- Museum of World Treasures
-
The Museum of World Treasures is a world history museum in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Among the many items on display are Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Tylosaurus specimens (Including "Ivan the T. rex"), Egyptian mummies, signatures of all the American presidents, a section of the Berlin Wall, and the Scarecrow's pitchfork from The Wizard of Oz. The Museum of World Treasures is not limited to a particular aspect of history, but has opted to display an extremely diverse collection representing many different fields of interest and a wide range of subjects.
Contents
History
The museum first opened on April 22, 2001, at the Garvey Center in Downtown Wichita. The bulk of the exhibits were originally from the collection of the museums founder, Dr. Jon Kardatzke. Dr. Kardatzke was a private collector who had recently retired from 35 years as a private practice clinician, and believed it was time to showcase his extraordinary collection for the public. Due to tremendous growth in the first few years, the museum relocated to the "Farm and Art Market" in Old Town, Wichita in 2003. The new building was a reconstructed three story warehouse that was completely renovated to house the expansive museum collection. There are now over 30 collectors that have their items on display at the museum, not to mention the numerous items that have been donated.
Mission
To provide a gateway to the past that educates, entertains and inspires lifelong learning. [1]
Layout
The three stories of the museum represent different eras in world history. Access to the separate floors can be obtained via a central spiral staircase, or the popular glass elevator the rises above the towering dinosaur exhibit. The first floor also contains the entry foyer and Museum Store.
First floor
Ivan the T. rex
A piece of the 50 ft. long Timeline featuring all the Roman Emperors and their coinage.The 1st floor of the museum focuses on fossils and ancient human history, as well as a room dedicated to geology. Exhibits of note are:
- Ivan the T. rex - found by Alan Komrosky in 2007, this giant Tyrannosaurus Rex is about 65% fossil. When it was found, it had the most complete tail of any T. rex, with only three vertebrae missing.
- "Sea Creatures of the Plains" - Showcasing Kansas Marine fossils, such as a 34 ft. Tylosaurus, a Xiphactinus, and a mosasaur.
- Egyptian mummies - Female mummies from ancient Egypt
- Coins of the Roman Emperors - A 50 ft. time line that showcases gold, silver, and bronze coins from nearly every Roman Emperor, as well as write-ups on their exploits and conquests.
- World Civilizations - Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Egyptian, Pre Columbian, African, Southeast Asian & Ancient Near East showcases.
Second floor
The 2nd floor of the museum focuses on military history, presidents, and royalty from around the world. Exhibits of note are:
- Royalty Gallery - Signatures and artifacts from the great leaders of Spain, England, France, Russia, Germany, and the Holy Roman Empire.
- Military Gallery - Weaponry and artifacts from the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, World War I (including a large scale recreation of Trench Warfare), World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
- American Presidents Gallery - Contains the signature of every American president, as well as a replica of the famous Resolute Desk.
Third floor
A frontier log cabin dioramaThe exhibits on the 3rd floor feature an ensemble of material from American history. In addition, the top floor of the museum also has a large banquet room that can be rented out for private functions. Exhibits of note are:
- Sports - artifacts from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana and more.
- "Ballard - Deep Sea Explorer" - footage and artifacts from native Wichitan Robert Ballard's famous discovery of the sunken RMS Titanic.
- American Pop Culture Gallery - features Scarecrow's pitchfork from The Wizard of Oz.
- The American Frontier - contains cowboys, Native Americans, frontier living, the Pony Express, and even the scalp of George Armstrong Custer's nephew Autie Reed.
- Historic Composers and Music - features original manuscripts from Mozart, Beethoven, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra.
- Kardatzke Historic Authors Collection - collections of famous historic authors and poets such as Robert Frost and Mark Twain.
Rotating exhibits
Some exhibits featured at the Museum of World Treasures are on display for a limited time. To learn more visit Museum of World Treasures Web Site.
Organization
The Museum of World Treasures is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Kansas corporation. Tax-deductible donations go directly to support the museum's many educational programs.
- Staff includes
- President and CEO
- Operations Manager
- Curator of Collections
- Curator of Exhibits and Research
- Education Director
- Marketing Assistant
- Front desk staff
- Volunteers
- Docents
Outreach
The museum focuses heavily on educational outreach with programs such as:
- Camp-Ins
- Educational Tours
- Scout Programs
- Community Outreach Programs
- Educational Partnerships
References
- ^ www.worldtreasures.org
External links
Categories:- History museums in Kansas
- Museums established in 2001
- Museums in Wichita, Kansas
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
