KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. A viewer asked KSHB 41 News to explore the reasons why the Arabia Steamboat Museum is closing its City Market location. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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The Arabia Steamboat Museum will officially close its current location in Kansas City on Nov. 13, 2026. What happens next is still anyone’s guess, according to museum manager Matt Hawley.
He explained the city is not extending the museum’s lease, that’s not a surprise. Hawley along with his family members who run the museum had been considering a move to St. Charles as far back as 2022.
Now, Leavenworth is a possible relocation option.
“Parking is really the biggest issue we’ve faced,” Hawley explained. “In the summertime, that’s our big tourist season, we lose out on thousands of people coming to the museum all summer just because they can’t find parking.”
Hawley also wants more space so he can display more artifacts recovered from the steamboat that sank near Parkville in 1856. His family and friends began excavating the boat and its contents in 1988.
“Nobody here at the Arabia is upset with the city,” Hawley said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the property manager overseeing the museum’s City Market location on behalf of Kansas City and the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority said the PIEA is exploring a vision for the space that could include more retail, a hotel, or even an underground parking garage.
“We value the museum’s long history at City Market and remain committed to ensuring a thoughtful and orderly transition as the end of the lease approaches. Our focus remains on stewarding this public space in a way that supports the community, strengthens our small-business ecosystem, and prepares City Market for the future,” the spokesperson wrote.
Kansas Sen. Jeff Klemp (R - Leavenworth) wrote in an email that he’s been in conversations with the Hawleys for months about relocating the museum to Leavenworth.
Klemp said he’s facilitated conversations with city management and the Kansas Department of Commerce about the possibility of using STAR bonds to help pay for a new museum.
"The presence of the Steamboat Arabia Museum wouldn’t just enhance tourism; it would establish a cultural anchor for Leavenworth, connecting both residents and visitors to our region’s rich history," Klemp wrote. "Imagine the exciting prospect of housing this incredible museum in the first city of Kansas, near the very river it once traveled. What a remarkable way to preserve and celebrate our history."
Visitors to the museum on Friday hope it finds a new home soon.
“This is like a national park," Randy Cavner said. "It needs to be protected."
Hawley admitted there will probably be a time when the museum is closed as it transitions from its current location to its new home.
He said the names Steamboat Arabia and Arabia Steamboat are interchangeable.
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