Koester House Museum & Gardens

Koester House Museum & Gardens introduces Marysville through the life of a family rather than a transport route. Charles F. Koester arrived in the community in 1860, and the house dates to 1873. His marriage to Sylvia Broughten followed in 1876; the museum associates that occasion with changes to the house and grounds, not with the original construction date.

Three generations of the family lived here. In 1972 the grandchildren gave the property to the City of Marysville so that it could be preserved as a museum. That sequence gives the collections a domestic context: the house records a continuing family presence rather than a single reconstructed historical moment.

The garden is an integral part of the visit. Twelve white-bronze sculptures, a term used for zinc statuary, form part of the setting developed by Koester. Inside, period objects and the family’s story offer another way to understand Victorian taste and daily life.

The museum currently publishes Tuesday-through-Sunday opening, with a shorter Sunday session. Combine the garden and house according to that schedule, and discuss any access requirements with staff before arrival. Its value within a Marysville journey is the change of scale, from the movement of mail and travelers to the making and preservation of a home.

Verified: 2026-09-27 · Official website · Address: 919 Broadway Street, Marysville, KS 66508 · Phone: +1 785-562-2417 · Facebook

Sources: Koester House Museum & Gardens · History of Koester House · Koester House Museum and Gardens | One Marysville