Joplin History & Mineral Museum

We LOVE little museums like this! Lots of great mineral displays. Really nice. Upstairs are some models of mining history - what my daughter and I were completely enthralled with were vintage panoramic group photos of the miners. Literally could have spent hours here, though for the record we are super nerds.Then, there's another wing of the museum that is all about Joplin history. But as a bonus this also includes the National Cookie Cutter Museum! Who knew? Loved it here. Staff was super friendly and helpful. I think admission was $5, a great bargain!

The display of lead/zinc minerals in this museum are world class. I'm a geologist by training, and I've been to a LOT of museums, and this is one of the best single-district ones in the world. One quibble is that the display lighting and signage doesn't look like it's been changed since the 60's. I was told they were working on it. Hint: bring your own high-powered LED flashlight to illuminate the displays. It makes the specimens pop!The staff at the museum is every bit as good as the minerals. They were friendly and every question was answered thoroughly and professionally. When it was clear I was a geologist the museum's curator, Chris, took me under his wing and showed me many wondrous things.And, yes, there is a LOT more than rocks... though I have to admit I gave the rest of the museum only a cursory look. Beautiful quilts and historic displays make this a must-see attraction.Oh... and did I mention cats? The museum has two uber-friendly resident cats! Minerals and cats. What more can a person ask for!

Excellent museum with some fantastic exhibits. There are some world class mineral specimens here.

If you have small and/or spirited children under 6, I recommend you skip this museum. We live in Detroit; I am visiting for the week to see my family. I wanted my children to see a little bit of Joplin's history. My oldest is a history buff, and loves science, so I thought it would be a nice outing before heading over to my parents for the afternoon. My youngest was enthralled with the "caves." Keeping in mind that he could not speak a word six months ago because he has apraxia of speech, he was jabbering loudly and showing me the cool things he saw. If he tried to touch something, I redirected him. Now he has two speeds: Fast or asleep. He was hurting no one, but Dina, the administrative assistant, came to me with disdain. She wrinkled up her nose, looked at me, and said with scorn and judgment, "He needs to be not so rambunctious." I said we would be leaving, collected my disappointed son, and told my husband and older child (who were in the WWI exhibit) we needed to leave, sorely disappointing my other child. When my husband and son came out, I went back in to express my outrage and disappointment at her treatment of us. I have never been treated so rudely. If other guests had complained (she admitted no one had), or if I really felt like he was a danger to the museum, himself, or others, I would have let him explore less or left on my own. As it was, if she was unhappy with the situation, she could have expressed it with kindness instead of scorn. I did receive a seemingly sincere apology from the executive director, but Dina kept trying to defend her actions. In the end, she apologized, but I do not feel she meant it. Having access to world-class museums in Detroit, we take advantage of them for learning and enjoyment, and we have never been treated like this, even when my children have had meltdowns. It should never be a goal to humiliate guests.

This isn't a bad little museum. It's separated into 2 parts; the mineral museum and the historical museum. It needs some serious updates but I am sure funding is the issue. Unfortunately the admission fees are already steep for the type of museum this is, but I have heard they offer 2 free days per week. I would love to see this museum revitalized somehow but I am not sure that is in the cards (for now).

Wow. This place gets a five stars for service. We were greeted by a sweet gentleman and his family of cats. He answered any questions we had and took the time to explain things in detail. The museum itself takes about an hour to go through and their are several exhibits on display ranging from minerals to the history of the area. One of my favorite sections is the cookie cutter display. So many cookie cutters and many I remember from my childhood! We had so much fun looking through them. I also enjoy the circus tent area. The miniature exhibit is both fun and interactive. This is a wonderful place to visit and spend an hour or so if you're in the area.

I have loved this place since its inception as the Dorthea B. Hoover Historical Museum and am glad to see it grow a little each time I revisit my hometown. Dorthea (a dear family friend) would be proud. I find it to be an interesting peek into the history of Joplin from a small mining town (some 215 years ago) to what it has become today. The people of Joplin were survivors in the 1800's, through the depression, through a devastating F5 tornado and to this day, I am proud to call it my hometown.