Museum of World Treasures

Museum of World Treasures
Ivan the T. rex, one of the diverse exhibits
Established	2001
Location	835 East 1st Street, Wichita, KS 67202 United States
Coordinates	37°41′14″N 97°19′40″W / 37.687305°N 97.327890°W / 37.687305; -97.327890
Website	worldtreasures.org

The Museum of World Treasures is a world history museum in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Among the many items on display are Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Tylosaurus specimens (Including "Ivan the T. rex"), Egyptian mummies, signatures of all the American presidents, a section of the Berlin Wall, and the Scarecrow's pitchfork from The Wizard of Oz. The Museum of World Treasures is not limited to a particular aspect of history, but has opted to display an extremely diverse collection representing many different fields of interest and a wide range of subjects. This museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, but is not accredited by the organization.

History

The museum first opened as the Museum of Ancient Treasures on April 22, 2001, at the Garvey Building in Downtown Wichita. The bulk of the exhibits were originally from the collection of the Museum's founder, Dr. Jon Kardatzke. As the Museum of Ancient Treasures began to attract more visitors, it also asserted its dedication to serving and educating the community of Wichita. In the process, the Museum began to attract more lifetime collectors that shared Kardatzke's passion for history; realizing the scope and aim of the Museum, the collectors were honored to display their collection in the Museum. In less than a year, the size and diversity of the Museum's collection had changed. It now consisted of over thirty individual private collections and spanned numerous significant events and cultures from prehistory to the present. Spurred by the purchase of three complete fossil dinosaur skeletons, the Museum was forced to look for a larger space to exhibit its vast and growing collection. The Museum relocated to the "Farm and Art Market" in Old Town, Wichita in 2003 and was renamed The Museum of World Treasures. The new building is a reconstructed three story warehouse that was completely renovated to house the expansive museum collection. There are now over 300 collectors who have their items on display at the museum. The museum owns approximately 75% of the artifacts.^[1]

Mission

To provide a gateway to the past that educates, entertains and inspires lifelong learning.^[2]

Layout

The three stories of the museum represent different eras in world history. Access to the separate floors can be obtained via a central spiral staircase, or the popular glass elevator the rises above the towering dinosaur exhibit. The first floor also contains the entry foyer and Museum Store.

First floor

A piece of the 50 ft. long Timeline featuring all the Roman Emperors and their coinage.

The 1st floor of the museum focuses on fossils and ancient human history, as well as a room dedicated to geology. Exhibits of note are:

Ivan the T. rex - found by Alan Komrosky in 2007, this giant Tyrannosaurus Rex is about 65% fossil. When it was found, it had the most complete tail of any T. rex, with only three vertebrae missing.
"Sea Creatures of the Plains" - Showcasing Kansas Marine fossils, such as a 34 ft. Tylosaurus, a Xiphactinus, and a mosasaur.
Egyptian mummies - Female mummies from ancient Egypt
Coins of the Roman Emperors - A 50 ft. time line that showcases gold, silver, and bronze coins from nearly every Roman Emperor, as well as write-ups on their exploits and conquests.
World Civilizations - Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Egyptian, Pre Columbian, African, Southeast Asian & Ancient Near East showcases.

Second floor

The 2nd floor of the Museum focuses on military history, presidents, and royalty from around the world. Exhibits of note are:

Royalty Gallery - Signatures and artifacts from the great leaders of Spain, England, France, Russia, Germany, and the Holy Roman Empire.
Military Gallery - Weaponry and artifacts from the Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, World War I (including a large scale recreation of Trench Warfare), World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
American Presidents Gallery - Contains the signature of every American president, as well as a replica of the famous Resolute Desk.

Third floor

A frontier log cabin diorama

The exhibits on the 3rd floor feature an ensemble of material from American history. In addition, the top floor of the museum also has a large banquet room that can be rented out for private functions. Exhibits of note are:

Sports - artifacts from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Joe Montana and more.
American Pop Culture Gallery - features Scarecrow's pitchfork from The Wizard of Oz.
Romancing the West - contains cowboys, Native Americans, frontier living, the Pony Express, and other Western artifacts.
Historic Composers and Music - features original manuscripts from Mozart, Beethoven, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra.
Kardatzke Historic Authors Collection - collections of famous historic authors and poets such as Robert Frost and Mark Twain.

Rotating exhibits

Some exhibits featured at the Museum of World Treasures are on display for a limited time. To learn more visit - Museum of World Treasures Web Site.

Organization

The Museum of World Treasures is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Kansas corporation. Tax-deductible donations go directly to support the Museum's many educational programs. The Museum is run by a Board of Directors.

Staff includes

President and CEO
Operations Director
Curator of Collections
Curator of Exhibits and Research
Education Director
Development Director
Marketing Assistant
Front desk staff
Volunteers
Docents

Outreach

The museum focuses heavily on educational outreach with programs such as:

Camp-Ins
Educational Tours
Scout Programs
Community Outreach Programs
Educational Partnerships

References

External links

City of Wichita

General	Demographics Education Geography and climate Government History Timeline Media Metropolitan area Notable people Sports Transportation

Neighborhoods	College Hill Delano Downtown Wichita El Pueblo Midtown Riverside

Landmarks and culture	Botanica Epic Center Joyland The Keeper of the Plains Music Theatre Wichita Orpheum Theatre Sedgwick County Extension Arboretum Sedgwick County Zoo Towne East Square Towne West Square Wichita Public Library Wichita Symphony Orchestra

Museums	Exploration Place Great Plains Transportation Museum Kansas Aviation Museum Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Mid-America All-Indian Center Museum of World Treasures Old Cowtown Museum Wichita Art Museum Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum

Event venues	Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center Cessna Stadium Charles Koch Arena Cotillion Ballroom Eck Stadium Hartman Arena Intrust Bank Arena Kansas Coliseum Lawrence–Dumont Stadium

Colleges and universities	Friends University Newman University University of Kansas School of Medicine Wichita Area Technical College Wichita State University

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