In 1838, approximately 700 German-Lutherans left their homes, farms, businesses and all they knew behind to embark on the dangerous sea voyage to America. Finding new homes in St. Louis and then Perry County, Missouri, they rebuilt their lives and formed communities which endure to this day. Discover their hardships, tragedies and triumphs and explore the families, churches, farms and businesses they established which make East Perry County a unique and truly authentic destination.
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2023-2024 Christmas Exhibit
From November 15 – January 15, our museum galleries host our annual Christmas Exhibit. That display is now ready to view with over 50 themed Christmas trees. Below is a short video giving a little bit of a taste of what you might see. Please come, visit us, and catch a bit of the Christmas spirit while visiting our regular historical exhibits.
Long-term Exhibits
Explore our exhibit galleries to discover the people and places of East Perry County and where they came from in current day Germany. Encounter the Saxon German Immigrants who arrived here in 1839 and the churches, farms and businesses they struggled to establish. Learn how their experiences and hard work provided the foundation and set the example for our communities today.
Research Library
The Starzinger Family Research Library is the home of the Zion Roots Research Project. It is an outstanding collection of resources which assist in researching your family history if it has any connection to Perry County, Missouri. The library is open during our business hours, from 10 am – 4 pm daily. The library can be used free of charge, but donations are certainly welcome.
Guided Tours
For the complete museum experience, consider a guided tour of the museum complex. This includes the exhibit galleries plus a tour of the Log Cabin College, Loeber Cabin and Trinity Lutheran Church. For more information, see the Plan a Visit page. Admission is free to the exhibits and to take the tour.
For a great overview of this immigration story visit, http://hpmoon.wixsite.com/saxon
To download or order H. Paul Moon’s award winning documentary, The Saxon New World. A brief but brilliant telling of this early German-American story.