Walt Disney Hometown Museum
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Experience Type: American icon, museum
The Walt Disney Hometown Museum offers a heartwarming look into the early life of Walt Disney and the small-town roots that inspired Main Street, U.S.A. Housed in a beautifully restored railway depot, the museum celebrates Walt’s lifelong connection to Marceline.
MUST-DO CHECKLIST
- See the Disney Family Artifacts – Browse more than 4,000 treasures, from personal letters and family photos to rare collectibles donated or loaned by Disney enthusiasts worldwide.
- Visit the Disney Family Farm – Walk to the site of Walt’s “Dreaming Tree” and leave your message inside the restored barn where his imagination first bloomed.
- Discover Railroad History – Learn how Marceline’s Santa Fe Railway Depot and its trains inspired Walt’s lifelong love of locomotives and his later park attractions.
- Find Midget Autopia Relics – See pieces of the original Midget Autopia ride that Walt gifted to Marceline in 1966 after retiring the attraction from Disneyland.
- See the Park School – Visit the recreated version of Walt Disney’s childhood school, then stop by the Walt Disney Post Office, renamed in his honor in 2003.
Recommended Reading: I Am Walt Disney is a kid-friendly, illustrated biography that highlights the childhood experiences—especially his years in Marceline—that shaped his imagination and the creative path that ultimately brought Mickey Mouse to life.
Photo Credit: Visit Missouri