Walt Disney Hometown Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marceline, MO
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The Walt Disney Hometown Museum, located in the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot.
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| Location | 120 East Santa Fe Avenue, Marceline, Missouri 64658 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Closed | May 11, 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1913 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Walt Disney Hometown Museum is a special place in Marceline, Missouri. It opened in 2001 inside a beautifully restored train station. This museum holds many items from the Disney family's time living on a farm in Marceline. They lived there from 1905 to 1909. The museum also shows things from when Walt Disney visited the town again in 1946.
Many of the items were given by Ruth Flora Disney Beecher, who was Walt's sister. You can see personal letters and photos from the family. There's even Walt Disney's old wooden school desk. You can also hear a recording of him talking to his parents about their lives.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's Collections
The museum has unique items that tell the story of Walt Disney's early life. It also shares the history of Marceline.
Walt Disney's Early Life and Family Items
The museum displays many personal items from the Disney family. These include letters and photos. They help you understand what life was like for Walt Disney as a child. His old school desk is a popular item to see.
The Midget Autopia Ride
One very special part of the museum is the Midget Autopia. This was a small car ride from Disneyland. It is the only part of a Disneyland ride that has ever been used outside of Disneyland itself. The museum has some of its original pieces.
Marceline's Railroad History
The museum also celebrates Marceline's history with trains. You can see artifacts from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. One big item is ATSF 5008, a large train engine built in 1966.
Bringing Back the Midget Autopia Ride
In 2015, the museum started an exciting project. They wanted to rebuild the Midget Autopia ride. This miniature car ride used to be in the Walt Disney Municipal Park in Marceline.
History of the Ride in Marceline
Walt Disney himself gave this ride to the town of Marceline. It was moved there after it was taken apart at Disneyland. The town ran the ride from 1966. However, it closed in 1977. This was because insurance costs became too high. Also, it was hard to find parts to fix the ride.
Reconstruction Project
Today, one restored car from the Midget Autopia is on display at the museum. This car was the main focus of a special fundraising project. In July 2015, the museum used a website called Kickstarter to raise money. They hoped to get $500,000 to rebuild the entire ride.
Images for kids
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The Walt Disney Hometown Museum, located in the former ATSF depot.
