Pony Express National Museum!

What Is the Pony Express National Museum?

The Pony Express National Museum tells the story of this remarkable mail delivery system from inside the original 1888 St. Joseph’s Pike’s Peak Stables!

What Makes It Historical?

The Pony Express formed on the collaboration of three men: William Russell with the ideas, Alexander Majors with the planning, and William Waddell with the upfront cash! Together, they set out to earn a $1 million government contract by proving they could deliver mail quickly and reliably across almost 2,000 miles from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California! Why St. Joseph? It was already the terminus for a railroad and telegraph from the East Coast and a major launching point for westbound emigrants!

Naming their company the Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, the trio procured over 400 horses and 200 riders, setting up 165 relay stations where riders would swap horses every 10 to 15 miles. If a rider traveled 75 to 100 miles in a day, then theoretically, they should make the journey in 10 days! They put that to the test in early April of 1860 as Johnny Fry headed out of St. Joseph on April 3, and Sam Hamilton headed west from Sacramento on April 4!

Along the way, riders faced all kinds of danger, from storms to stampeding bison! They carried 20 pounds of mail in locked mochilas, with the keys being located on either end of the route, stopping for two minutes at each station before continuing again. Among their ranks were such soon-to-be-famous folks as James “Wild Bill” Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody, who ran the Red Buttes to Three Crossings route, crossing the half-mile wide North Platte River to do so!

Though the Pony Express was a daring feat, which delivered news to the West Coast of President Lincoln’s inauguration and the Civil War, it was only to last about 18 months. Mr. Russell spent time in jail for embezzling bonds, and the government contracts that kept the Pony Express alive got redirected to the trancontinental telegraph and the Butterfield Overland Mail!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
Volunteer at the Pony Express National Museum!
Donate to the Pony Express National Museum!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!