“No place is a place until the things that have happened
in it are remembered.”
  Wallace Stegner

The Bushwhacker Museum takes great pride in preserving the memories of Vernon County, Missouri.
It is widely regarded as one of the premier small town museums in the Midwest.

Visit Us Today!NEW SUMMER TOUR HOURS!

Visit Us Today!NEW SUMMER TOUR HOURS!

The Bushwhacker Museum is located in the lower level of the Nevada Public Library building on the northwest corner of the historic Nevada Courthouse Square. Get Directions Here!

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The Museum Newly Designed Gift Shop!

The Museum Newly Designed Gift Shop!

Our newly designed gift shop has a unique selection of local and regional history books, locally handmade souvenir items and woodcrafts and our new 2022 T-Shirt design for adults and children.

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2023 Events & Happenings!

2023 Events & Happenings!

Join us for Bushwhacker Days at the Museum, Saturday June 10th, FREE EVENTS!

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Bushwhacker Days Festival

June 12, 2021     ||     9:00am-4:00pm     ||     Historic Vernon County Jail & Sheriff’s House, 231 N. Main St., Nevada, Bushwhacker Days is back this year on June 12, 2021. Living History venues this year will include Picker’s Post Bluegrass Band, folk musician Lem Sheppard, and Professor Farquar’s Medicine Man Show. Period crafters will be […]

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The Bushwhacker Museum . . .
is designed to appeal to all ages, with an informal atmosphere and many interactive exhibits. Children seem to be especially fascinated by the Native American exhibits, and enjoy playing “school” in the old child-sized classroom.

With over 10,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Bushwhacker also caters to a wide range of interests. Exhibits include everything from prehistoric tools and fossils to antique medical instruments and women’s wedding finery. You will find Civil War artifacts, antique carriages, old handmade quilts, children’s toys, antique sidesaddles, early fire department memorabilia and so much more … Come take a stroll with us through Vernon County's past!

The Bushwhacker Jail . . .
is a rare example of prison facilities in the late nineteenth century. It is the oldest structure in Nevada, and one of the few buildings spared when Federal Militia burned Nevada to the ground in 1863. You can tour the beautifully restored jailer’s family quarters, step inside a grim, dark jail cell, or marvel at the graffiti in the old drunk tank. This is an unusual adventure for the entire family.