Pony Express National Museum

The image of a horseback rider galloping across rugged terrain carrying saddlebags of mail remains one of the more enduring and romantic legacies of the Old West. The Pony Express took off on April 3, 1860, when riders left simultaneously from St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The first westbound trip took nearly 10 days; the eastbound journey was a day and a half longer. Come along for the ride at the Pony Express National Museum in St. Joseph, housed in the renovated Pikes Peak Stables where it all began. The short-lived service lasted only 19 months, ending on October 24, 1861, when completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for its existence. But it finished with a solid performance record – despite often hazardous conditions along the 2,000-mile route, only one mail delivery was lost. The museum’s many exhibits include a 60-foot diorama depicting the trail and the terrain under the horses’ hooves.