ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - Look at any guest log at attractions in St. Joseph and you'll see them.
Names of visitors from as far as Seattle to Brooklyn stand as a testament to the draw of the city to people across the country and the world.
Those who work with the city's tourism industry say the industry is bigger than residents may realize, bringing in a total of $165 million in revenue to Buchanan County in 2014 alone, according to Department of Revenue figures.
One of the top reasons tourists visit the city is likely to surprise few. Beth Conway, spokeswoman for the St. Joseph Convention and Visitor's Bureau (CVB), said St. Joseph's historic sites rank in the top three drivers of tourism to the city, alongside sporting events and festivals, the St. Joseph News-Press (http://bit.ly/1SVs5mx) reported.
Conway said the average St. Joseph resident might not realize just how big tourism is. She noted that it's the second largest industry in the state, and the bureau is confident it is also the second largest in the city.
"They just don't realize that when they're in a restaurant and they see somebody they don't know, there's a very good chance that person's not even from town," she said.
When it comes to history in particular, the last year has also proven good for St. Joseph Museums, Inc., which includes the Glore Psychiatric Museum, Wyeth-Tootle Mansion, the Black Archives and the St. Joseph Museum.
Kathy Reno, spokeswoman for St. Joseph Museums, said her organization saw an increase in numbers in 2014 - about 13 percent overall. That year, the museums attracted 163 tour groups, accounting for 3,440 visitors, and took part in 17 step-on motor coach tours.
Reno said she's not sure that locals appreciate just what the city has in terms of history that draws in tourists.
"I'm not certain that local residents are aware of what a huge draw St. Joseph is for history buffs," she said.
While the big names are familiar, like Jesse James, the Pony Express and the Patee House, other sites also pull in visitors, like the The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art and the Glore Psychiatric Musuem.
She said St. Joseph's story appeals to visitors from around the world.
"We have national stories to tell and we have international stories to tell," she said.
Reno said an often unseen side of tourism in town is motor coach tours. As a step-on guide, she is often requested to join coach tours as they visit St. Joseph to talk about the city's history and historic sites.
According to CVB numbers, motor coach tours accounted for nearly $1 million in revenue last year. One itinerary she's given was a "Mansions, Mausoleums and Millionaires" tour, of the city's mansions, Mount Mora Cemetery mausoleums and the millionaires that built St. Joseph.
She said the city's architectural heritage also is a strong selling point for drawing in visitors.
"Not every part of the country has the architecture we have," she said. "We're fortunate, too, that there's history tied to those structures."
She added that visitors often leave with an appreciation of the city's history and also the city's creativity.
"The things that we've done so that we don't lose our mansions impresses them," she said, noting how some former mansions have been converted to restaurants and law offices and are being reused today.
Reno said visitors hear about the museums from a variety of ways, but the Internet is one of the most common ways people end up at their doors.
They also tend to come to town for one attraction and find themselves visiting others, what she and another museum director in town have called the "slide effect."
"There's some major draws in town because they're names we all know, but once they're in town, then they kind of slide from one museum to the other, because, 'Well, as long as we're here, that sounds interesting,'" she said. " ... And then once they're here, they see how much there is to see and do."