# Adair County Historical Society Museum: A Visitor and Research Guide

The Adair County Historical Society Museum combines local-history exhibits with a public research room holding genealogy, census, probate, newspaper and other archival records.

2026-08-29


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The Adair County Historical Society Museum is both a local-history museum and a working research archive.

That distinction matters.

You can walk through exhibits on Adair County history, then use the same institution to investigate a family, business, property or local event in greater depth.

## Current visitor basics

As checked in September 2026, the museum is at **211 S. Elson St.** in Kirksville.

Current regular hours are:

- Wednesday: 1–4 p.m.
- Thursday: 1–4 p.m.
- Friday: 1–4 p.m.

Admission is currently free, with donations welcome.

Hours can change for holidays or special events, so check the Historical Society's current site before making a special trip.

## The building is part of the story

The Historical Society was first organized in 1916.

Its current museum building was also constructed in 1916 for the Sojourners Club, a Kirksville women's literary and civic organization.

The Sojourners operated Kirksville's public library in the building for decades before Adair County opened a newer public library.

The building later became the Historical Society museum.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 and became a City of Kirksville Historic Landmark in 2019.

## What can you see?

The current museum inventory spreads exhibits across several floors.

Examples include displays on:

- railroads;
- coal mining;
- Kirksville schools;
- the 1899 Kirksville cyclone;
- Adair County businesses;
- military history;
- Jesse Kirk;
- the Kennedy Theater;
- Grim Hospital;
- osteopathic history;
- Porter School;
- the first Adair County courthouse;
- rural life;
- clothing, toys and household history.

Exhibits can rotate or change.

Treat the current website as the best source for what is actually on display when you visit.

## The research room is more than a genealogy desk

The Society's current archive list includes:

- genealogical records;
- census records;
- probate records;
- plat maps;
- obituaries;
- yearbooks;
- Kirksville Daily Express holdings;
- microfilm scanner access.

That makes it useful for more than tracing family trees.

It can also support research into old businesses, property history, local institutions and newspaper events.

## Remote research is available

The Society currently offers volunteer research for people who cannot visit in person.

As checked in September 2026, the posted rate is $25 per hour, with document copies at 10 cents per page.

Those prices are time-sensitive.

Confirm the current terms before requesting research.

## Contact staff before a specialized visit

If you are traveling specifically to see one collection or locate one person, contact the museum first.

That can help confirm:

- whether the material exists;
- whether it is accessible during your visit;
- whether staff assistance will be needed;
- whether copies or scans are possible.

For a broader genealogy workflow, see [How to Research Adair County Family History and Genealogy in Kirksville](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/research-adair-county-family-history-genealogy-kirksville).

The useful mental model is simple:

**museum upstairs, archive downstairs, local-history rabbit hole everywhere.**

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Published: 2026-08-29T22:02:08+00:00

Description: What to expect when visiting or researching at the Adair County Historical Society Museum in Kirksville, including hours, exhibits, archives and remote research.