FULTON — America's National Churchill Museum at Westminster College in Fulton is officially a National Historic Landmark.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed the bill designating the landmark, which also calls for a study to explore options for preserving the museum.
"This national designation signed by the President ensures that future generations will be inspired by the leadership lessons of Winston Churchill and the history that happened and continues to happen here at Westminster College," Timothy Riley Director and Chief Curator of America's National Churchill Museum said.
Riley hopes that with the designation, the museum can move toward the first steps in getting the Secretary of Interior to conduct a resource study. The study would enable the museum to receive the possibility of additional expertise and federal funding.
America's National Churchill Museum was established to educate new generations across the country through collections, exhibitions and educational programs with Winston Churchill, who served as Prime Minister during the second World War and throughout the early years of the Cold War.
The museum commemorates the famous "Iron Curtain" speech delivered by the former prime minister in March of 1946, a speech that Riley believes resonates today.
"The lessons of the past that we learned from Churchill and so many others are relevant today, and I think this legislation is proof positive of the work we do," Riley said.
The museum is located on the campus of Westminster College at the corner of West Seventh Street and Westminster Ave., and it opened in 1969.
"The museum preserves not only this wonderful Christopher Wren church from the 17th century, but also the largest continuous section of the Berlin Wall in North America, which was dedicated by President Regan," Riley said. "History not only happened here when Churchill came, but it continues to happen, and I think that is perhaps one of greatest legacies of this place."
Since 1972, it has been on the National Register of Historic Places, of which there are 3,005 in Missouri alone. The designation as a National Historic Landmark makes the museum just one of 36 in the state.
“When Winston Churchill came to Westminster College, he challenged the world to confront its responsibilities for the future,” Donald P. Lofe Jr., president and chief transformation officer of Westminster College, said. "This extraordinary designation honors that historic moment, the enduring ties between Britain and the United States and the generations who have preserved this exceptional place."
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and costs $10 for youth and college students, $18 for adults and $16 for seniors.
Museum entry is free for Museum and International Churchill Society members, North American Reciprocal Museums members, Westminster College students, employees and families and children under 8.
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