Sikeston Depot Museum
Visiting the Sikeston Depot Museum
During your visit to the Sikeston Depot Museum you can explore the history of Sikeston and Southeast Missouri through the history museum’s permanent and rotating exhibits. In the Art Gallery local artists’ works reflect the diverse voices of Missouri. Additionally, travelling exhibits from national museums are on view throughout Sikeston Depot Museum galleries.
Exhibitions
The Upper Gallery
Learn about the Mississippian Indian tribes of “Swampeast Missouri” and the state’s cotton growing heritage. The Upper Gallery at Sikeston Depot Museum interprets the history of Sikeston and Southeast Missouri through exhibits showcasing photographs and other artifacts of historic significance.
The Art Gallery
Within the Art Gallery you will discover a wide variety of artistic styles made by local and regional artists. Displays in the Art Gallery rotate every two months and pieces within the exhibits are often available to purchase. Past art exhibits have showcased Dave Walker’s Fabriscapes and Chris Evan’s rodeo and western pieces.
The Main Gallery
The Main Gallery is the Sikeston Depot Museum’s largest display hall, combining Sikeston and surrounding area history, Missouri art and special exhibits. Permanent displays within the gallery include The Parlor, The History of Parks Air Base and The Invention of the Mechanical Horse.
The Sikeston Room
The Museum’s Sikeston Room is solely dedicated to the history of Sikeston. As you explore the room, pictures, films and artifacts bring Sikeston history to life.
Travel Tips
- Special exhibits are often featured in the Sikeston Depot Museum’s galleries. Past exhibits have included a display in the Upper Gallery showcasing Civil War artifacts and memorabilia and an exhibit on the Holocaust in the Main Gallery.
- Be sure to stop by the Sikeston Depot Gift Shop featuring Sikeston and Southeastern Missouri memorabilia.
- Head outside to see the Museum’s red caboose, one of the few things remnant of the days of the Iron Mountain Railroad Train Depot.
Sikeston Depot Museum, Sikeston, MO
Discover the history of Sikeston and the surrounding area at the Sikeston Depot Museum as part of this group motorcoach vacation package. John Sikes designed the city of Sikeston in 1860, planning the railroad and the depot to define downtown Sikeston. While the Iron Mountain Railroad Train Depot was opened in 1916, changes in economic and transportation needs led to the closing of business activities at the Depot in October of 1985. The building was emptied, the windows were boarded up and the building became completely dormant until the Sikeston Cultural Development Corporation along with the Art Council, Art League, Chamber of Commerce, downtown merchants and the Visitors Bureau joined forces in order to renovate the Depot, create a business plan for ongoing operations of the Depot and return the facility for community use. Today the Sikeston Depot is a historic museum that interprets the most important aspects of the area’s culture, an art gallery in which local Missouri artists display their work and a cultural center that features traveling exhibits from national museums. The Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and welcomes thousands of visitors annually who come to explore the rich history of Sikeston.
