Welcome to the Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives. If you will please sign the register, I'll give you a brief history of the Museum. By 1967, Judd Palmer, who had been very active in civic affairs, had amassed quite a large collection of Indian artifacts from this area, which he wanted to share with others. He appeared before the City Council with the suggestion that a museum be started to house these and any other articles which might be of historical interest. A charter was drawn up that year, and Sam Sherwood, a local realtor, was the first president. The collection was originally housed in the Hall of Waters. In 1968, the Clay County Bank erected a new building to house their business at the corner of Broadway and Thompson Avenue. They gave this building, except for the vault door, to be used as a museum. This is altogether fitting as this was the yard of the first hotel, The Excelsior. The hotel itself stood just east of here.