WHS Upcoming Events
Priests of Pallas Exhibit
March 1 @ 1:00 pm - June 7 @ 4:00 pm
The Priests of Pallas exhibit opens to the public on Saturday March 1st, at 1:00 p.m., at the 1855 Harris-Kearney House Museum. The exhibit will feature artifacts such as ball giveaways, post card sets, photos, pins and buttons, invitations and programs but most importantly, never before seen parade artifacts such as a torch, shields, helmet, robe, hats and tunic. This is a fun exhibit you will not want to miss.
From 1887 until 1912, ” the Priests of Pallas, Kansas City’s original harvest festival, was officially a week-long celebration held annually in Kansas City and ended when the Stockyards opened in the west bottoms. The purpose of the Festival was to promote Kansas City’s image as the “Athens of the West” and to parallel other celebrations such as New Orleans’s Mardi Gras and St. Louis’s Veiled Prophet. Pallas Athene was the patroness of the festival and motifs were based loosely on figures from Greek mythology.
Exhibit HOURS
- March 1st – May 24th
- Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Or by appointment for individuals or groups
The fee to see the exhibit is included in your Museum House Admission Ticket, which is payable at the door, or by purchasing your admission ticket in advance.
Admission includes guided tour:
- $10 Adults
- $ 7 Seniors 65+ & Veterans
- $ 7 Students 12-18
- $ 5 Children 6-11
- FREE Children 0-5
- FREE WHS members
- Additional donations are welcome as they offset the expense of the exhibit.
Westport Historical Society wishes to acknowledge the collaborative effort of groups and individuals who have made the exhibit possible. WHS is offering special thanks for help, and loans of various historical artifacts and photographs to the following:
- Jackson County (Missouri) Historical Society
- Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Downtown KC
- Wonderland Vintage, Alan Dunham and Andy Chambers
- Ryland E. Foster, Sr., Collector and Exhibit Director
- Mary Mullin, Collector
Learn more:
- The Priests of Pallas Entertained Thousands in Kansas City, by Diane Euston, July 1, 2019
- Priest of Pallas, Kansas City’s Original Harvest Festival, by Michael Bushnell, October 12, 2022