Leila's Hair Museum

Built in 1852 along the Santa Fe Trail, this magnificent home was owned by American artist George Caleb Bingham. Extensively renovated in the 1890s, many furnishings and accessories from the era may be seen in the home, and original wagon swales from the Santa Fe Trail may be viewed to its south. A gift shop is in the carriage house. Closed for the winter from Jan-Mar. Directly across from the National Frontier Trails museum.

Museum and interpretive center dedicated to the history of the Overland Trails and the settlement of the American West. Independence hosted thousands of settlers, pioneers, soldiers and merchants as they prepared to cross the plains along one of three trails which began just off the city square: the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon. The museum offers film, a children's activity room, artifacts, journal entries, maps, and covered wagons, among other highlights.

The two-story depot contains three rooms on the first floor which are the waiting room, stationmasters room & baggage room. On the second floor, four rooms, which were formerly the stationmasters residence, are the kitchen, dining room, bedroom and the parlor. Each of these rooms is furnished in the period circa 1879. Inside you will find pot-bellied stoves, the original waiting room benches and old Chicago & Alton advertising posters.

Features numerous family-owned shops surrounding the old main courthouse, which was modeled after Philadelphia's Independence Hall. This courthouse houses Harry S. Truman's former courtroom and office (see below).

In the Old Courthouse at the center of Independence's historic square. Truman's first elected office was as a Jackson Co. judge (1922-24) -- an administrative, not judicial, position. During his term he worked in the historic Independence courthouse.

Still a working soda fountain and ice-cream parlor, this was the site of Truman's first paying job. On the Independence Sq.