Patee House

The Patee House is a four-story brick building in St. Joseph that now operates as a transportation museum, displaying locomotives, historic railway cars, and vintage automobiles from different eras. The exhibits also feature an extensive collection of antique perfume bottles, period furniture, and artwork depicting Western figures from the 1800s.

The building was constructed in 1858 and initially served as headquarters for the Pony Express, the fast mail service that connected distant parts of the country. During the Civil War, Union Army officers used its spaces for military operations and administration.

The building played a key role in connecting the American West through fast mail delivery, and visitors can still feel that pioneering spirit when walking through its rooms. The collections inside tell stories of how people lived and worked during that era.

The museum is accessible and its exhibits are arranged so visitors can easily navigate the different floors and displays. Plan to spend several hours if you want to see everything at a comfortable pace.

The building went through surprising transformations after its hotel days: it became a college for women, then operated for 80 years as a garment factory before finally becoming a museum. These different uses left traces that visitors can still observe in its layout and spaces.