1950s All-Electric House

The nursery showcases metal toys and shares information about the Baby Boom years inside the 1950s All-Electric House. Bob Greenspan Photography

In 1954, roughly 60,000 people showed up to tour the suburban home of the future. Now a centerpiece of the Johnson County Museum’s “Becoming Johnson County” exhibit, the 1950s All-Electric House was built by Kansas City Power & Light in 1953 to promote what electricity could do for the modern family.

Fully equipped with cutting-edge conveniences, the home featured a remote control-operated lighting system and living room curtains to a painting that slid to the side, revealing the tucked-away television set. An electric heat pump to heat and cool the house, would have been a stand-out of the era.

Signature colors and artifacts of the era appear throughout the house, from the salmon-pink countertops and a General Electric refrigerator with the robin-egg blue interior, to metal nursery toys and nesting Pyrex bowls. Curators change the interior decor to coincide with each season.

Know Before You Go

The Johnson County Museum is located in Overland Park, Kansas, about a 25-minute drive from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Parking is free. Admission is $6 for adults; $5 for seniors (60+), veterans, and students (18+, with ID); and $4 for children over 1. Children under 1 year of age are free.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays. Admission is free on Saturday, September 16, and Wednesday, November 22.