History Museum on the Square
Mission Statement
The History Museum on the Square is committed to building and preserving an extensive collection of historical documents and artifacts, as we share stories of the crossroads to engage, educate, and inspire our diverse audience. We strengthen our community’s future by learning about our past and our culture.
History of the History Museum on the Square
At the Heritage Subcommittee of the City of Springfield Bicentennial Committee meeting in August 1974, Kitty Lipscomb proposed establishing a museum as one of the event's activities. On September 19, 1975, the Bicentennial Historical Museum opened its doors at 311 College Street with Robert Neumann as its curator and director. Supporters soon decided to make the museum permanent.
In 1977, Drury College offered to rent the Bentley House at the corner of Calhoun and Washington Streets to the museum. The renamed Museum of the Ozarks opened in the Bentley House that same year, and purchased the building from Drury two years later. In 1993, the museum sold the Bentley House and moved into the third floor of Old City Hall, where the city of Springfield offered exhibit space at no cost to the museum. The name changed once again to the History Museum for Springfield and Greene County and operated there for over fifteen years.
Requiring more space, the museum moved in 2008 from Old City Hall to Springfield's downtown Square -- the origin and heart of the community. The relocation was a commitment to the continued evolution of Springfield's Central Business District. In 2014, the History Museum on the Square opened temporary exhibits in the Historic Fox Theatre while the former Barth's Building and adjacent building underwent renovation to house the museum. On August 8, 2019, the new facility was opened with more than 18,000 square feet of space for permanent exhibits, temporary exhibits and staff workspace. In January 2020, the museum was named the "Best New Attraction for 2019" by USA Today.
Many people and organizations played vital roles in the development of the History Museum on the Square over the years. The museum gratefully acknowledges the Junior League of Springfield and Greene County Historical Society for their critical support in establishing and growing the museum.
Remembering Karen Horny
Karen Horny was an avid supporter of Springfield and its community, working as the Dean of Library Services at Missouri State University (1995-2009) and supporting many local institutions and organizations during her tenure, including the History Museum on the Square, Downtown Rotary Club of Springfield, and the Ozarks Lyric Opera.
It’s evident that Karen had a clear and driven passion for furthering educational resources and preserving history in all its forms. She strived to further develop Duane G. Meyer Library, Missouri State University Special Collections and Archives, Greenwood Laboratory School Library, and the Missouri State University Library on the Mountain Grove Campus.
Though not a native Springfieldian, Karen thoroughly enjoyed her life here and sought to encourage and support its growing community. Karen touched the lives of many—both in Springfield and across the globe through her travels—by all of whom she will be dearly missed.
The following quotes are shared in memoriam to honor Karen’s joyful spirit and commemorate her contributions to the History Museum on the Square:
“Karen was one of the first board members to meet with me when I joined the History Museum on the Square, and from that very first conversation, it was clear how deeply she cared about this community and its history. She always made time to answer my questions, whether they were about the museum, Springfield, or best practices for archival preservation. Whenever she was with us, she was completely present, engaged, and enthusiastic. Karen gave so much of herself to the organizations she cared about, and I feel incredibly fortunate that the History Museum was one of them. She will be deeply missed by our team and by so many of the organizations and institutions that were fortunate to have her support.”
Sean FitzGibbons, Executive Director
“We will forever miss Karen Horny’s expertise and generous heart. Karen successfully served as the Dean of Missouri State University Libraries and Special Collections. Following her retirement, Karen became an active volunteer, member of the Collections Committee and joined our Board of Directors in 2011. She later served as Vice-President on our Executive Board. Karen helped us develop valuable connections with the MSU library system. Her many years of dedication was an integral key to building the History Museum on the Square that we all see today. We were blessed to consider Karen Horny a friend and fellow lover of history. “
Rick McQueary & Mary Haseltine McQueary
“Karen was an exceptional colleague and friend. We met at St. John’s Episcopal Church when I moved back to Springfield in 1997. She served on numerous committees at the church over the years and was still an active participant in several projects. She had retired as a licensed Eucharistic Minister assisting at the altar but continued to read the Old Testament lesson on a monthly rotation for a Sunday service. For many years, she was Vice President of the board of the History Museum on the Square and continued to participate as a member of the board. She was an experienced, thoughtful leader who was good at asking the right questions. Karen was also a very experienced traveler, and she proved to be a great travel buddy on trips ranging from Greece to Argentina and Brazil, Egypt and Jordan, China and Tibet, the Rhine, and London–a favorite city for each of us.”
Linda Robertson, Board Member