St. Charles, Mo., Renews Efforts To Relocate Steamboat Museum

The mayor of St. Charles, Mo., located on the Missouri River just west of St. Louis, is reviving efforts to relocate the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a Kansas City museum centered on artifacts recovered from the paddlewheel steamboat Arabia, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported January 2.

The Arabia was carrying 200 tons of cargo destined for stores in Kansas City, including carpentry tools, household china, toys and other household items, all dating from before the Civil War, when it struck a snag and sank with no casualties on September 5, 1856, near Kansas City. The Arabia and its cargo were found and recovered in 1988. When it was located, the Arabia was buried 15 feet under a field, long after the Missouri River silted over and changed course, a frequent occurrence at the time it was wrecked.

The cargo is displayed in the museum along with parts of the steamboat itself. The group that owns the collection is looking to sell it when its lease in Kansas City expires in 2026, the Post-Dispatch reported. The owners are fielding other out-of-state offers. A third-party appraisal of the collection’s worth is expected to be completed in January.

St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer led a previous effort in 2022 to buy the Arabia Steamboat Museum’s collection, but talks foundered over a disagreement on price. Borgmeyer wants to put the new museum next to the current Lewis & Clark Boat House in St. Charles.

Borgmeyer must persuade at least six members of the St. Charles City Council that his proposed “Steamboat Treasures of America” museum should be built with tax money. He told the Post-Dispatch he will have a detailed plan to share by December 2025.

St. Charles is in the midst of transforming its riverfront, part of a 20-year redevelopment plan. This March, construction will begin on a new $85 million city hall on the former property of American Car Foundry.