New Haven Museums

Visitors and locals have been amazed to find a top-quality history museum in the small town of New Haven in East Central Missouri.  The Museum galleries at the Old School provide a glimpse into New Haven’s past, including the early Native Indian population, and its founding in 1836 as the steamboat stop “Miller’s Landing.” The museums are open to the public by appointment. Admission is free. Donations are accepted. To arrange a tour, send a message on the Contact button above, email newhavenpres@gmail.com, or call 573-237-2405. To arrange a tour, contact Erin by email or call 314-650-4833.

Springgate Museum

The main floor of the Old School contains the Springgate Museum gallery and hospitality rooms. Stepping into the Springgate gives visitors a glimpse of this rural farming community’s past, with china from New Haven’s historic Central Hotel, military memorabilia, hat forms and hats from the Langenberg Hat Factory, medical outfits and tools. A “New Haven School Days” exhibit includes a scaled classroom, set up with items donated by local families. Some artifacts date to the beginning of the school, in 1883.

The Journey Begins

“The Journey Begins” gallery is located in the lower level in what used to be the historic grade school’s cafeteria and locker rooms. Viewers follow a timeline featuring exhibits beginning with the early Indian culture, followed by Lewis and Clark, the fur trappers, and the early settlers.

The steamboat era comes alive in the “Steamboat Room” where Miller’s Landing’s beginning is documented with models, paintings and photos. An interactive pilot house model allows children to play the role of a steamboat pilot. The timeline resumes with the ‘platting’ of New Haven in 1856.

The museum journey continues with a Civil War exhibit which features the photos and stories of three local war veterans. Photos of “Fires, Floods, and Train Wrecks” show New Haven’s brush with disasters in the past.

A World War II exhibit honors local soldiers who died during the war. A display of miniature military equipment including trucks, tanks, and armaments illustrates the equipment used in the 1940s war effort.

Major businesses of the 1800s and 1900s in downtown New Haven are highlighted in a twenty-two foot cityscape and display cabinet. The cabinet, filled with artifacts and memorabilia, documents the importance of these early businesses to the New Haven economy.

A small gallery displays the work of local artisans. The exhibit includes paintings, sculptures, pottery, and blown glassware. The gallery continues to expand as additional exhibits are put into place.

Meetings