Since 2015, the Museum has been working to restore and rehabilitate its entire 3.5-acre property. This expansive and transformational project is a multi-year, multi-staged endeavor and so is Making A Museum KC, the capital campaign to strategically secure funding to complete the entire historic property and museum campus.
In October 2021, the Museum reopened Corinthian Hall, the 34,000 square-foot former mansion, after several years of architectural design by International Architects Atelier (IAA), exhibit design by Gallagher & Associates, construction by JE Dunn Construction, and exhibit fabrication and installation by Kubik Maltbie. The restoration and renovation of Corinthian Hall was Stage I of the project, and the project budget was approximately $23 million with revenue from both public (including KCMO voter approved General Obligation Bonds) and private funds.
Currently, the Museum is actively working with IAA on architectural design and JE Dunn Construction to restore and renovate the remaining four historic buildings and historic structures on the property including the Carriage House, the Lodge (former Horse Trainer’s Home), the Conservatory, which will become JewelHouse, and the Carpenter’s Shed, as well as the Pergola and Perimeter Fence and Gates. The Museum is also working with IAA on the design of new experiences on the grounds including a James Turrell Skyspace.
The plan for 2025 is to prioritize the exterior restoration of the Carriage House, the exterior and interior restoration and rehabilitation of the Lodge, and critical sitework for future construction. This scope comprises Stage II of the multi-staged, multi-year project. Additional future stages of construction with JE Dunn will follow as the Kansas City Museum Foundation secures more funding.
The Museum of Kansas City’s campus is the former private residence of lumber baron Robert Alexander (R.A.) Long and his family. Completed in 1910, the property originally included: Corinthian Hall, the mansion; a Carriage House with Paddock Area; the Horse Trainer’s Home; a Garden/Carpenter’s Shed, a Conservatory with a Pergola, a Greenhouse, and the Perimeter Fence and Gates. In the early 1950s, the Conservatory was transformed into a Planetarium, and in the 1960s, the Greenhouse was removed. The entire property became a public museum on May 5, 1940.
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