple of Egyptian mummies, a shrunken head, some big dinosaur skeletons, a please-touch-me slab of the Berlin Wall, and lots of things signed by famous people. We were especially mesmerized by a human scalp, taken (some claim) from Harry Armstrong Reed, Custer's 18-year-old nephew, who was killed along with his uncle at the battle of Little Big Horn. Harry's job was to hold the 7th Calvary flagpole, which he reportedly did until the end.

The Museum states honestly in its display that the scalp's history is in dispute; it may not have belonged to Custer's nephew at all, or to anyone even remotely famous. Still, it's not something you see every day, and indicative of the wow-factor artifacts that this museum offers. The place radiates a certain cheeriness, making its selective survey of Civilization seem just about right.

Slab of the Berlin Wall.

Museum of World Treasures

Address:
835 E. First St., Wichita, KS
Directions:
Downtown. I-135 exit 6C. Drive west on 2nd St. for a half-mile, go through the traffic light at Washington St., then make the next left onto Mosley St. The Museum is one block south, on the right, at the corner of Mosley and First.
Hours:
M-Sa 10-5, Su 12-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
316-263-1311
Admission:
Adults $10.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Carry Nation StatueCarry Nation Statue, Wichita, KS - < 1 mi.
Horse Made of Car BumpersHorse Made of Car Bumpers, Wichita, KS - < 1 mi.
Boy and the BootBoy and the Boot, Wichita, KS - < 1 mi.
In the region:
The Troll, Wichita, KS - 1 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Kansas

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Kansas.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Map and Plan Your Own Roadside Adventure ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Kansas Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights