Historic Hermann Museum

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Hermann, MO
Historic Hermann Museum

Located in the 1871 German School Building, the Historic Hermann Museum is home to an extraordinary collection of treasures from Hermann’s past.

08/19/2026

Named for noted Hermann historian Art Schweighauser, the Schweighauser Room holds a varied collection of objects depicting early life in Hermann.

Visit the Museum this weekend and explore Hermann's history with us! Open 10:00am - 4:00pm Thursday through Saturday & Noon to 4:00pm on Sunday.

08/12/2026

On today's Who's Who in Hermann, we wanted to bring you the story of someone who was a little more contemporary. Some of you may have even got to work with, celebrate, and enjoy the company of this wonderful person:

Anna Kemper Hesse (1908-2000) was a very important part of Hermann history. Anna was one of the preeminent voices in the preservation of historical landmarks and buildings in Hermann, and is a main reason we enjoy the Deutschheim State Historic Site and the Historic Hermann Rotunda building today. She also founded the Hermann Brush & Palette Club and spearheaded the Hermann Maifest traditions in the 1950s, an annual festival the city still enjoys every year. In 1978, the Brush & Palette Club donated the Strehly and Pommer buildings to the Dept of Natural Resources/State of MO to help establish Deutschheim State Historic Site. The club also began the Deutschheim Verein.

Among many other superlatives, Anna was an accomplished artist, and is the author of a book on many Hermann coffee tables, the “Little Germany on the Missouri: The Photographs of Edward J. Kemper 1895-1920,”

photos & credit: Gasconade County Historical Society; MO State Parks

07/30/2026

On today's , we go back in time over 100 years, pre-1920, to the street just in front of the German School on 4th & Schiller. Behind a lot of eager schoolchildren you'll notice.....us! The German School building would eventually become Historic Hermann Museum!

The German school building was built in 1871 and for around 84 years functioned as Hermann's elementary school. Many of these years, the entire curriculum was taught in German. In 1890, the famous clock tower was added, which has been faithfully ringing out the hours in Hermann for over a century. In 1955, the building was deeded to Historic Hermann, Inc and became the museum we now run it as today.

Find out more about the Historic Hermann Museum on the Hermann Riverfront Walking tour on GuidiGO. Then, join us inside!

h/t: GuidiGO: https://www.guidigo.com/Tour/United%20States/Hermann/Hermann-Riverfront-Walking-Tour/2Ep8_WWlf64

07/17/2026

On today’s , you’d probably think this cart full of barrels must have been filled with Hermann-made wine destined for transport along the Missouri River to thirsty communities everywhere.

It turns out, though, that these barrels were filled with…leather. Shown here is the first load of leather delivered in Hermann to Peter’s Shoe Company, which was at the corner of Fourth and Gutenberg Streets, now the grassy part of our Amphitheatre lot.

07/13/2026

Today on Who's Who in Hermann History, we take a look at William H. Pommer.
William was the grandson of Caroline Pommer, whose home (The Pommer-Gentner house) comprises the first half of the Deutschheim State Historic Site's History Tour in Hermann. William was born in 1851 in St. Louis. William's grandfather, Charles Pommer, was a piano builder and one of the first settlers into Hermann.
William stayed within family's musical roots, but instead of building pianos, he was a composer and musician of renown in Missouri. William studied music in Austria and Germany and came back to the United States. He taught music in public St. Louis schools, Columbia College, and in 1907 was the Director of Music at the University of Missouri.
William was well known in his lifetime and many of his published works are still published and performed today. His legacy in music education still endures in the many places he taught.

07/02/2026

Help ring in America's 250th Birthday this Saturday! This July 4, from 10am to 2pm.

06/27/2026

It's and today we have a photo of a Missouri Pacific Locomotive in Hermann, circa 1877.

It's pretty neat to think that trains visited Hermann 149 years ago and continue to do so today!

On July 20 in Hermann, the Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 steam engine, one of the few remaining operating steam locomotives in America, will visit Hermann from 2:15pm to 2:30pm at the Amtrak station.

Make sure you check it out!

06/18/2026

The Clock Tower Gift Shop has a few new releases!

Amazing Missouri Animals by Carolyn Mueller Kelly is a book for young readers about the weird and wonderful wildlife of our state. The book is filled with colorful photos of the incredible furred, fanged, and finned residents of Missouri. Kelly has spent the last twenty years working at the St. Louis Zoo and learning everything she possibly can about animals. Published by Reedy Press, it is for sale in the gift shop for $27.00.

Missouri Comfort by Mathew Unger and Porcshe Moran Murphy is a cookbook filled with recipes, stories, and recommendations for top places to eat and drink in the state of Missouri. The book explores the state’s food culture and features the best of what Missouri offers in every region from St. Louis, Kansas City, the Ozarks, and every place in between. It is a great gift for Father’s Day or for anyone who enjoys food and drink. Published by Reedy Press, it is for sale in the gift shop for $32.50.

06/12/2026

The River Room at the Historic Hermann Museum has one of the nation’s finest collections of Missouri River history, including a full-size replica of an early pilot house and model boats made by Hermann river boat captains.

Come visit us and learn more about how much the Missouri River meant to Hermann's own history!

06/04/2026

On todays , we're sized up by a group of Hermann locals gathering on the sidewalk in front of William Klenk Lumber, at the corner of 4th Street and Market Street. William Klenk stands second from the right. The man on far left holds a bocksäge (frame saw).

This photograph is undated but is part of a collection of photos taken from 1895 - 1920.

See this and many other photos of Hermann's history in "Little Germany on the Missouri" a photography book by Anna Kemper Hesse, available in our Clock Tower Gift Shop.

Address

312 Schiller Street
Hermann, MO
65041

Telephone

(573) 486-2017

Website

http://www.historichermann.com/

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