Calendar
Events
As part of its mission to generate interest and appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of the state and its people, the Society hosts a wide range of engaging and educational events for scholars and community members of all ages.
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December 3, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
| The State Historical Society of Missouri, St. Louis Research Center
Join us at the SHSMO St. Louis Research Center for a holiday open house from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, December 3. Visitors can enjoy guided tours and collection displays highlighting new acquisitions. This event is free and open to the public, with refreshments available.
December 3, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
| Center for Missouri Studies, Columbia
Put a little MO on your shopping list this holiday season, and support Missouri history with your purchase from our bookstore! The Richard Bookstore inside the Center for Missouri Studies is hosting a Holiday Open House, Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Some of our wonderful vendors will be here to share more of their artisan work, including Doodle Station, Jenny McGee Art, Mackenzie's Bakery, Midwest Mercantile, Southern Grace Boutique, Sugarberry Blooms, Villasana Woodworks, and Wildflower Revival.
Exhibitions
Art and educational exhibitions illustrate transformative moments in Missouri and U.S. history. The State Historical Society of Missouri houses exhibition galleries at the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia. SHSMO also provides materials for display in galleries and exhibition spaces across the state.
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November 12, 2022 – March 5, 2023
| George A. Spiva Center for the Arts - Joplin
The complete collection of 91 Thomas Hart Benton Editioned Lithographs will be on exhibition at the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts as part of the opening celebration of the Harry M. Arts & Entertainment Cornell Complex in Joplin November 12, noon to 5 p.m. Visitors can see the exhibition, on loan from the State Historical Society of Missouri, until March 5, 2023.
August 2, 2022 – April 29, 2023
| SHSMO St. Louis Research Center
Music in Missouri explores Missouri’s contribution to American music, specifically St. Louis music styles, such as ragtime, jazz, rock ‘n roll, and rap.
July 19, 2022 – February 18, 2023
| Center for Missouri Studies, Columbia
Long used in Chinese herbal medicine, American ginseng has been a valuable export since the 18th century. Ginseng Culture in Missouri explores the use, harvest, and resulting regulation of ginseng in the state with photographs, pamphlets, letters, newspapers, books, and illustrations from SHSMO collections.
July 6 – December 23, 2022
| Center for Missouri Studies, Columbia
Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the National Women and Media Collection, In Their Own Words features the voices of important women working in media straight from their diaries, letters, and interviews. Visitors will learn of their struggles and triumphs in the media industry and how these journalists were able to navigate careers in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
July 5 – December 5, 2022
| Center for Missouri Studies & Reynolds Journalism Institute, Columbia
On display at SHSMO and RJI through November 5, 2022, Mr. Pruitt’s Possum Town presents a selection of photographs by Otis Noel Pruitt, a white photographer who documented life from 1920-1960 in the segregated town of Columbus, Mississippi–known locally as "Possum Town."
Recent On Demand Programs
SHSMO has a selection of on demand programs that are freely available to worldwide audiences.
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Larry Gragg, author and Professor Emeritus of History at Missouri University of Science and Technology, presented a program on Nov. 2, 2022, at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies that examines the impacts of desegregation in Missouri higher education.
U.S. Senator Roy D. Blunt delivered the annual My Missouri Lecture on Sat. Oct. 29 at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia. The senior senator from Missouri reflected on how his upbringing shaped his career in education and politics.
In 2022, the National Women and Media Collection is celebrating its 35th anniversary at the State Historical Society of Missouri. This invaluable collection includes records of media organizations and professional and personal papers of notable women who worked as reporters, editors, publishers, press spokespersons, and other positions in the print, broadcast, and online media industries.
Watch as Bill Eddleman explores how to write and share your family history.
National History Day in Missouri (NHDMO) is a unique opportunity for middle and high school students to explore the past in a creative, hands-on way by producing a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website on a topic of their choosing. Watch as NHDMO Coordinator Danielle Griego, PhD, announces the 2022 state contest award winners.