The Ralph Foster Museum, on the campus of the College of the Ozarks, grew from humble beginnings in the 1920’s to become one of the Midwest’s foremost institutions of historical preservation.
Dr. Robert M. Good, the President of the school, took an interest in the idea of a museum on campus. Subsequently, he made space available for the display of items in the basement of Abernathy Hall, a boy’s residence hall. When the residence hall was later vacated, funds were provided to convert the entire building into a museum.
The primary focus of the Ralph Foster Museum today is to collect, preserve, interpret and exhibit items relating to the Ozarks region. One of the more famous exhibits is the original vehicle used in the television series "The Beverly Hillbillies." In addition, visitors will find antiques, weapons, dolls, natural history and other items from around the world. Ralph Foster was one of the true pioneers of radio — one of the first to realize its vast potential, both educationally and as a new and exciting field of mass entertainment.
