Joplin Museum Complex

Welcome to the Joplin Museum Complex, home to the Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum, Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum, The Empire District Electric Company Museum, The Joplin Sports Authority Sports Hall of Fame, and the National Historical Cookie Cutter Museum.

The purpose of these two museums is to tell the story of Joplin and the Tri-State Mining District.

By displaying Historical and mineral collections, the Joplin Museum Complex provides inspiration for future generations to better understand the economic and social history of Joplin and the Tri-State Mining District.

The Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum

... boasts one of the world's most exceptional collections of lead and zinc ores as well as other minerals found in the Tri-State District. This museum interprets the geology and geochemistry of the area and illustrates mining processes and methods used from the 1870s through the 1960s.

The Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum

...emphasizes the growth and development as the result of the mining in the Tri-State District. On display are assorted historical items from Joplin's mining era including a circus room, a child's playhouse (children are invited in with adult supervision), a 1927 American LeFrance fire engine and Victorian furnishings, textiles and a doll collection.