I just love museums! In fact for our wedding anniversary, my husband agreed to a museum crawl. He took the day off from work for this adventure. I did think of him when I planned our visits. First, none of these museum took more than 60-90 minutes to visit. Second, two of the three were a quick drive from our home. Third, they all were either new, newly renovated, and he had not visited. Finally, they had exhibits that I knew would interest, inform and entertain.
First was the new “Medicine’s Hall of Fame and Museum” in Shawnee, Kansas. This museum was founded by Bruce Hodges, MD, with items he has collected over the years both medical and from his trips to Africa where he provided medical care.
I knew this building well because for many years it housed the Johnson County Museum. It was exciting to see that it had been repurposed into a new museum. I was sure my husband would enjoy it, as he is a physician. And I was right. My first choice was a pleasant surprise for both of us. Included in the displays were many old remedies for allergies and asthma. Perfect for my husband as he is a pediatric allergist, who treats asthma as well.
Other items we enjoyed were the two Iron Lung machines that treated patients with polio. I had seen one for an adult before, but the one for a child surprised me. But of course, children needed them as well. We enjoyed the room set up as an early pharmacy with the original desk and many bottles and boxes displaying old medicines. Military filed kits, Native American medicine bags and lots of items that were used by quack doctors over the years.
It provided us with a fun hour of information.
From there we drove to Overland Park, Kansas, where the Johnson County Musuem moved in 2016. I still remember when they moved the first ‘electric house’ in Kansas to the museum, closing down roads and moving power lines. The house is actually enclosed in the museum. Although I had been to this museum many times since its move, my husband has not been to it since the move. As, I said, I planned this day with him in my mind.
I also wanted to go because there was an exhibit on redlining, which was the way realtors kept people to separate areas enforcing segregation in a way that people did not realize. I was shocked. The realtors not only redlined, they earmarked some areas blue and green for white Christians. Yellow areas were for Jews, Italians, people of middle eastern descent and others. While Redlined areas were for Blacks and Hispanics. If you went to a realtor, they would only show you a house in an area that you FIT. Horrible. And worse is that it basically became federal policy as well during the Great Depression.
The realtors also would add to fear and distress in a neighborhood if a black couple or someone different moved in, leading to white people fleeing neighborhoods. My husband experienced this in St. Louis when he was a child. He grew up in University City area, which was mainly Jewish. Then as black families moved in, he remembers a realtor telling his parents that they should sell and move out.
“Redlined: Cities, Suburbs, Segregation” will be at the museum until January 2023.
Our final museum visit occurred a few days later. We traveled to Kansas City, Missouri to visit the newly renovated Kansas City Museum in Corinthian Hall. When our children were young, it was the Science and Natural History Museum. I remember the dioramas in the back building as my children loved them. The museum is totally different now, although the lovely stained glass windows are still visible.
The museum now displays exhibits about the history of Kansas City on the top floor, also talking about Redlining! While on the main floor several rooms of this 112-year-old mansion have been renovated to look back into the past when it was a home. I am glad that when they did the renovations, one important room remained, my children’s favorite from years ago, the ice cream parlor, which will be open this summer. YUM!
It was great to see this building coming back to life. I also understand that they plan to renovate the other buildings on the property as well. It has a magnificent view of the city.
While there we saw our first of the 100 hearts that were designed by artists and placed throughout the metro. I have now seen two of the hearts, and I hope to see many more!
https://www.medicineshalloffame.com/
zicharonot 
Happy anniversary! Sounds like an interesting day.
Thank you. It was fun and kept us both off the computers and truly bring together on our day off.