Wornall/Majors House Museums (WMHM) has been awarded a grant from Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area (FFNHA) to support new interpretive projects at the Alexander Majors House Museum.
This project will allow WMHM to turn the second floor of the Majors House into a modern museum space within a historic house setting, exploring how the Missouri-Kansas border influenced the American West. Topics will include the ways in which the Pony Express shaped memories of the West, women’s history, and restoration of the Majors House. Separate funding from the Mellon Foundation via the Kansas City Monuments Coalition will explore slavery on the border and improve accessibility to the second floor.
“This funding will allow Wornall/Majors to tell a story about Kansas City’s role in the expanding American west that is both more comprehensive and more inclusive,” said Sarah Bader-King, WMHM executive director.
The Majors House is currently open for public tours Saturday and Sunday 1-5 pm through November 1. The museum will then remain closed until fall 2027 while museum staff prepare new exhibits and perform upgrades. The museum will have scheduled “hard hat” tours in the spring of 2027, followed by a re-opening event, with details to be announced.
Freedom’s Frontier is a congressionally designated national heritage area that spans eastern Kansas and western Missouri, working with partners to preserve and share the stories of the region’s role in shaping the nation’s history. FFNHA provides grant funding to support projects promoting heritage tourism, historic preservation, and public interpretation.
“Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area is proud to support projects like this that bring our shared history to life,” said Lucinda Adams, FFNHA Executive Director. “By investing in local partners, we’re helping communities preserve their stories, engage new audiences, and strengthen heritage tourism across the region.”
