State Historical Society of Missouri

The State Historical Society of Missouri collects, preserves, and shares Missouri’s history. Much of that work happens at the Center for Missouri Studies, right here in Columbia—our home for our history!

Supporters like you provide crucial funding to SHSMO. Your donation directly impacts our daily operations and helps us digitize more photographs, newspapers, and maps; offer more free events, exhibitions, and programs; and teach kids about Missouri history through art and creative projects. 

SHSMO exhibitions, programs, activities, and research facilities are free and open to the public. Your donation helps us make that possible!

With your help, SHSMO can:

• Create exhibitions that feature the art and history of our state, helping Missourians explore and learn from the past
• Host our signature History on Elm series that features a variety of authors, artists, filmmakers, and scholars who explore a range of topics
• Help students put their own stamp on history through the National History Day in Missouri contest, where they can produce a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website to compete at local, state, and national levels
• Preserve, house, and show important works of art in the SHSMO Art Gallery 
• Help genealogists, researchers, and students find the answers to their questions
• Provide online access to our vast archive of photographs, maps, videos, oral histories, and much more
• Maintain state-of-the-art research facilities with access to millions of physical documents and newspapers on microfilm