Self-Guided Tour
Exterior Grounds:
Garrison School, established in 1877 for African American youth of Liberty, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only Black School that was a part of the Civil rights era still standing in Clay County. It is owned and operated by the Clay County African American Legacy Inc., a 501c3.
Upon entering the Garrison School Cultural Center site from the Water Street parking lot, visitors will see a large black and white mural on the building with the theme “Stony the Road We Have Trod.” This mural depicts the struggle of Black people for equal education during the segregation era. As you walk around the building on the Main Street side, you will see another mural with the theme “Sing a Song Full of the Faith that the Present Has Brought Us.” This mural depicts school life for Blacks and Whites during integration.
- Blue Bottle Tree
- Garrison Historic Marker
- Sankofa Bird Sculpture
- Journey Mural: Located in the hallway entry from the Main Street entrance, this mural honors figures such as WWII heroes Major Charity Adams and Corporal George Breedlove, historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Civil Rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Former African American President, Barack Obama. Together, they represent a powerful narrative of sacrifice, progress, and the enduring pursuit of justice.
- Founders Courtyard and Founders Mural
Garrison Interior Exhibits: (Exhibit rooms A-E on first floor level)
Exhibit Room A: Sam Houston Pioneer Room
Pioneer African American families of Liberty and Clay County, Civil War era artifacts, story boards on Excelsior Springs and its 7 Black bath houses and owners from the 1880s-1930s; Missouri City students and educators; Liberty churches; The Gladstone Community of White Oak; Withers Farm hand-made chairs by the enslaved; photos of early community leaders and Masons of Liberty; a copy of the Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation; a copy of the Missouri Emancipation Proclamation; a copy of the US Constitution; Bill of Rights; the Declaration of Independence; and a Ku Klux Klan story board featuring the historic Liberty KKK meeting of 1924.
Exhibit Room B: Marion Pearley Quilt Room
Featuring (7) patterns.
Exhibit Room C: Otto “Jay Bird” Ray- Black Baseball Room
Featuring the Kansas City Monarchs (both men and women players), Numerous Negro League Baseball Teams and Players: Giants, and Pillsbury Crawfords among others; Women Players: Toni Stone, Connie Morgan, Mamie “Peanut Johnson; Women Team Owners: Effa brooks Manley owner of the Brooklyn Eagles, Dr. Hilda Bolden Shorter owner of the Philadelphia Stars; Books, and numerous baseball artifacts and posters on loan from one of the Kansas City Negro League Baseball Museum founders and author, Larry Lester.
Exhibit Room D: George Breedlove African American Veterans Room
Featuring veterans of Clay County from the Civil War through the Vietnam War (both men and women).
Exhibit Room E: Clarence Gantt Research Room
Featuring Liberty School District high School student research projects for the Garrison Advanced Student Educational Mentoring Program (ASEM), and The Lion and Unicorn Reading literacy Program (LURP) for 2nd grade youth that has included over 5,000 youth from the Liberty and the Greater Kansas City urban and suburban School Districts during the past 25 years.
- Clay County African American Art Gallery: (Ground Floor Level of Garrison) featuring: African American Art, African Art, local and national artists, historical Story Boards that include Clay County and national pioneers, a presidential wall in honor of former President Barack Obama and all African Americans who ran for President or Vice President, a historical Story Board and artifact on lynchings in Clay County. The “Jazz, Jive, and Jam” mural, a vibrant celebration of Liberty’s rich musical and cultural heritage highlighting local legends such as jazz vocalist Lori Tucker of the KC Wild Women, WWII bandleader Clarence Claybrooks Parker and his Chicago Band, and the historic Liberty “Wiggle Inn” nightclub is located in the hallway entrance to the Garrison /Corbin theater auditorium . It also honors athlete and musician “Big Ben” Stevenson, who helped lead the 1932 Garrison Wonder Team to a state championship and earned a place in the 2003 College Football Hall of Fame, among other numerous artifacts.
- Dobbe Dobberstine Courtyard:
The Dobbe Dobberstine Courtyard, located at the east entrance of the Garrison School Cultural Museum, honors the tireless commitment of Dobbe Dobberstein—a master Custom Homes builder, visionary leader, and devoted preservationist. For over 14 years, his leadership in restoration, fundraising, and beautification efforts have helped transform the historic Garrison school into a beacon of cultural pride and education. This dedicated space stands as a lasting tribute to his passion and impact, preserving both the legacy of the school and the rich history it represents. Also included in the courtyard are window murals of the Clay County African American Legacy Founders and Historians: Albert Byrd, Theresa Byrd, Nukrisha Lee, Ruth Emery, Kenneth Robinson, Shelton Ponder, Hazel Black, Dr. Cecelia Robinson, Dr. Antonio Holland.
Restrooms are located on both the upper and ground floor levels of the building.