Freedom's Frontier

Thomas Hart Benton’s life is present in both his home and his paintings, and both are preserved at Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site.

A trip to the home and studio of the renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer and writer offers a glimpse into how the talented Benton lived and worked. Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, which remains as he left it. Between 1939 and his death, Benton resided in the two-and-a-half story, eclectic-style house built of native, quarried limestone, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of his original paintings and sculptures, along with some reproductions, add a vibrant splash of color to the simply decorated home.

Visitors can still see coffee cans full of paintbrushes, numerous paints, and a stretched canvas waiting to be transformed into another of his masterpieces. Thomas Hart Benton died in his studio in 1975.