Seeking the Good Life

Native Americans. Territorial Days. Railroads. Town Building. Farming. Suburban Growth. Modern Office Parks. The story of Johnson County is one echoed across the nation, but with its own unique stories and personalities. As you explore Johnson County’s history, you retrace the history of the American migration west,  the growth of post World War II suburbs, and today's modern suburban cities where residents can live, work and play in suburban environments.

Seeking the Good Life tells the story of a city from a suburban perspective. Located adjacent to Kansas City, Missouri, Johnson County’s history has been entwined with that city's since its beginnings in the 1830s as a home to Shawnee Indians and the missionaries who followed them. The exhibit studies the changing ideas of the "good life" over time, and challenges visitors to consider their own definitions of “the good life” and how they can be a part of solutions to today's challenges.

The exhibition is divided into three time periods-- 1820-1880: Settling the Land; 1880-1945: Building the Suburbs; and 1945-Present: Developing an Edge City. Each section explores competing visions of the "good life" by profiling both the ordinary and extraordinary men and women who helped shape life in Johnson County.

The exhibit includes over 500 artifacts, documents and photos including maps, diaries, letters, personal effects and corporate and business items. There are 13 interactive stations which reinforce for children and adults major points of how and why a particular vision of "good life" changed at different periods of time in Johnson County's history.