Joplin Historical Neighborhoods, Inc.

05/06/2026

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲! ☀️
We’re ready to welcome you for a season of history, beauty, and memorable visits at the Schifferdecker Zelleken Homes. Make plans to stop by during our summer hours and experience one of Joplin’s most treasured landmarks.

We are open Thursday through Saturday 11:30-5:00pm and Sunday 12:30-4:00 through the month of June. Stay tuned for new visit formats in July!

Ready to visit? Book your tour today and spend part of your summer with us exploring Joplin’s history up close. 𝗝𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹.𝗼𝗿𝗴/𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀

03/06/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹
For more than 130 years, the Schifferdecker tower’s upper interior was unfinished and hidden from view. With 30 feet of vertical space, it became the perfect canvas for something extraordinary.

Local artist Sandra Dawn transformed the tower with her mural, The Four Angels of Schifferdecker, turning a once-overlooked space into an immersive and memorable experience for visitors. Today, the tower invites guests to step inside, reflect, and discover a new artistic dimension of the home.

Book a tour today to discover this remarkable work of art. 𝗝𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹.𝗼𝗿𝗴/𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀

The tower, long a defining feature of the Schifferdecker home’s ext...

02/06/2026

On Sunday, May 31, we celebrated the beginnings of Spiva Center for the Arts—originally founded in May 1959 in the Zelleken Home—with many art lovers in our community. With plein air painters on the porch to reminiscing about the early days of Spiva, we celebrated the arts in Joplin with a special guest, local mural artist Sandra Dawn, who painted the mural in the interior of the Schifferdecker tower. Guests toured the homes to the backdrop of beautiful harp music performed by Amanda Kimble.

We’re grateful for a community that continues to honor and celebrate this shared history as both of our organizations grow. The arts have long been an integral part of our community’s identity, enriching Joplin’s past and continuing to inspire its future. We’re also thankful for the partnership between Joplin Historical Neighborhoods Museum and Spiva Center for the Arts, and for all the ways our stories remain connected.

Spiva Center for the Arts

28/05/2026

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀

During the restoration of the Schifferdecker and Zelleken homes, a key aspect of the program involved repurposing building components, ranging from the beautiful Carthage limestone recuperated from Joplin’s Knights of Columbus Hall to 1890s bricks from razed St. Louis buildings.

Initially the restoration team faced a challenge in locating Carthage limestone. Both homes needed limestone to finish the process. During the late Victorian era, Carthage, Missouri, was the home of rich deposits of limestone.

By the time of our restoration the local limestone quarry had closed. Members of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Joplin contacted the restoration team offering their Knights of Columbus Hall building’s limestone veneer. The Hall was set for demolition.

Prior to the razing, during the spring of 2019 Mid-Continental masons were pulled off the restoration site. For four months their craftsmen carefully removed every single piece of Carthage limestone veneer from the Knights of Columbus Hall, eventually collecting 77 pallets of stone.

The building material was repurposed and used as a new perimeter wall that encircles the Zelleken property. The new wall connects to the original 1890s Schifferdecker limestone wall. The repurposed Carthage stone was also incorporated into a wall that connects the Schifferdecker Carriage House to the Zelleken Garage.

In 1991 the Schifferdecker home was engulfed in flames. The fire compromised much of the west wall. During the restoration masons removed damaged bricks that left gaping holes in the wall. The restoration team discovered 1890 vintage replacement bricks at a salvage yard in St. Louis. The bricks came from razed late Victorian structures. Pallets of era appropriate bricks were purchased and shipped to Joplin. Masons used the recycled bricks to complete the west wall of the Schifferdecker home.

Seasoned 100-year-old oak was utilized in constructing the stick roof for the Schifferdecker home. The aged wood was purchased from the American Timber Salvage in St. Louis.

Prior to the razing of the historic Hoffmeister home in Webb City, the restoration team removed the wooden floors from the stately residence. Individual boards were removed from the turn-of-the-century residence. The recycled wood was cleaned, refinished and installed in the Welcome Center and the Carriage House.

The restoration team was proud to offer environmental savings by recycling and repurposing limestone, brick and wood. Keeping true to the time period by installing historic replacement parts gives new life to seasoned building materials and helps lessen landfill waste.

24/05/2026

𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙫𝙖 𝘼𝙧𝙩 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧!

On May 24, 1959, the Ozark Artists’ Guild officially launched what would become one of our community’s best-loved arts organizations: Spiva Art Center (as it was first named). Today we’re celebrating the start of a creative legacy that continues to inspire artists and art lovers across our region.

From 1959 to 1967, Spiva was housed right here in the Zelleken home—proof that historic spaces can spark new ideas and bring people together. In 1967, the Art Center moved to the Missouri Southern State College campus (now MSSU), where it continued to grow and serve the community.

Today the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts is located at 7th & Wall in Joplin. We encourage our museum guests to visit Spiva.

Do you have a favorite Spiva memory—or a piece of art that’s special to you? Do you recognize anyone in the slideshow video? Share it in the comments.

