St. Joseph’s Free Museum Day highlights ‘treasures in our own backyards’
By Jazmine Knight
For those looking for something to do this Saturday, museums across St. Joseph and Savannah are participating in their own Free Museum Day.
Free Museum Day began with the Smithsonian as a way to celebrate museums and encourage people to come. Over the years, Free Museum Day spread to museums all across the nation, inviting community members to explore what local museums have to offer at a manageable cost for everyone.
“Some people come who maybe can’t afford to come have larger families or want to bring a larger group as a way to do that,” said Sarah Elder, manager for Remington Nature Center.
Remington is just one of the organizations participating in Free Museum Day. She said while the Smithsonian got rid of its Free Museum Day a few years ago, however the Museums Association of St. Joseph decided that Free Museum Day was here to stay.
“It’s kind of expected. It’s a fun thing. It’s a great thing to do for the community,” said Elder.
Not only does Free Museum Day bring in more people, but it gives those people a chance to explore things they typically wouldn’t.
“There is a kind of a truism with tourism that people don’t vacation in their backyard,” Elder said. “This is a way to encourage people to visit their museums in their communities.”
Jeff McMillian, executive director of Robidoux Row Museum, said Free Museum Day is a way to engage and give back to the community as detailed in their mission.
“(We want to) help make sure that the youth especially are informed and educated about our history here,” McMillian said.
Inside Robidoux Row, guests can find collections of St. Joseph history dating all the way back to the 1820s. During Free Museum Day, they will also have an art exhibit showcasing prominent artists from St. Joseph.
“Fred Harmon of the Cowboy Hall of Fame,” said McMillian. “We will also have some works by Harrison Hartley, who has a painting of the Jesse James Home … A version of that was commissioned by Hoover for the FBI headquarters.”
McMillian said oftentimes St. Joseph residents will say, “I didn’t even know this was here.” He said more than half of their visitors hail from out of town, so Free Museum Day gives residents a chance to explore what’s just down the street from them.
“It is an exciting day to help make sure that local people here understand some of the treasures right in our own backyards. And it’s free,” he said.
Elder said she’s ready to see the kids light up when they see Remington’s immense animal collection or their 7,000 gallon freshwater aquarium. She hopes this day will help people connect with nature and recognize that certain animals and wildlife are needed for the world to thrive.
“Just to educate people that nature is nothing to be afraid of,” she said. “Nature’s been here for millennia. Man has been here for millennia. At one point, we managed to cohabit very, quite nicely together.”
Typically, Free Museum Day is celebrated the third week in September. This year in St. Joseph, Free Museum Day will be on Sept. 21 with nine participating museums:
Albrecht-Kemper Museum or Art
Andrew County Museum
Black Archives Museum
Glore Psychiatric Museum
Pony Express National Museum
Remington Nature Center
Robidoux Row
St. Joseph Museums Inc.
Wyeth-Tootle Mansion
Remington Nature Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Free Museum Day and weekdays. The Robidoux Row Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For those who can make it on Sept. 21, admission for Remington is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors age 60 and over, $2 for students age 4-15 and free for children 3 and under. Admission for Robidoux Row is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students and free for children 5 and under.
