Patee House

The Patee House Museum has been many things – a hotel, a women’s college and a shirt factory, among them. The four-story brick structure, which debuted as a luxury hotel in 1858, takes up a full city block. On display are an eclectic mix that includes a full-size steam locomotive on an original track, fire engines, a vintage carousel, wagons, sleighs, a World War I howitzer and a collection of steam whistles that will toot at the push of a button. On the quirkier side, there’s a prison gallows, a 1,050-pound ball of string and an exhibit devoted to Robert Wadlow, measuring in as the world’s tallest man at just under 9 feet. No, Wadlow didn’t live here in St. Joseph, Missouri, but he once came to town to sue a doctor who had written an article that was critical of giants. The museum, a national historic landmark, served as administrative headquarters for the Pony Express. Next door is the Jesse James Home, where the outlaw was shot and killed.