The Sainte Geneviève Museum Learning Center

Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center – A Collection Born of Passion

The Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center offers visitors an extraordinary journey through natural history, ancient cultures, and local heritage—but what makes this museum truly special is a story that often goes untold. Behind the impressive displays, detailed dioramas, and remarkable collections lies the lifetime dedication of individuals whose passion for discovery and craftsmanship created something far greater than any institutional budget could have purchased.

One Man’s Lifelong Quest: The Guy Darrough Collection

At the heart of this museum beats the collecting passion of Guy Darrough, whose journey began as a boy combing the banks of the Mississippi River for fossils, artifacts, and treasures. What he found along those muddy shores became the foundation for something remarkable—not just a collection, but a lifetime of learning, trading, and building relationships with collectors and institutions around the world.

Guy didn’t just collect; he created. The impressive dinosaur models that dominate the museum’s Hall of Giants? Guy constructed those himself, bringing prehistoric creatures to life with his own hands and expertise. His brother Fred contributed his own craftsmanship, building the museum cases and display fixtures that house the collections—a true family endeavor where skill and passion combined to create a professional-quality museum experience.

Guy’s involvement with the Missouri Dinosaur dig site since its very beginning explains why the museum boasts such an exceptional collection of fossils. As someone who has been there from the first shovelful of earth, Guy has helped uncover pieces of Missouri’s prehistoric past and ensured that these scientific treasures found a home where the public could appreciate them. You can see the ongoing progress on the Missouri dinosaur currently being excavated at the Official Missouri Dinosaur Visitor Site—a dig that Guy has helped shepherd from discovery to public display.

Outside of the Ste. Genevieve history exhibit and the mining exhibit, virtually everything else in the museum represents Guy’s vision, his collecting acumen, and his determination to share the wonders of natural history with his community. What began with a child’s curiosity along a river bank has grown into one of the most comprehensive natural history collections in the region—all because one person cared enough to spend a lifetime pursuing knowledge and preservation.

The Artistry of Lewis Pruneau

Another hidden treasure within the museum is the work of Lewis Pruneau, a world-renowned diorama builder whose meticulous craftsmanship brings history to life in miniature. Pruneau’s talent for creating incredibly detailed, accurate, and evocative scenes has earned him recognition far beyond Ste. Genevieve, yet some of his finest work resides right here.

The museum proudly displays Pruneau’s stunning Hindenburg diorama, capturing that tragic moment in aviation history with painstaking detail, and his Ste. Genevieve train transfer ferry diorama, which preserves the memory of an important piece of local transportation infrastructure. If you’ve visited the Welcome Center, you’ve already encountered Pruneau’s work—his magnificent Ste. Genevieve in 1832 diorama brings the historic town to life as it appeared nearly two centuries ago.

Pruneau’s dioramas are scattered throughout Ste. Genevieve in various collections, but the Museum is quietly and thoughtfully gathering his work with plans for a permanent exhibit dedicated to his artistry. For those who appreciate the intersection of art, history, and craftsmanship, this future exhibit promises to be a major attraction—a comprehensive showcase of a master diorama builder’s life work.  Click here to watch a PBS interview with Pruneau in front of his Ste. Genevieve diorama.

Explore the Museum

Hall of Giants: Stand in awe before Guy Darrough’s impressive life-sized dinosaur replicas. These aren’t factory-made models shipped from a catalog—they’re the product of one man’s dedication to bringing prehistoric Missouri to life. Learn about the creatures that once roamed this region millions of years ago and see actual fossils recovered from Missouri dig sites.

Ancient Cultures Gallery: Journey through human history and discover how ancient peoples lived, created, and thrived across different times and places. The artifacts and displays reflect the breadth of Guy’s collecting interests and his appreciation for human ingenuity across cultures.

Ste. Genevieve History Gallery: Dive deep into the rich heritage of Missouri’s oldest town. From French colonial times through American expansion and into the modern era, this exhibit tells the story of a community that has witnessed centuries of change while maintaining its distinctive character.

Official Missouri Dinosaur Visitor Site: Follow the ongoing excavation of Missouri’s official state dinosaur. This isn’t history locked away in storage—it’s discovery happening in real time, and you can witness the progress as paleontologists carefully uncover fossils that have been buried for millions of years.

Hands-On Learning for All Ages

The Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center embraces an interactive approach that invites visitors—especially young ones—to touch, explore, and engage with exhibits. This isn’t a “look but don’t touch” museum. Bring the whole family and let curiosity lead the way. Children can get hands-on experience with certain artifacts and specimens, making learning tangible and memorable.

The museum understands that the best education happens when people are actively engaged, asking questions, making connections, and satisfying their own curiosity—much like a young Guy Darrough walking the banks of the Mississippi, wondering what stories the objects he found could tell.

A Museum with Soul

What sets the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center apart from larger, more institutional museums is precisely this: it has soul. It wasn’t created by committee or built according to a master plan drafted by consultants. It grew organically from the passion of individuals who cared deeply about preserving, understanding, and sharing knowledge.

When you visit, you’re not just seeing collections—you’re witnessing the tangible results of Guy Darrough’s lifetime of curiosity, Fred Darrough’s craftsmanship, and Lewis Pruneau’s artistic vision. You’re experiencing what happens when dedication meets opportunity, when personal passion becomes public treasure.

In an age of digital experiences and virtual museums, there’s something profoundly meaningful about a collection built the old-fashioned way—through personal relationships, careful trading, years of fieldwork, and the simple determination to preserve wonders for future generations. That’s the story behind the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center, and it’s a story worth celebrating.