Written by: Leyton Furlong
If you happen to stop by St. Joseph, you’ll notice we have a lot of museums here. The Pony Express Museum, The Jesse James Museum, Patee House Museum, Robidoux Row, and even the world-famous Glore Psychiatric Museum. However, just off the corner of Belt Highway and Frederick Avenue, you’ll find one of the most unique museums our city has to offer.
What is the Funeral Museum?
The Heaton-Bowman-Smith & Sidenfaden Funeral Home and Museum (or simply The Funeral Museum)is one of the most unique museums our town has to offer. Not only is the museum itself situated in a currently operating funeral home, but it is also the longest operating funeral home. As you enter the funeral home and take a left from the entrance, you’ll find a large room lined with coffins, display cases, embalming machines, and draining tables. Right away, visitors may get an uneasy feeling, as if they had just woken up from a nap. Around the room, you’ll find many rare artifacts tied to the funeral industry.
What you’ll see
The most notable items are those associated with Jesse James. The Museum has the original ledger for Jesse James’s funeral expenses as well as an 1880s wicker casket, which was alleged to have been the same one used to transfer Jesse James’ body back to Kearney for his funeral. Another unique item is the “Ice Box”. This ice box, one of the last ones known to still
exist, was used in the 1800s as a temporary casket with an internal cooling system to preserve bodies before their funerals. Other notable items include a copy of JFK’s death certificate and a peculiar Victorian Era Fisk Metal Casket.
Why it exists
Now, you might be wondering why a funeral home would create a museum space in the first place. Heaton Bowman Smith & Sidenfaden Funeral Home was formed as a combination of the historic Heaton-Bowman, Smith, and Sidenfaden Funeral Homes. Heaton-Bowman was founded in 1842, making it the oldest local business and the oldest active funeral home in the state. In addition, David Johnson Heaton is credited to be the first funeral director and professional undertaker in the United States. Sidenfaden Funeral Home was founded in 1856 and was the funeral parlor in which Jesse James’ body was prepared for burial. This current location on Frederick Avenue was opened in 1968 under Heaton-Bowman-Smith, with Sidenfaden Funeral Home joining them in 1976.
As the company began moving into the building, they stumbled across countless unique funerary items that had been passed down from generation to generation. It was decided to have these items displayed, given their historical significance.
Know before you go
The museum itself is underrated, but is definitely one worth looking into if you happen to be in the area and you are
on a tight budget. Museum admittance is free, and group tours can be booked, but it is advised that visitors call the funeral home ahead of time, as the museum is closed during funerals.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Heaton-Bowman-Smith
3609 Frederick Saint Joseph, MO 64506
(816) 232-3355
WEBSITE