Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site

Thomas Hart Benton is best known for the murals in our state capitol in Jefferson City. The home and studio that Benton and his wife Rita shared in Kansas City have been left perfectly preserved. The paints, furniture, sketches, and even his pipe sit right where he left them on the day he died.


Don’t Miss A “Monument”al Celebration

There have historically been many Missourians who’ve championed civil rights: Grace Bumbry, Elizabeth Keckley, Frankie Freeman, James Beckwourth, and others. But one in particular is the focus of a significant celebration worth attending.


April 15, 1889

Thomas Hart Benton is born in Neosho, Missouri. He became one of the most famous artists in America in the 1900s and helped develop the regionalist movement, which exposed lives of average Americans in the Midwest to a larger audience.


City Scout: Kansas City

A wine festival, winter hikes, photography exhibit, and more are all set for the Kansas City metro area. Check out the opportunities!


June 7, 1836

The Platte Purchase added St. Joseph and the northwestern corner of Missouri to the original state which had a straight line for its western border. The bill to approve the purchase was introduced by Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton.


Thomas Hart Benton

April 15, 1889

Thomas Hart Benton, who was from Neosho and one of Missouri's greatest artists, was born today.


Portrait of Thomas Hart Benton

March 14, 1782

Birthday of Senator Thomas Hart Benton. While terribly important in Missouri's history, he also has six counties named for him in other western states.


From our Archive: The Missouri Murals

Explore Thomas Hart Benton's Missouri Murals.


Portrait of Thomas Hart Benton

September 4, 1813

Andrew Jackson and Thomas Hart Benton had a shootout followed by a knife fight in a Tennessee hotelís hallway on this date. This caused Benton to leave Tennessee and move to Missouri.