Latest News & Announcements

A public reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place at the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia, on July 8, 5 p.m. The nation’s founding document will be read simultaneously across the United States to mark the 250th reading of the Declaration of Independence. The public is invited to attend for free the Declaration of Independence Festival, which will include a reception at 4 p.m. Tiger Stripe ice cream will be served to the first 250 guests in attendance.

Fifty-four students from Missouri were among the 3,000 students who competed at the National History Day contest in College Park, Maryland June 15-18. Missouri students received multiple awards and special prizes. This year’s theme was Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. The National History Day program in Missouri is organized and sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri. Students in grades 6-12 who received 1st and 2nd place at the state level moved on to the national contest held on the campus of University of Maryland.

Now is your chance to have coffee and conversation with SHSMO art curator Joan Stack. Through June 15, 2026, anyone who joins or renews their SHSMO membership will be entered into a drawing for SHSMO’s Coffee and Conversation with the Curator experience. The winner—and up to five friends—will have the opportunity to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour with our art curator and learn more about SHSMO’s art collection and its history. The winner will be notified on June 20.

Staff of the State Historical Society hosted a brunch recently at the Center for Missouri Studies to honor the volunteers who have provided assistance to the Society during the past year. Over 4,000 volunteer hours – an equivalent of two full-time staff – has helped SHSMO carry out its work. From a larger perspective, volunteers have contributed over 53,000 hours to SHSMO since we began tracking their hours in 2005.

The State Historical Society of Missouri is seeking proposals for two Gary R. Kremer Center for Missouri Studies fellowships to begin January 1, 2027. Each fellowship carries a stipend of $5,000 for a project resulting in a scholarly essay on one of the two topics listed below. Proposals must be submitted by Sept. 8, 2026.

Just under 500 middle and high school students from across the state competed in the National History Day state contest April 25, 2026, on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia. The annual program is sponsored and organized by the State Historical Society of Missouri. Fifty-five Missouri students who received first and second place in the state contest will compete in the national contest June 14-18 at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.

What better way to celebrate the centennial of Route 66 than with a road trip! Whether you're in Paris, Missouri, or Paris, France, you can follow along with us on social media as we drive from St. Louis to Joplin, stopping at iconic Missouri places that helped immortalize Route 66 in pop culture for the past century.

Join us, beginning this Thursday, as we tell the stories of people and places in Missouri that helped make Route 66 into a national icon. On the second Thursday of every month at 11am the State Historical Society of Missouri will be talking Route 66 in Missouri in this virtual program. Host Kathleen Seale, coordinator of the SHSMO Rolla and Springfield Research Centers, will talk with SHSMO staff who are contributing to the centennial events and collections. Seale serves on national and state organizations planning this year's Route 66 centennial celebrations.

A new exhibition at the State Historical Society of Missouri highlights stories and experiences of veterans, woven within the fibers of the American military uniform. The free exhibition on display at the William Guitar Little Missouri Gallery of Art also invites the public to write their wishes for the country’s future during the 250th anniversary of the nation’s Declaration of Independence on the exhibition’s “wishing wall.”  The gallery is located inside the State Historical Society of Missouri’s headquarters at the Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia, Mo.

Thanks to all who joined us for Missouri Conference on History held at Old Stoneybook Inn in Camdenton! It was a great opportunity for the 175 registrants to network and hear from scholars who are doing research in the field of Missouri history. Congratulations to the award winners whose work has contributed to Missouri history this past year. They include:

Missouri Book Award: Matthew Knox Averett, Creighton University, “Canfield Drive: A History of Race and the American City on a Street in St. Louis”