The Pony Express Starting Point in St Joseph, MO

In late October, we took a short trip up the Missouri River to St Joseph.  We stopped by the Pony Express Statue on the north side of downtown first.  

Then we went to the Pony Express Museum located in the Pony Express Stable.  The Pony Express was an exciting and colorful part of US history, although it only lasted for 19 months, at which point the telegraph line from coast to cost was completed.  

Inside the museum, you learn about Russell, Majors, and Waddell, who founded the Pony Express with the idea of rapidly reducing the amount of time it took for mail to get from California to the earstern US and vice versa.  They did so by getting rid of wagons, and employing young boys to ride fast horses between stations, each rider only carrying the mochila (mail pouch) and gun.  The riders were usually in their teens or early 20's.
The Pony Express Stable was a fascinating stop.  We spent several hours learning about the trail, different terrains the riders passed through, experiences some of the riders had, what mail stations were like, and many other things.

Nearest City: St Joseph, MO
Location: 914 Penn St, St Joseph, MO  64503
Time Needed: 2+ hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: ponyexpress.org