Visitors Guide to Attractions
Jefferson County, Missouri
Jefferson County is located in the southern region of metropolitan St. Louis and offers its visitors a variety of natural and historic attractions. Human habitation of Jefferson County goes back to 10,000 B.C. and visitors can investigate the Clovis culture and megamammals at Mastodon State Historic Site. The more recent Mississippian culture is in evidence at Washington State Park along with impressive Civilian Conservation structures from the 1930's. At Sandy Creek Bridge State Historic Site visitors can see one of only four remaining covered bridges left in Missouri. Nature lovers will find a number of good sites to visit including Washington State Park and several Conservation areas.
Governor Dunklin's Grave State Historic Site
Herculaneum, Missouri
Governor Daniel Dunklin, Missouri's fifth governor and often called the father of Missouri's school system, is buried at this site atop the limestone bluffs that overlook the Mississippi River. Interpretive signage explains the role of Dunklin in Missouri's history.
Fletcher House
Hillsboro, Missouri
This vernacular two-story two-room log house was built in 1851 on the outskirts Hillsboro was built by Thomas C. Fletcher for his bride and served as home prior to him becoming the eighteenth governor of Missouri. The house has been renovated and is open as a house museum on a periodic basis.
Kimmswick Historical Society Museum
Kimmswick, Missouri
The Kimmswick Historical Society has restored the Kimmswick Bible Church and now operates a museum in the building. The museum features a collection of town memorabilia, including historical pictures, artifacts and maps. Visitors can pick up self-guided walking and driving tours of the town at the museum.
Kimmswick Visitor Center
Kimmswick, Missouri
Located in the Maul House that was built in 1872, the Kimmswick Visitor Center is filled with information, brochures, souvenirs, public telephone, bottled water, sodas, and public restrooms.
Mastodon State Historic Site
Imperial, Missouri
The 425-acre Mastodon State Historic Site preserves the Kimmswick Bone Bed, an important paleontological and archaeological site. A museum tells the natural and cultural story man's interaction with prehistoric megamammals. The park is the oldest Native American Indian site one can visit in the Missouri State Park system. A picnic area and several trails offer chances to explore the land where the lives of Native Americans and mastodons once intertwined.
Sandy Creek Bridge State Historic Site
Goldman, Missouri
Sandy Creek Bridge is one of only four covered bridges remaining in Missouri. The bridge was restored to its original appearance in 1984 and the site features 205 acres of natural lands, an interpretive kiosk, and picnic facilities.
Washington State Park
DeSoto, MO
This 1,875-acre park features prehistoric petroglyphs, rock carvings, from the Mississippian Native American culture that inhabited the area around 1,000 years ago. The park is noted for many stone structures that were built by the CCC during the depression and for the natural beauty of the eastern Ozarks. The park features swimming, fishing, canoeing, camping, rental cabins, interpretive programs, and hiking trails.
The Anheuser Estate
Kimmswick, Missouri
The house, grounds, and contents of the 23-acre estate that was ancestral home of Fred and Mabel Ruth Anheuser were willed to the City of Kimmswick. Included was the Anheuser collection that included family heirlooms, antiques, portraits, and a family library.
Nearby Attractions
Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri
Sainte Genevieve has the largest concentration of French Colonial architecture in North America and includes the Bolduc House, the Amoreaux House, and the Maison Guibourd- Vallé. The influence of the American expansion into the area in the 19th century can be seen at the Felix Vallé State Historic Site. Nearby Hawn State Park and Pickle Springs Natural area offer nature lovers unique hiking opportunities.
For Travelers Heading Up River
The Metropolitan Saint Louis Area
Metropolitan Saint Louis has a lot to offer its visitors. The area's most prominent attraction is the Gateway Arch. Saint Louis has a number of outstanding public institutions that are free to visit including the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, and the Science Center. The Saint Louis region has a number of green spaces for nature and outdoor enthusiasts. Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Faust County Park, in Saint Louis County, is home to many historical and cultural attractions including the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, a historical village, and the Saint Louis Carousel. The county is also home to Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, the Powder Valley Conservation Area.
Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is one of America’s newer scenic byways. With over 20,000 acres of forest and wetlands at the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, it is a nature lovers paradise. Visitors will find spectacular colors in the fall and bald eagles in the winter. History abounds in the region ranging from the prehistoric Cahokia Mounds to sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
For Travelers Heading Down River
The Mississippi Meets the Ohio River Region
After the Mississippi River passes St. Louis it begins to change character. When the Mississippi River meets the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois it is halfway on its journey to the sea. It is here that the brown muddy water of the Mississippi begins to mingle with the clearer water of the Ohio. Without the locks and dams the Mississippi begins to wind and curve so much so that the distance by water from Cape Girardeau to the Gulf of Mexico is twice the distance as a crow flies. The region where the Mississippi River meets the Ohio River is an area of transition in several respects both in terms of the flora and fauna but the culture begins to take on that of the Deep South. The Meeting the Ohio region of the Middle Mississippi River Valley offers it visitors a wide variety of options of activities to do and sites to see. Whether you’re looking for historical or cultural sites or a place to enjoy nature you’ll find it in this part of the country.
