If you have spent any amount of time around the Branson area, chances are that you have heard folks mention a unique little campus called College of the Ozarks. The college is a matter of community pride – many locals have had several generations of family graduate from this institution. College of the Ozarks is also known as Hard Work U – so named because the students that go there do not pay tuition. Instead, they work their way through school at one of the campus’s work stations. Students can work anywhere from the dairy barn to The Keeter Center to the gym – the campus boasts a huge variety of work stations to give students the work experience they will need upon graduating. One of these work stations just happens to be the Ralph Foster Museum – it figures that this unordinary college would also have an unordinary museum!
The Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks is known as The Smithsonian of the Ozarks. It is very aptly named – there is so much Ozarks history inside, you can’t see it all in one visit! The museum came about in the 1920s, when the current president of the school, Dr. Robert M Good, was inspired to have a unique museum on campus. He made room to display items in the basement of Abernathy Hall, one of the men’s dormitories. When the dorm was later vacated, financial aid was provided to turn the entire building into the beautiful museum you can see today.
There are often traveling exhibits hosted at the Ralph Foster Museum, along with an Artifact of the Month. People love to come back to see what new things are displayed here. One of the most famous exhibits is the original Beverly Hillbillies car that was used in the popular television show – the museum is proud to give the car its home! Other exhibits include taxidermy exotic animals and birds, a large gun display, a full size blacksmith shop complete with blacksmithing tools, a miniature replica of a cabin that visitors can walk through, pioneer dolls, paintings, rare art, and more!
The mission of the Ralph Foster Museum is as follows: “The Ralph Foster Museum, as an integral part of the College of the Ozarks, seeks to actively support the academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic and cultural goals of the College. The Museum strives to provide a quality educational experience for the campus family and the community at large by focusing on the dynamic culture of the Ozarks region.” The students, faculty and staff at College of the Ozarks constantly strive to achieve high goals – and one of those will always be sharing the Ralph Foster Museum with the community. Don’t miss a chance to explore this unique and beautiful campus, and to learn about the Ozarks heritage at this totally unordinary museum!
