This local history museum was established in 1988 and includes rotating exhibits and programs that preserve, interpret, and share the history of Carthage. Also the museum includes a local history library in addition to a gift shop. The museum is located on the for historic Jefferson Highway auto trail and former U. S. 66 as known as Route 66. Staff and volunteers are happy to offer area tourist information for visitors in addition to information about the history of Carthage. The museum is open seasonally, from April through last Saturday in October. The 2019 exhibit focus is Carthage and Jasper County during World War One.
Powers Museum was created through a bequest from the Marian Powers Winchester Estate. Opened in 1988, the museum holds over 10,000 items in its artifact and archival collections from which different exhibits are created every two years. The museum presents educational programming and participates in community events that can be found on the museum's website or it's Facebook page. The museum has published two books of historical photographs in the Arcadia Publishing's Images of America Series.
The museum's name honors Dr. Everett Powers and Mrs. Marian Wright Powers, parents of Marian Powers Winchester, who was the museum's benefactor. She left her estate to establish a museum for the residents and visitors of Carthage, Missouri. More biographical information on the Powers Family can be found at the museum's website.