It was a cold and snowy February afternoon when a group of horsemen rode into Liberty. After a short time, gunshots broke the winter silence as the men rode off with their loot, leaving one young college student dead and the town in shock. The Jesse James Bank Museum, located on the historic square in Liberty, was the site of the nation’s first successful daylight peacetime bank robbery.
While the robbers were never caught, the crime was attributed to the infamous James Gang. Visitors see the bank as it was in 1866. Period furnishings fill the room and one becomes immersed in the story of the robbery as told by the bank teller. As you peer into the original green vault one can imagine the fear felt by the two bank tellers.
Among the furnishings are a rare Seth Thomas clock which is set for the exact time and date of the robbery, February 13, 1866. Many photographs and historic documents are on display. A museum store offers many historical books, period-style toys and games, and other souvenir keepsakes.