Golden Pioneer Museum

Something for Everyone! It is a unique collection that will amaze you! Open April 1st through October 31st Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Admission is free. Bus tours are welcome. The Ozark region is rich with history and has long been the subject of study to historians, geologists, anthropologists, and archeologists. Before the French fur trappers explored the area and European descendants began settling here, the people of the Osage tribe populated much of the land now known as Southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas. Other tribes, traveling through the region, traded with the Osage and left behind clues of their passage. Arrowheads were abundant in the area, and a large collection of over 10,000 hunting implements and artifacts were collected by the Arlis Cogar family who established the Trail of Tears Museum in Huntsville, AR. In 1993, the Prier family of Golden, MO, took over the Trail of Tears Museum Collection and combined it with their collection of Carnival Glass and American pioneer artifacts to create the Golden Missouri Pioneer Museum. The Prier family continues to expand the collection with unique and interesting collections. The Golden Pioneer Museum gives the visitor a unique look into the lives of early Americans, both Native and the settlers who came in the 1800s. The Early American Pattern Glass collection is abundant with rare examples of some of the finest American made pieces from the late 1800s and early 1900s including: * One of the largest collections of Carnival Glass in the Midwest * Stunning examples of Vaseline glassware, Black Amethyst glassware, Custard glass, Flo Blue, rare pieces of Klondike glass (including two Snyder vases), a large collection of toothpick holders, and numerous other types of rare glass * There are many other collections in the museum that include pocket watches, baseball cards, watches, guns, lunch boxes, rose bowls, as well as Civil War battlefield items. In addition to the man-made treasures, the museum has a large collection of rare mineral items such as the following: * Believed to be the world's largest turquoise carving, made in China from a 68 lb. nugget * The largest double-terminated single quartz crystal, weighing 1,250 lbs * A giant quartz crystal cluster, weighing over 4,000 lbs * Rare mineral specimens from around the world