Ralph Foster Museum in Branson, Missouri
The Ralph Foster Museum is an educational museum that
tries to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit items that are pertinent
to the history of the Ozarks region and the people who dwell there, both
past and present. The museum is located in a building that sits on the
campus of the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout,
The idea for such a museum on school property arose as
early as the 1920s. Dr. Robert Good, then-president of the college,
supported the idea and initiated the museum in the basement of a boy’s
dormitory. Good was also integral in seeking and raising funds to improve
and enlarge the museum and it eventually consumed the entire building.
Originally named The Museum of the Ozarks, it was later changed to the
The original museum opened with just a few artifacts, including several that remain on display until this day, like a collection of mounted birds and another of butterflies native to the area. In the 1960s, the museum was renamed for Mr. Ralph Foster, a local radio pioneer who brought live talent broadcasts to the Ozarks area. Foster, who was an avid collector of Indian and Western artifacts, took a keen interest in the museum and later turned over his collections. His generosity prompted the name change.
Today, the
The Siman Music Room is one of the most popular spaces
in the museum. Country music fans, especially, enjoy a wealth of artifacts
from the days when
Another unique display includes work by Rose O’Neill, a
native Pennsylvanian who became a prominent Branson citizen later in life.
O’Neill was the creator of the Kewpie. Her donations to the museum include a
display of Scootles dolls, which resemble the famous Kewpie. Other notable
artwork in the museum includes an original work by Thomas Hart Benton, an
American painter and muralist whose work is primarily associated with the
Other collections include Firearms through the Years, History of the Ozarks, Hall of Natural History, North American Animals, Primitive Americana, and 20th Century American Conflicts. There’s also a small children’s discovery room on site.
But the item that most people seem to relate to best is a piece of modern culture that is decidedly hillbilly in character. A few decades ago, television director Paul Henning, who produced such popular 60s shows as Petticoat Junction and Green Acres, donated Jed Clampett’s truck from his biggest hit, the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. It has become the museum’s signature piece.
The
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