Last updated: 10/3/2023
Concordia, Kansas
Street Address
300 Washington Street
Concordia, KS 66901
Mailing Address
PO Box 322
Concordia, KS 66901
phone: 785-243-4471
e-mail: info@orphantraindepot.org
web: orphantraindepot.org

Hours

Tuesday - Friday
10 AM - 12 PM & 1 PM - 4 PM
Saturday
10 AM - 4 PM

Admissions

Group discounts available.

General Admission: $8
Military: $7
Students (): $4
Children under 6: Free

Staff

Kaily Carson
phone: 785-243-4471
Description

The National Orphan Train Complex Museum and Research Center are dedicated to the preservation of the stories and artifacts of those who were part of the Orphan Train Movement from 1854-1929.

Mission

The mission of the National Orphan Train Complex is to collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate knowledge about the orphan trains, and the children and agents who rode them.

History

See website (https://orphantraindepot.org/general-information/) for full history.

Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 250,000 orphaned, abandoned, or homeless children were transported to rural communities across the country in hopes of providing a better life for them.

Artifact Collections

Photographs, documents, and other personal items belonging to orphan train riders, their families, and the organizations that sent them West to find new homes.

Research Collections

Files on approximately 8,000 orphan train riders are available for research with advance request.

Educational Programs

Offer field trips, work with teachers for other needs upon request.

Library

f we do not currently have information on the orphan train rider you are looking for, we offer research services. We utilize public records to find information such as when a rider rode the train, which agent they travelled with, and any news articles about their placement. To request research on a rider, please print and mail the Research-Registry Form and the research fee to the address on our website. Research requests are generally completed within 3 months, but may take longer if we have a high volume of requests.

ur current research fee is $30 per hour per name, minimum of 2 hours, plus a shipping/handling fee of $5. Once the total payment of $65 (per child) is received and research is complete, we will mail you all the information we found, and add to or create a file for our records.

No walk-in research will be conducted without prior reservation.

Access: General Public
Appointment required: Yes
Publications

Crossroads Newsletter, 3 times per year

Services
Gift Shop
Group Tours
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Parking
Restrooms
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Public Lands Alliance 2025 Convention and Trade Show

February 2 - 6, 2025

Las Vegas, Nevada

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

March 11 - 14, 2025

Knoxville, Tennessee

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