HUMBOLDT — A longtime dream of Chanute businessman Max Rickerson is coming to fruition as the Whitetails and Wildlife Museum will officially open on Friday, Jan. 17, on the square in Humboldt.
The museum features about 300 animal displays, many of them wall mounts, some interactive displays to learn about wildlife and other instructive options for visitors. Rickerson said more displays are in the works, including adding more animals. A giraffe, a cape buffalo and a crocodile are at the taxidermist now.
The museum had an invitation- only sneak peek on Friday and will have a ribbon cutting at noon on Thursday, Jan. 16. The regular hours will begin on Friday, Jan. 17. The museum will be open limited hours, 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. On other days the museum is open to bookings for groups.
Admission is free but donations are accepted for museum operations.
Rickerson, who graduated from Humboldt High School in 1960, bought the land for the museum in 2021. After the building on the lot was razed, the lot had to be built up. Groundbreaking took place in 2022.
The museum features 6,000 square feet for the displays, including the large Whitetail Room, which features wall mounts of bucks taken by Rickerson or his family members. In fact, all the animals on display were harvested by Rickerson or his family.
Ryan Carter of Chanute was the contractor for the project and other businesses and individuals participated in making Rickerson’s vision a reality. Cindy Cunningham and her crew created the terrain to display the animals in their natural habitats.
He said his idea for the museum was to educate young people and others on the natural world.
“And I want them to learn See MUSEUM, Page 8.
about conservation, and I want to promote tourism here in Humboldt,” Rickerson said.
He thanked his wife, Carol, and his kids for encouraging him to go through with the museum project.
“There’s been several times in the middle of it I said to my wife, ‘why did I do this?’ And I guess this is why I did it. I’m excited about sharing it with everybody else.”
He thanked the Humboldt Historical Society, the city of Humboldt and other businesses and individuals who helped move the project forward.
He said his parents farmed west of Humboldt. He started hunting at age 7, mostly quail and prairie chickens. There were few deer and turkeys in the area then. He said he saw his first deer his senior year at Humboldt.
Hunting was exciting to him as a child, an excitement that continues to this day.
“I couldn’t sleep the night before a quail hunt,” he said. “So hunting has always been a real interest to me, and I feel like I’m really blessed to have gotten to do some of this.”
Early in his business career, he didn’t get to hunt much.
“I’ve more than made up for it since I slowed down my business.”
He began his Sonic Drive-In business when he was 30. He said he built about 70 of them over the years in four states and later sold most of them. He still owns Sonics in Fort Scott, Osawatamie, Garnett and Paola.
He said he has always wanted to give back to the community. He and his wife, Carol, have offered a renewable scholarship at Humboldt High School since 2019 for students to attend a university or technical school.
The museum is a continuation of that community commitment, he said.
He said his hunting has picked back up in recent years and he shares his passion for the outdoors with the next generation of hunters. He named three young men who hunt with him now and help him work on the farm.
“It’s actually been a bigger blessing for me than them. Because it’s rejuvenated me into wanting to hunt more and spend more time working on my farms instead of being out there by myself. Carol doesn’t like me to go out there by myself. She may be little, but she’s mighty,” Rickerson said.
He said he hopes the museum will be a work in progress, always updating and changing. Family members are involved in its operations and serve on the foundation that supports it.
“Basically, it’s going to be a work in progress, I hope, forever.” He said he’s 82 and is in the fourth quarter, but his family knows his vision.
“I think they’ll carry it on,” he said. Many members of his family attended the sneak preview. His daughter, Tammy McClellan, said she had great memories of growing up in Humboldt.
“I believe this museum is his way of giving back to his hometown to help bring more visitors to town. It’s a labor of love,” McClellan said.
Bernie Collins is director of operations for the museum.
