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General Category => Branson Talk => Topic started by: sanddunerider on March 08, 2011, 08:47:42 AM

Title: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 08, 2011, 08:47:42 AM
Has anybody been there.  How is it?  Information? displays?

Went to the robert foster museum last year, and like it.

I have not been able to find a website for it.  Just the college>
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: rubedugans on March 08, 2011, 12:39:27 PM
This site gives some information about the museum.
http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56534 (http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56534)
I have only been to the Ralph Foster Museum on the campus.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 08, 2011, 01:22:31 PM
Thanks Rube, I do like the Foster museum

well i will check out the tractor museum in april or may.. try to get some pics and will check and advise.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: thelarsonsix on March 08, 2011, 06:48:22 PM
I doubt you'll find a website just for it. It's one of those places that seems you just "have to know about." I honestly can't remember how I found out about it now, but everytime we take new people to Branson we try to show it to them. We go there once a year or so, even though not much changes. It's mainly restored antique tractors and some farm equipment. The building is not real big, it's always been open when we've went, and there's never anyone in there or around. It's a nice place to go in the summer to get out of the heat and relax. Here's some pics from a few years ago:

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000517.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000516.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000515.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000522.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000520.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000525.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000521.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000528.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000531.jpg)

(http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u36/larson_6/IM000529.jpg)

Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 08, 2011, 07:14:01 PM
those a great pics. i am ready to go!  But have to wait a couple of more weeks..thanks
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: thelarsonsix on March 08, 2011, 07:34:26 PM
Np.  ;D
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: How-doFolks on March 08, 2011, 07:47:18 PM
Wicked!!
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 09, 2011, 01:57:16 AM
And the Tractor museum is free admittance according to the college website..

The robert foster museum is only 6 bucks for adults and under 18 is free. It is worth seeing.  they have 4 floors of goodies to look at. 1 floor is dedicated to firearms, and war relics.they also have the original beverly hillbillies car!
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: rubedugans on March 09, 2011, 08:24:01 AM
I went once and covered the whole place. It was great. They have one of the largest collections I have seen of guns, and one of the largest of taxidermy animals. umor is they have a Morgan Earp revolver and a Pancho Villa rifle...I saw so many guns that day, I have no clue which was which...Great place to spend a rainy afternoon. I went back a second time just to have my photo taken IN the beverly hillbillies car. Great memories!
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 09, 2011, 08:55:19 AM
Your right Rube,  great way to spend a morning or afternoon.  Like you i have been through and couldnt begin to tell what weapons are on disply.  anxious to go back..  i will either go next weekend or in april.  makes a great filler for something to do inn the morning..

something i want to add. this museum is WAY MORE than just the weapons.. Althought the weapons collection is very impressive. They are on one floor and there are 4 floors al together. 

here are some of the other collections:
Ozark hand made quilts'
dolls
hillbilly car- the original
science equipment
lots of glassware
1 room log cabin furnished - (inside the main building)
Farm equipment/utensils/tools
3 or 4 tractors-  including steam powered
and the list goes on and on

Something for everyone to see-  Gauranteed!


Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: rubedugans on March 09, 2011, 09:06:53 AM
Most definitely! there are so many items that one could not even imaging the things you can experience. several cars. Rose O'Niell items, Harold Bell Wiright displays> The B.J. Circus was amazing! I like to look at this link every month to see the showcased items.

http://www.rfostermuseum.com/artifact_archive.asp (http://www.rfostermuseum.com/artifact_archive.asp)
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: pintrader on March 09, 2011, 10:31:17 AM
The Ralph Foster Museum is a must see!  I remember at one time it was free to get in, but of course with up keep they had to start charging sometime.  The original hillbilly truck was really neat to see.  I also remember them having a real shrunken pygmy head which was quite interesting.  They also had like a 10 ft. tall stuffed polar bear that was pretty intimidating.  Lots of things to see, I would highly recommend it.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 09, 2011, 10:37:49 AM
Thats funny Rube, I wanted to mention the circu, But did not know how to describe what it was...  size & detail?   thats a great link. i will save it..

You and pintrader are right!  Lots of stuff. I just want to make sure nobody was being mislead about only being guns! thanks for the help clearifying that.

thanks again!
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: rubedugans on March 09, 2011, 10:56:44 AM
Polar bear is still there, shrunken head was in storage last time I was out there.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: Junior on March 09, 2011, 01:51:13 PM
The museum used to have a horse drawn hearse with coffin in the back! The Ozarks Hall of Fame was housed there, too. There was a good Indian arrowhead collection, and a coin collection, plus artwork...a Thomas Hart Benton painting is there. It is worth visiting from time to time. (I'm a former student there, so I'm partial to the Ralph Foster Museum.)
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 09, 2011, 03:36:12 PM
I dont remember the hearse or the shrunken head from last year.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: rubedugans on March 09, 2011, 07:03:29 PM
Hearse I remember...head wasn't out, neither was the 2 headed cow head.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: pintrader on March 09, 2011, 07:35:15 PM
I had just about forgot about the 2 headed calf, it has been a few years since I have been there.  In my opinion the stuffed animals were the best part of the museum.  I also remember like a 10 or 15 ft long tiger.  Talk about a good mouser!
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: KBCraig on March 15, 2011, 07:39:24 AM
Very nice. We'll have to check that out next time we go. I've always loved the Foster Museum, so this is just one more reason to stop by.

We'll be going to Old Washington (Arkansas) Historic State Park this weekend for the annual Jonquil Festival. There will be plenty of Poppin' Johnnies, one-lungers, hit-or-miss, and other early post-steam tractors and engines on display. The Four States Iron Mongers will be hammering steel into stuff, the local War of Yankee Aggression defensive re-enactors will be on hand demonstrating their field craft, and there will also be the usual "fair stuff", including kettle corn and fresh pork cracklin straight from the kettle.

Mmmmm...  ;D
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: Junior on March 15, 2011, 08:22:32 AM
If you saw the thread I started on Hope, Arkansas this week, you will see I had a chance to visit Old Washington State Park. It was a great park, nice to see the 20 or so old buildings dating from the 1820s to the 1910s. The park employees made the visit special, a school group was there the day I was...last Thursday...and the kids were loving the park. The old pioneer cemetery also had graves of some Revolutionary War veterans, which was unusual to see for Arkansas. If you have a chance to visit Old Washington State Park near Hope, Arkansas, I highly reccomend it.
Title: Re: Tractor Museum - College of the Ozarks.
Post by: sanddunerider on March 15, 2011, 08:55:13 AM
planning on the tractor museum this monday morning..  Dont know if time will allow to do foster museum or not..Planning on some pics for you all!.