Visitors Guide to Attractions
in Saint Charles County, Missouri
Visitors to St. Charles County, Missouri will find a wide variety of attractions to check out. The historic downtown district of St. Charles harkens back to the 19th century. Most of the district’s shops and restaurants along Main Street are in refurbished historic buildings. The state of Missouri maintains the First Capitol building and adjacent to the downtown district along the banks of the Missouri River is the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center. The Katy Trail State Park biking and hiking trail begins at Frontier Park in downtown St. Charles and travels along the Missouri River through the small town of Augusta before heading off west. Augusta has become the center of one of Missouri’s most popular wine regions. There are plenty of green spaces in St. Charles County. The nearly 7,000 acre August A. Busch Conservation Area contains forests, prairie, and wetlands and features 72 fishable lakes and ponds and 7 hiking trails. The Audubon Center and Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary along the Mississippi River is noted for bald eagles in the winter and migratory birds such as the American Pelican. Art and culture can be found throughout St. Charles County. The Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles is housed in an old 1940-era factory building overlooking the Missouri River and offers visitors multiple galleries with high quality exhibitions, working art studios, and performing art presentations. St. Charles is full of exciting things to do and see and is conveniently located just northwest of St. Louis
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Audubon Center at Riverlands
West Alton, MO
The Audubon Center at Riverlands is set in the 3,700 acres of the marsh and wetlands forest of the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The Center features a number of interactive exhibits involving birds and the Mississippi Flyway. In addition to the state of the art interior the center has a wrap-around deck and picnic tables overlooking Ellis Bay along with a miniature wetland pond and access to several of the Sanctuary’s hiking trails.
Augusta Historical Museum
Augusta, MO
Augusta's Historical Museum is located in the 1861 Sehrt home and is operated by the Friends of Historic Augusta organization. The museum features four rooms of antiques, artifacts, and historical memorabilia about the history of Augusta including an 1860 bedroom, a 1800s kitchen, and a workroom that preserves the tools of the 19th century.
Historic Daniel Boone Home at Lindenwood Park
Defiance, MO
This early 19th century home was built by Daniel Boone's son Nathan and was where he died in 1820. Now overseen St Charles County Parks Department, the site also features Boonefield Village, a collection of 19th century buildings moved to the property.
August A. Busch Conservation Area
Saint Charles County, MO
The 6,987-acre Busch Conservation Area contains 3,000 acres of forest in addition to grassland, cropland, old fields, prairie, and wetlands. Features include 72 fishable lakes and ponds, 7 hiking trails, wildlife viewing blinds, hunting, and archery. The property is a great place for viewing a large variety of birds and other wildlife.
Confluence Point State Park
West Alton, MO
This 1,118-acre park is located on the north side of the Missouri River at its confluence with the Mississippi River. A short trail leads visitors where the two rivers meet and the area is noted for bird watching.
First State Capitol of Missouri
Saint Charles, MO
An Interpretive Center is located adjacent to these restored Federal style buildings served as Missouri's first State Capitol until the permanent facility in Jefferson City was completed in 1826. Tours of the historic site are available daily and historical events are held periodically.
The Foundry Art Centre
Saint Charles, MO
Overlooking the Missouri River and near historic Downtown St. Charles, this new 36,800-square-foot, interactive interdisciplinary arts center offers visitors multiple galleries with high quality exhibitions, performing art presentations, and classes. The second floor houses the working studios of approximately 20 artists.
Frenchtown Heritage Museum And Research Center
Saint Charles, MO
The Frenchtown Heritage Museum features displays of Frenchtown and St. Charles memorabilia. It is also a research facility for those who wish to find information about people, buildings and businesses in the Frenchtown Historic Preservation District. The museum is housed in a restored fire station in the heart of historic Frenchtown.
Katy Trail State Park
Saint Charles County
The Katy Trail is a 225-mile bike trail with 6 trailheads in St. Charles County. The trail follows the track bed of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad (better known as Katy.) Most of the trail parallels the northern bank of the Missouri River. 165 miles of the trail has been designated an official segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Klondike Park
Saint Charles County, MO
Located just off the historic Katy Trail and hailed as an innovative addition to the county park system, Klondike Park is a popular destination for outdoor recreationalists, families, and scout troops. The park was once the site of a silica sand quarry but the area has been restored to its natural habitat. Klondike Park features a modern conference center, picnic shelters, camper cabins and primitive camping spaces, a fishing lake, and a bluff that overlooks the surrounding Missouri wine country.
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For Travelers Heading Down 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
For Travelers Heading Across River
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 Up River
Missouri's Lincoln Hills
The Lincoln Hills region of Missouri north of St. Louis is often called the Northern Ozarks. In the north is Hannibal, which conjures up images of the steamboat era and has become virtually synonymous with Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, and Huck Finn. South of Hannibal is the Little Dixie Scenic Byway that travels atop limestone bluffs and through the real river towns of Clarksville and Louisiana. At the foot of the Lincoln Hills in Lincoln County is Cuivre River State Park, one of Missouri's largest and most rugged.