Missouri’s Space Museum and Grissom Center is seriously considering packing up its rockets in Bonne Terre and landing in St. Charles, museum leaders say, a move that would nudge the growing collection closer to the St. Louis metro crowd. The privately run attraction says it has already maxed out its current footprint and has even had to turn down new artifacts. Staff and volunteers are set to be in St. Charles on Thursday, April 30, for a free screening and related events tied to outreach and fundraising.
Museum Studies Move Closer To St. Louis
As first reported by KSDK, museum president Earl Mullins told reporters the institution is “out of room” and is actively exploring a relocation closer to St. Louis to tap into more visitors and potential sponsors. Mullins told the station that the museum is looking for sponsors and community donations while it weighs its options, and that no final call has been made on a move. In that coverage, he dropped the line that “St. Louis is the gateway to the stars,” and the upcoming St. Charles events are framed as part of that broader outreach push.
Collection Bumps Up Against The Walls
The museum’s own site lays out a collection that was clearly built with a bigger home in mind: exhibits include a Mercury training spacesuit, the Liberty Bell 7 recovery coffee cup, an Ambassador-of-Exploration moon rock and other flown hardware. There are also interactive pieces such as a Robothespian called Max Q and shuttle-era EMU suit assemblies. The Space Museum and Grissom Center notes that the operation opened in the early 2000s and expanded with the Grissom Center in 2019. Staff and volunteers say the compact Heritage Hall building and limited hours make it tough to show everything they have been offered.
Screening, Signing And Fundraising In St. Charles
Lindenwood University lists a free screening of the APOLLO 1 documentary at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts at noon on Thursday, April 30, presented by the museum. Lindenwood University notes that the screening is open to the public. KSDK reported that Lowell Grissom, brother of astronaut Gus Grissom, will be at the St. Charles event and is expected to sign copies of a book about his brother as part of the weekend outreach.
Why St. Charles?
St. Charles brings a steady flow of foot traffic, helped along by festivals, its historic Main Street and convention facilities that can funnel in visitors and school groups. Discover St. Charles highlights a packed calendar of events and tourism draws that niche museums often count on. Backers say a more accessible river-corridor location could make educational programming easier to deliver and boost the number of people who actually get eyes on the museum’s one-of-a-kind artifacts.
What’s Next
No lease or specific site has been announced, and museum leaders still describe the idea as exploratory; moving a collection of flown hardware and fragile artifacts would be a complicated and expensive lift. For now, the Space Museum remains open in Bonne Terre on a limited schedule, Fridays and Saturdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m.–5 p.m., while it continues to seek sponsors and donations as it evaluates its options. Visitor information and donation links are available on the museum’s site, and the Space Museum and Grissom Center posts hours and contact details online for anyone who wants to follow developments or support the effort.
