2025 40 Under 40: Tana Melton

Tana Melton brings history to life at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home & Museum, where she is director of special projects and curator. With a degree in art history from Missouri State University, including studying in Seoul, South Korea, she expands the museum through securing funding that will enhance guest interactivity. Melton, 39, produced the museum’s first electronic experience and helped create the Rocky Ridge Pioneer Camp.

“This is important because it helps foster a love for local history and an appreciation of art at a younger age,” she says.

She is also the owner of pub-fare restaurant Grumpy’s Lounge, where her civic involvement includes supporting families in need over the holidays and sponsoring a team for the Polar Plunge benefiting Special Olympics Missouri.

First job? A dishwasher at Aunt Martha’s Pancake House. I filled just about every position available there in my four years and even got to meet Willie Nelson.

Best celebrity meeting/sighting story? Nelson Shin, who I met in Seoul, South Korea. He is an amazing animator who created many of my favorites from childhood.

Favorite hobby or creative outlet? I love traveling and meeting new people. I’ve been all over the world and always say that Springfield and the Ozarks are a wonderful place to come back to.