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NWorthy
The museum is worth a stop for the fascinating history it contains. The view of the Missouri River from the museum is breathtaking too. Check out the Amelia Earhart Earthwork in town as well.
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ScottInPTC-GA
This was a nice diversion to break up our drive through Kansas. My 3rd grader had studied Amelia Earhart in school, so she was excited to see her birthplace. This was her grandparents' residence, and it was also where she spent her early school years, attending a private school.The house is a lovely Victorian over the Missouri River, and it's kept in great shape. Personal memorabilia and historical photos are throughout each of the rooms (which you visit on a self-guided tour). It's fair to say there's not a lot of historical record on display, so for those a bit oblivious to the bio of Ms. Earhart [*cough cough*] you may not come out with much more than you entered - though docents are in the house to answer questions.My kids' highlight was a bit of Earhart folklore - her homemade "roller coaster" in the backyard, essentially a plank angled from the roof's edge with a sliding seat for some cheap thrills. This was her idea of fun in the day. And we see where that took her.We timed 30 minutes, and we timed well. Note that if you are heading north, the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway has some most unexpected geography I wouldn't have expected in Kansas - I bet it'd look lovely from a plane too.
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Mustangdad1961
Amelia Earhart sought to become the first woman to fly solo around the world in the 1930s. Sadly, she didn’t make it. Earhart’s plane disappeared near the Nukumanu Islands in the Pacific Ocean. She was en route to Howland Island.Earhart’s flight started in Miami, Florida, June 1, 1937. Her plane disappeared July 2nd. Her remains were never recovered. She was declared legally deceased in 1939.Though, neither her plane nor her remains have been recovered, the mystery surrounding Amelia Earhart never goes away.Earhart has been an international figure, but her story began on the plains of America. Earhart was born in 1897 at the home of her maternal grandparents in Atchison, in northeastern Kansas.She lived in Atchison with her sister (Muriel) and grandparents while her parents traveled to find work. Her parents lived in Kansas City, Missouri, for a time before settling in Des Moines. The girls reunited with their parents in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1909. A few years later after some more moves, Amelia’s mother left their father and took the girls to Chicago. Earhart graduated high school there.The home in Atchison was turned into a museum to recognize and honor the community’s most famous resident. The city has had its share of dignitaries, but I dare to think anyone is more well-known than Amelia Earhart.The house overlooks a park next to the Missouri River. It would be easy to imagine the noted “Tom Boy” playing in the area as a youth.Some of the furniture in the house actually belonged to the Otis family – Amelia’s grandparents. Some pieces are from the period they lived there and have been donated.Each room has some form of memorabilia about Earhart. The table that’s used for people to sign the guest book was donated by her sister, Muriel.The house itself appears to have been a large one for the late 1800s and early 1900s. The front parlor is spacious.The second parlor is next to the front room. Also referred to as the library, it houses several items related to Earhart. The sun room is a smaller room, which may have once been used as a breakfast room or sewing room. A model of Earhart’s last plane – Lockheed Electra 10E – hangs from the ceiling.The original kitchen serves a joint purpose – displaying items related to her flight from Oakland, California, to Hawaii in early 1937, as well as the museum’s gift shop. As a side note: the souvenirs are quite reasonably priced. The formal dining room was built in 1873. It was restored in 2005. It has the original stained glass window. I loved the design of the glass. Two glass panes provided a great view of some of the trees with leaves changing colors on a beautiful fall morning.The dining room also has an exhibit featuring the clothes worn by two-time Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank in the movie “Amelia.” It also starred Richard Gere, as Amelia’s husband, George Putnam.Another room on the first floor is the north parlor or the judge’s study (her grandfather Alfred Otis was a judge). Inside the room, among the many items on display, an oil painting of Putnam and Earhart hangs on one wall. It was painted for their wedding.A bust of Amelia is also located in the room. On the second floor, a large bedroom features windows that provide a beautiful view of the park and river. This room was once divided into two smaller rooms (the wall was removed in the 1920s). The room features family and personal items.A set of luggage that was officially endorsed by Amelia Earhart is in the room.Two additional bedrooms are located on the second floor. One room offers visitors a view of exhibits, such as a painting of Amelia with her first plane.The second room is for researchers and is not available during tours.The property was beautiful and well-maintained. The tour was definitely worth the $5 admission fee. You can move at your own pace. Docents are also available to answer questions visitors may have. All things Amelia are not restricted to the museum. At the Commercial Street Mall, a life-size statue of Earhart greets visitors as they stroll through the mall.At Warnick Lake, an earthworks profile of Earhart’s face lays on a hillside. An observation deck is located nearby.The city celebrates Amelia Earhart Festival every July. If you visit Atchison, ensure you check out the Amelia Earhart-related attractions. They should be on your must-see list.
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Danedri
You won't spend a lot of time at this museum, but it's a definitely a good way to spend an hour or so. I learned things about Amelia Earhart that I didn't know, and it was neat to tour the historical home.
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DonnaS152
This was a cool museum with lots of ideas and stories, and the house itself was well-maintained. The docents each had their favorite display, as well as their pet theory about what really happened.
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Leon67203
This is a nicely restored home where Amelia Earhart was born. As others have said it it a self guided tour which allows you to see what you like. It is on two stories so if stairs are a problem, beware. I didn't get much more of an insight into what made Earhart tick but the displays and rooms are well thought out and well maintained.
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thomasr893
Excellent place to visit for the history of Emilia and her life. An excellent restored house. So much history at the house it takes about an hour and half to soak everything in.
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JohnE399
The entrance fee here is $5 and I would say it was definitely worth that much. This is an old period house which presents a lot of information on the life of Amelia Earhart together with period furniture and some history about the town of Atchison. However, you have to take the tour yourself and read the exhibits because there is no tour guide. I think a tour guide would have been nice but for $5 I can see why they simply can't afford that. We probably stayed there at least 45 minutes or longer and I actually found a lot of it quite interesting. Probably not worth a special trip of any long duration but if you're in the vicinity, it's well worth a look-see. We were already here finding a geocache and since we were already in front of the place, decided to take a look. We are glad we did.
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TheBoysGrandma
This is personally a very special home to me because I shared the same hometown with Amelia Earhart. As a child I would ride my bike to her home and sit across the street on the bluff of the Missouri River and dream my own dreams. Just recently I learned Amelia did the same thing and even drew a picture of the bridge crossing the river seen from her home in almost the exact spot where I used to sit!There are many family treasures to view from the Otis and the Earhart families. Some of the furnishings are reproductions from that period. It is amazing to visit the upstairs bedroom where Amelia was born and to see her bedroom as a child. Going down the staircase and holding onto the banister you know where your hand is, is also where Amelia slid down many, many times! A new exhibit now appears in the dining room of the home. The production company of the film, "Amelia", have donated costumes worn by Hilary Swank who portrayed Amelia in the movie.The tour is self guided; however, docents are available for questions. Guests are never rushed and can look and read as long as they wish. There is a very welcoming attitude in Amelia's home in Atchison, Kansas.
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382janisv
This is a quaint little house in which Amelia Earhart was born. The lady who greets you gives you a self guided pamphlet explaining what each room is and what it contains. All of the rooms show her with different stages of her life. These include other female pilots at the time, pictures of her and her husband.It shows her in different flight uniforms and there are a lot of newspaper articles about all of accomplishments. They even have a picture of her when she was five years old in a bathing suit of that era. I enjoyed the self tour which allowed you to take as much time as you wanted in each room.
