Hours of operation vary, so call before you go. You'll find works representing the Wild West, other paintings of America's past and modern American works. The museum showcases the history of psychiatric treatment and the history of Missouri State Lunatic Asylum No. 2, which later became the St. Joseph State Hospital.
Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
You also can travel through a simulated underground railroad. It tells the story of America's armed forces. Patee House Museum , 12th and Penn streets, is located in the city's only National Historic Landmark building. It is a former luxury hotel, having served as the headquarters of the Pony Express at one time. Exhibits include St. Joseph historical items and a full-scale replica of a Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad steam engine, coal car and the nation's first railway mail car.