Become a member and join us for a special celebration on Sunday, May 31st at 2pm. Link is in the comments.

Spiva Center for the Arts

15/05/2026

𝐉𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Two of Joplin’s most recognizable names share an unexpected connection: Charles Schifferdecker and Joe Becker were both born in Baden, Germany. Their legacies continue today in places many of us know well—Schifferdecker Park and Avenue, and Joe Becker Stadium.

Schifferdecker immigrated to the United States as a young man, worked in brewing, and eventually made his way to Joplin alongside fellow German immigrant Edward Zelleken. Over time, Schifferdecker became known not only for business success, but also for steady support of local causes—including efforts to build Joplin’s first hospital—and for the park that still bears his name.

Becker arrived in the U.S. as a child and later settled in Joplin, where he worked at The Joplin Globe and poured his summers into the game he loved most; baseball. He was a professional scout for major league teams: the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees. While working for the Yankees, he became the business manager for the Joplin Miners (a Yankee affiliate). During his tenure with the Miners the team’s stadium was destroyed by fire. Through Becker’s steady hand and leadership a new stadium was erected. To recognize his role during a most difficult time the baseball park was named Joe Becker Stadium.

Their stories are a reminder of the great distances people traveled to build the Joplin we know today—and how a shared origin can lead to two very different (but equally lasting) community legacies.

What’s your favorite place in town connected to local history? Let us know in the comments.

Images: 1) Map of Germany with Baden region highlighted; 2) Joe Becker (photo courtesy of Joplin Globe); 3) Charles Schifferdecker

08/05/2026

𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Developed by St. Louis-based exhibition design company PGAV Destinations in conjunction with Boston Productions, the restored homes of Charles and Wilhelmina Schifferdecker and Edward and Margaretha Zelleken invite visitors into a richly layered experience that brings Victorian-era life and the enduring spirit of Joplin’s immigrant founders into vivid focus.

Rather than presenting history as something to observe, PGAV approached the project as something to be experienced. Through integrated projection, audio, and lighting, the homes themselves become storytellers. Technology remains intentionally hidden within the historic fabric, preserving authenticity while enabling a deeper, more immersive connection.

At key points, the narrative expands into immersive media scenes that bring pivotal chapters of Joplin’s history to life. Museum guests are transported into moments that shaped not only the families’ futures, but the trajectory of the community itself.

The result is a new model for historic house museums that transforms storytelling into something dynamic, personable, and memorable. Ethan Sandburg, PGAV Project Designer, states, “These homes move beyond static interpretation. They demonstrate how thoughtful design can turn history into an experience that truly resonates with modern audiences.”

Brad Belk, JHNM's Principal Historian and Executive Director, believes that museum guests will be enlightened by the depth and unique presentation of history.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫: 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

During your tour of the homes, you will be immersed in a multimedia experience. The storyline begins as two prominent families lead a campaign to finance a new 50-bed hospital in Joplin (St. John’s Hospital, known today as Mercy Hospital). Charles and Wilhelmina Schifferdecker and their next-door neighbors, Edward and Margaretha Zelleken, understand the importance of building a hospital to care for injured miners and community families. Believing in the cause, they become the first contributors and passionate supporters.

Through re-enacted conversations heard in the Schifferdecker home, guests learn about this campaign for donations they are spearheading in the community as well as the early history of the families, topics of the day, the precise dialect of the era, and the strict etiquette rules of late Victorian America.

5 likes. "Introduction to the Visitor Experience at Joplin Historical Neighborhoods Museum"

01/05/2026

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐫𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Step inside the Schifferdecker and Zelleken homes and meet the interior designer who transformed this pair of late-Victorian homes. St. Louis–based designer Susan Barrett of Barrett Barrera Projects captured two distinct styles for these neighboring historic homes, thoughtfully layering vivid colors, artistic patterns, and rich details to reflect the unique character of each family’s home.

Because we didn’t have original furnishings from the homes’ first inhabitants, Susan went to work sourcing and curating a collection of period antiques that feel authentic to the era—pieces that help tell the stories of the Schifferdeckers and the Zellekens. Our new video captures her work in detail, from vision to finishing touches.

Watch the video to see how history was reimagined—one carefully chosen feature at a time.

1 like. "Interview with Interior Decorator Susan Barrett, Joplin Historical Neighborhoods Museum"

23/04/2026

𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 “𝗔 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄”

This innovative feature of the museum offers a unique perspective as museum guests gain a “bird’s eye view” of the second floor of the Schifferdecker home from what was originally the attic space. The observation deck allows guests to look downward into the bedrooms and study, as if peering into a doll house.

What started out as a makeshift scaffolding area when reconstructing the roof, the attic floor was cut away in large sections to allow for easier access to the roof from the interior of the home. Museum Director Brad Belk hatched the idea to keep the cut-away areas as a main feature of the visitor experience.

The incorporation of a modern observation deck provided the catalyst that triggered the immersive tour experience. This novel approach immediately changed the course of the educational program, opening the door to presenting history in an innovative form.

Book your tickets today! JoplinHistorical.org