The Martin and Osa Johnson SAFARI MUSEUM


111 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chanute, KS 66720
HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

ADMISSION:
Adults-$4
Senior Citizens and Students-$3
Children 6 through 12-$2
Children under 6-free

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, Kansas has been rated the number one museum in Kansas. The museum was built in memory of Martin and Osa Johnson and the couple’s many accomplishments. Martin and Osa made nine safaris to Africa together at a time when very little was known about the exotic and dangerous land. However, the Johnsons were explorers, not hunters; therefore, they brought back very few artifacts. Instead, they brought back thousands of photographs and reels of film footage. Most of the museum’s collection of artifacts was contributed by Dr. Pascal Imperata. Dr. Imperata traveled to Africa to follow in the footsteps of Martin and Osa, whom he greatly admired. His collection includes hundreds of exhibits of African culture, such as masks, headdresses, weapons, musical instruments, and animal pelts. The Safari Museum’s immense collection so rivals that of larger cities that many of its artifacts will soon go on tour.

The Safari Museum is located in the newly renovated train depot in Chanute, Kansas. The museum moved into the train depot in 1993 in order to accommodate its growing collection. The easiest way to get to the museum form Pittsburg, Kansas is to go west from Pittsburg on Highway 400, all the way to Parsons. Then take Highway 59 north from Parsons to Highway 49. Take Highway 39 west all the way to Chanute. The main street in Chanute will lead downtown all the way to Lincoln Street, where the Safari Museum is located. Upon entering the doors of the train depot, the Chanute Public Library will be to the right, and the Safari Museum is to the left. The admissions desk is just inside the museum doors. If you take a guided tour, the tour will start at the admissions desk. To the left of the admissions desk is a bookstore featuring the writings of Martin and Osa Johnson and Dr. Pascal Imperata. Also on the left is a small theater where movies produced by and about the Johnsons can be seen. Across from the theater, to the right, is a small play area with stuffed animals, bean-bag chairs, and story books for children. Dr. Imperata’s African collection is housed in the back of the museum in several rooms. This is where the costumes, musical instruments, and tools are displayed. The Martin and Osa Johnson collection is upstairs on the second floor. The collection consists of hundreds of photographs taken by the Johnsons, scale replicas of their campsite and gear, models of the airplanes they took on their last safari, and much more information about Martin and Osa’s childhood adventures.

Martin Johnson’s family moved to Independence, Kansas from Illinois in 1894 when Martin was ten years old. Martin developed a love for photography and nature at an early age. In 1907, Martin traveled to the South Seas on an expedition led by renowned naturalist and novelist Jack London. Martin was intoxicated by the excitement and adventure of studying foreign cultures, and he knew he wanted to pursue that adventure for the rest of his life. It seemed that the young Johnson’s determination and passion could not be rivaled. However, in 1910 at a seminar given by London, Martin met his match in a fiery sixteen-year-old girl from Chanute, Kansas named Osa Leighty. Martin and Osa shared the same love for adventure and exotic travel and became immediate companions. Within a week of their first meeting, the two were married.

Martin and Osa took their first trip together seven years later to Australia and the south Seas Islands to study the area’s tribes and customs. The Johnsons then decided to embark on an expedition of African culture. Martin and Osa made their first flight to Africa in 1921. A second trip lasting four years soon followed, and then a third. In 1933, on their final safari to Africa, Martin and Osa were able to use airplanes to document wildlife and landforms from the air.

Upon each of their returns, the couple edited their footage to produce films about their adventures. In fact, Osa and Martin produced the first sound movie ever recorded entirely in Africa. The Johnsons also wrote and published books about their safaris and toured the world giving lectures. Cannibals of the South Seas, Jungle Adventures, Simba, and Congorilla are just a few of the film compilations produced by Martin and Osa. The couple quickly established themselves as movie celebrities that epitomized the American dream.

Unfortunately, that dream was cut short when Martin was killed in a commercial plane crash in 1937. Osa was injured in the crash and confined for a time in a wheelchair. However, not even personal tragedy or physical injury could keep Osa Johnson from doing what she loved. Osa continued to travel, produce, and star in movies, and write books about her adventurous life. Her most famous book is called I Married Adventure, which is, of course, about her love for her husband and the exciting lives they had led. Osa also wrote a storybook about Africa for children. She remained active until her death in 1953.

This has been just a taste of the wealth of knowledge that is housed within the four walls of the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum. Experienced guides are available to give exciting and informational tours about Dr. Imperata’s collection and the exciting Kansan couple.

For tour information: (316) 431-2730

Researched and written by Rebekah Wolgamott, 2000.