The Arabia Steamboat Museum in situated in the River Market district of Kansas. It tells the story of the 19th century Arabia Steamboat that traveled on the Missouri River taking frontier men and women upriver, and was sunk by a 'snag' - a tree growing under the water's surface.
The Arabia was constructed in Brownsville, PA in 1853 and plied the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers before being used on the Missouri. She was a medium-sized boat able to carry over 200 tons of cargo, and due to her giant paddle wheels, she could reach speeds of up to 7 miles an hour.
Her last journey in 1856, was from St Louis to Sioux City where she would be stopping at towns along the river. Shortly after leaving Kansas she hit the snag, the boat sank and her cargo including 40 barrels of bourbon went into the Missouri River.
The wreckage and cargo were left until 1987 when her location was established by a salvage team, in what was by then a farmer's field. An extraordinary salvage operation followed, and timbers of the paddle wheel, personal belongings of those on board and all kinds of cargo including cognac, window panes and castor oil were recovered.
Guided tours of the Museum are available and provide a picture of the history of the boat and frontier life. There are audio-visual displays, exhibits of sections of the boat, and a reconstruction of the main deck. There is a huge collection of the personal artifacts found including dolls, sewing supplies and tools.
