Centralia Historical Society Museum

About

About2022-02-25T15:18:24-06:00

WELCOME TO THE CENTRALIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Check out the museum & gardens

Tour Hours: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday & Wednesdays—May through October. Tours are conducted by volunteer docents (tour guides). Special tours may be scheduled by appointment.

Admission is free, visitor donations are welcomed and used to operate the Museum and preserve the collection of historic artifacts.

Admission

Admission is free, visitor donations are welcomed and used to operate the Museum and preserve the collection of historic artifacts.

Tour Hours

Tour Hours: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Saturday, Sunday & Wednesdays—May through October. Tours are conducted by volunteer docents (tour guides).

Office Hours

The office of the Society, manned by Museum secretary, Dorothy Davidson, is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 am-2pm. Marjorie Motley is currently serving as Director of Museum.

How do I get to the museum & gardens?

From Moberly/Sturgeon direction:

  • As you are headed East on Highway 22, turn right on N. Jefferson St. (by McDonald’s)
  • Drive 0.6 miles (you’ll cross over two sets of railroad tracks and pass Chester Boren Middle School)
  • Turn right on E. Sneed St.
  • The museum & parking will be on the right.

From Mexico/Thompson direction:

  • As you are headed West on Highway 22, turn left on N. Jefferson St. (by McDonald’s)
  • Drive 0.6 miles (you’ll cross over two sets of railroad tracks and pass Chester Boren Middle School)
  • Turn right on E. Sneed St.
  • The museum & parking will be on the right.

From Columbia/Hallsville direction:

  • As you are headed North on Highway 124, turn right on W. Singleton (the turn is just before the overpass)
  • Drive 0.5 miles headed East on Singleton St.
  • Turn right on Allen St. (the turn is right by the town square)
  • Drive 1 block headed South on Allen St.
  • Turn left on Sneed St.
  • Drive 0.6 miles on Sneed St.
  • The museum & parking will be on the left.

Google Map Directions!

Our Team

Here are the people running the show at the Centralia Historical Society Museum and Gardens

Marjorie Motley
Marjorie MotleyDirector of Museum
Marje is a fount of knowledge related to the museum and gardens. She is also a frequent docent (tour guide) and museum treasurer.
Dorothy Davidson
Dorothy DavidsonMuseum Secretary
Dorothy works in the museum office Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. She is the person to contact to schedule a tour.
Jim Lee
Jim LeeGardens Caretaker
Jim maintains both Chance Gardens and the Rose Garden. Jim is also a member of the museum board and is involved with the Centralia Battlefield.

Our Board

Here are the people in charge of making decisions for the museum

Brad Page
Brad PageBoard President
Brad is currently the board president. He also owns and operates Reclaimed while organizing Second Saturdays.
Amy Maenner
Amy MaennerBoard Vice-President
Amy is currently the board vice-president. She is quite active on social media and is the museum social media chair.
Deborah Wehrman
Deborah WehrmanBoard Secretary
Debbie is currently the board secretary. She is in charge of taking notes and providing agendas for board meetings.

Other Board Members

Sally Crow
Sally CrowBoard Member
Susie Getzlaff
Susie GetzlaffBoard Member
Mike Hann
Mike HannBoard Member
Carolyn Romine
Carolyn RomineBoard Member
Janet Roth
Janet RothBoard Member

Museum Docents

The current docent (tour guide) list of volunteers numbers around 15.  Please contact us to become a volunteer.

We need YOU!

Centralia Historical Society Museum & Gardens: History

For those that are curious about the founding of the museum, Chance Gardens, and the Rose Garden.

The Centralia Historical Society is housed in a Victorian(Queen Anne Style) house that was built in 1904 by Pharmacist, Robert Linwood Hope and his wife, Belle Downing Hope.  They lived here with their son until 1908.  Charles Early, Centralia banker bought the home and lived with his family.

Albert Bishop Chance and his wife Frances Gano Chance bought the home in 1923 and lived here until his death in 1949.

The home was then converted into the Chance Company guest house, used in that manner from 1954-1973.  In 1974 Chance Foundation provided the house to the Centralia Historical Society, Inc. The Architect was George F. Barber, Design #27.  It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chance Gardens, a horticultural attraction was built in 1936 by Mr. Albert Bishop Chance as an expression of his gratitude to the community for it’s support of the Chance Company through the years. In 1927 the Chances took a world tour.  He was so inspired by the gardens he saw that upon his return he built one of his own.

The Garden was designed by Mrs. Maude Dawson Taylor, landscape architect of Kansas City, MO.  The oriental influence may be sensed in the artful harmony of wood, water, rocks, trees, shrubs and flowers as well as in the design of entrances and garden pergola. Key features include a massive stone arch and wishing well.

Across a low pine-topped berm, a brook cascades down a miniature mountainside, joining a smaller spring fed stream and then meandering through a rock strewn valley. Over 300 tons of Missouri stone were used in the initial construction.

A rock grotto is among the gardens best known attractions, reminiscent of caves constructed in early Chinese landscapes, is lined with unusual specimens from Missouri caves.  Chance Gardens is now listed on National Historical Registry as Boone County’s oldest garden open to the public.  Maintenance of the Gardens is provided by the generosity of the Chance Foundation.

A 1995 addition, the Rose Garden, sits adjacent to the Centralia Museum, its design complimenting the architecture of the 1904 Home. From May to November the Rose Garden is ablaze with over 400 blooms.

Centralia Historical Society Membership

Membership Option 1

Details about membership option 1 will go here.  Cost and benefits of this option will be explained here.

Membership Option 2

Details about membership option 2 will go here.  Cost and benefits of this option will be explained here.

Membership Option 3

Details about membership option 3 will go here.  Cost and benefits of this option will be explained here.

WELCOME TO FAQ

Here Are The Most Frequently Asked Questions.

Hopefully this FAQ section will help answer most of your questions.  If you still are needing information, please contact us!

How do I get to the museum and gardens?2022-02-18T15:47:20-06:00

Depending on where you are coming from, there are different routes to the museum.  You can find directions to the museum and gardens HERE.

How do I arrange a tour of the museum?2022-02-13T17:44:30-06:00

Museum tours freely available May through October on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Special tours may be scheduled by appointment by contacting the Dorothy Davidson, our museum secretary.  She can be contacted by phone at 573-682-5711 or by email at cenhis@socket.net

What is the cost to tour the gardens?2022-02-13T17:37:20-06:00

Garden tours are absolutely free.  Unlike the museum, there are no guided tours available.  We request that you stay on the paved walkways in Chance Gardens and in the clearly defined rows in the rose garden.

What is the cost to tour the museum?2022-02-13T17:32:07-06:00

The museum tours are absolutely free.  The museum graciously accepts donations to help operate the museum and preserve the collection of historic artifacts.

© All rights reserved. • Centralia Historical Society Museum • Maintained by Tim Motley

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