75 Church Street
Altenburg, Missouri
573-824-6070
Altenburg and much of east Perry County were settled by approximately 700 German Lutherans who emigrated from Germany in 1838 and 1839. In 2005 The Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum complex was constructed in Altenburg to interpret this event and provide a history of the seven original colonies that were established. It also follows the origins of the Lutheran Church in East Perry County and the regional German-American culture. The museum includes a state-of-the-art exhibit hall and reception area, integrated with the original 1845 church building, commonly known as the "Big School." The Center offers guided and self-guided tours of the main gallery, “Big School” gallery, and the original church. Tours of the 1839 Log Cabin, Concordia Seminary birthplace, the Christiane Loeber Cabin, and the 1867 Trinity Church are available. The new state-of-the-art Reading Room and Research Library is home to the Zion Roots Research project, enabling descendants from the original immigration to trace their family back to the German Parish records, and includes surname resources, German hometown data, parish records, and extensive German maps.
Visiting the Lutheran Heritage Center
January - March
Thursday - Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm
April - December
Daily: 10 am - 4 pm
There is no charge to visit the Lutheran Heritage Center
Learn more about the community of Altenburg
lutheranmuseum.com - The official website of the Lutheran Heritage Center