Visitors Guide to Attractions
Altenburg, Frohna, and Perryville
Perry County, Missouri
Perry County is a county that typifies rural Missouri. The history of early Missouri can be explored at such locations as the Lutheran Heritage Center, St. Mary's of the Barrens, and the Saxon Lutheran Memorial. Tower Rock Conservation Area provides a viewing platform that offers a scenic view of Tower Rock, a small landmark limestone noted by early explorers such as Marquette and Joliet and the Corps of Discovery. A day trip through Perry County in autumn will reward visitors with plenty of splashes of color amidst the rolling farmland.
Lutheran Heritage Center
Altenburg, Missouri
The Lutheran Heritage Center is a complex that interprets the settlement of Lutheran Germans in eastern Perry County in the late 1830s. The complex includes a museum that is integrated with the original 1845 church building, commonly known as the "Big School." The Center offers guided and self-guided tours of the main gallery, “Big School” gallery, and the original church. Tours of the 1839 Log Cabin, Concordia Seminary birthplace, the Christiane Loeber Cabin, and the 1867 Trinity Church are available.
Saint Mary’s of the Barrens
Perryville, Missouri
St. Mary's of the Barrens is a religious complex that is located on the site of a Catholic Church that was founded in 1818. From 1823 until 1863 the site served as a seminary. Saint Mary's of the Barrens was a parish church until 1965 when a new parish church was built. Today Saint Mary's Church serves as a Marian Shrine and Vincentian Community Chapel. The campus of St. Mary's of the Barrens contains many interesting features including a handicapped walking trail through a tree lined allee to the Grotto of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and a Vincentian community cemetery. The Mound of Our Lady surrounded by a circle of ancient boxwood and native Missouri Red Cedar trees and bears a statue of the Blessed Mother. The Saint Joseph's Visitors Center and Gift Shop was once the novitiate building.
Saxon Lutheran Memorial
Frohna, Missouri
The Saxon Lutheran Memorial is an outdoor history museum in the setting of a log cabin village located on the homestead and farm on the Bergt Farm Complex. The entire facility depicts aspects of the Saxon migration and settlement, and displays the domestic and farming artifacts of the 19th century Missouri German rural settlements in Perry County.
Tower Rock Conservation Area
Perry County, Missouri
Tower Rock, also known as Grand Tower, is a small landmark limestone island carved by the Mississippi River. The mainland offers picnic facilities and a 1/4 mile hiking trail to a viewing platform that offers a scenic view of Tower Rock. The island itself is accessible if the river is particularly low, otherwise it is only accessible by boat. Tower Rock is a designated National Historic Site as it is mentioned in the journals of the explorers Marquette and Joliet in 1673 as well as Lewis and Clark in 1803.
Nearby Attractions
Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Visitors to Cape Girardeau County will find an abundance of attractions of all varieties. The city of Cape Girardeau itself boasts a number of historical and cultural museums including the Crisp Museum, Cape River Heritage Museum, the Glenn House, and Lorimier's Trading Post. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site near Jackson is unusual in that it features both a workable mill and a covered bridge, side by side. The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center showcases the rich cultural history and diverse natural resources of Southeast Missouri. Trail of Tears State Park offers camping, fishing, swimming, hiking, backpacking, primitive camping and equestrian pursuits.
For Travelers Heading Up the River
French Colonial Country
Up river of the Meeting the Ohio River region is French Colonial Country. This five county area was heavily influenced by the French fur traders who inhabited the region from 1700 to 1840. Attractions include the town of Ste. Genevieve with the largest concentration of French Colonial architecture in North America, Forts de Chartre and Kaskaskia in Randolph County, and the Cahokia complex in St. Clair County.
For Travelers Heading Down the River
The Upper Delta of the Mississippi River
The cypress swamps associated with the southern Mississippi can be experienced at Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge and Reelfoot Lake. New Madrid’s riverfront district has several interesting museums and historical sites. Although inland, the high country along Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway is actually the natural western boundary of the Mississippi and features a number of state parks.
