The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City was a really nice surprise and much more impressive…read morethan I expected. The interior is beautiful, and it felt like there were miles and miles of hallways to wander, which made exploring half the fun. I could only look into the galleries through the windows, but even from a distance they looked spectacular and full of detail. The rotunda was a standout for me, especially standing underneath it and looking up at the dome, which is genuinely stunning. It is one of those places that quietly sneaks up on you and makes you glad you took the time to stop and explore.

I've visited three state capitols, and they're all special in their own way. The Missouri one has…read moresome history of its own, as being the fifth overall capitol building in the state of Missouri, and just the 3rd one in Jeff City. You can park in a nearby garage or simply in front or back of the building. Be sure to check out the art and statues on the grounds, including the Statue of Liberty replica and the Thomas Jefferson statue. On the first floor is mostly the Missouri State Museum (not to be confused with the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis) where you can learn a lot about the Show-Me State. I highly recommend checking out the large timeline of Missouri events they have there. I also highly recommend checking out the gift shop, which doesn't seem like they have very much to offer (that's probably a good thing!). If you have a State Capitols Passport Stamp book, they will gladly stamp it. The other floors consist, of course, statewide offices as well as several offices for legislative leaders. As you enter the 2nd floor from the staircase you'll see the Governor's office door right away. (No, he wasn't there at the time of my visit). Down the hall is the Lt. Gov's office as well. The Senate and State House chambers are on the 3rd floor. Be sure to check out the detailed mural of artist Thomas Hart Benton, located on the 3rd floor. And the Hall of Famous Missourians, which consist of a very eclectic group of people: Walt Disney, Scott Joplin, Rush Limbaugh, Walter Cronkite, Stan Musial and many others. If you're a fan of visiting state capitols, this is for you. Got extra time? Check out the Bicentennial Bridge (MO celebrated its 200th birthday in 2021) that leads to a small island across the railroad tracks. Unfortunately, there's not much else to do in Jeff City, but you know.

We went for a birthday celebration and I am so happy for this experience. Great bed and breakfast,…read moreunlike any other bed and breakfast. If you enjoy historical places, this is one to visit. This gives you an opportunity to see what life was like back in the day, from the plumbing in the bathrooms to the old light fixtures and so much more. Juan and Warren are great hosts. Upon checking in at four, you receive a tour of the home. Afterwards the hosts share a Wine and Cheese reception with their guests and afterwards you are able to explore the home on your own. In the morning coffee and tea is provided prior to breakfast. Breakfast was delicious and served in the dining room on china. Please knWe truly enjoyed this bed and breakfast and look forward to visiting again!

The mansion is breathtaking it is unbelievable with the 100 year old details and exquisite details…read morein every room. When you go for this tour Juan loves to share the knowledge and information about the family and the details. I don't want to give too much away because you really need to visit! But Tiffany stained glass throughout the house, leather wallpaper, and so much more. This mansion was made before its time and is a masterpiece! The only issues we stumbled on were locating the parking and then finding a place to park.

The flowers were beautiful. The location was perfect being close to train station. One of the…read moreprettier sights seen after tornado.

I will admit, I've never been IN the mansion. But the garden is one of my favorite places in…read moreJefferson City. On warm days, it's nice to take a walk around the Capitol, watch the trains, look at the fountains and picnic at the Governor's garden. The caretakers plant seasonal items and my personal favorite is the lily pond. There is a stone walk way that is lined with benches. Quite a romanitc scene.

A free gallery of local history and Missouri fine art from the past is inside the historical…read moresociety on campus, and there is also art displayed on the walls in the halls. I learned that Brad Pitt went to Mizzou! It is a small collection, but it works well together, with multiple pieces by the same artists. Stop by if you are on campus. It is in the same building as the library, but with a different entrance.

I have enjoyed having this art gallery/library/archive in my backyard, but I never really used it…read more I mean, it was only for folks researching their geneology or something, right? Well, when it came time that I needed to do some digging around for local Missouri lore related to square dancing, I did a little checking on their website and as Emeril says, BAM!, they cooked up exactly what I needed. The best part was, it was free. I mean, I guess my taxes are paying for it, but the folks who work there are really helpful, they actually seem like they want to assist me, and they had all this equipment for me to use when I needed to listen to some cassette tapes and even some reel-to-reel audio. Of course, there were some weird things I had to get used to. No pens. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zed. But I could carry around electromagnets, no problem? Anyhow, that being said, I had to get used to other archivist rules (keep everything that was in a folder, actually keep it in the folder). But since they deal with one-of-a-kind stuff, and they don't want to lose anything, this makes sense. I wish I had a reason to delve into their archives earlier, now this place is on my list whenever I have any inkling to learn something about Missouri history.

Such a great place to spend an afternoon! Located about 30 mins from Columbia or Kingdom City is a…read morequaint, family-owned lavender farm in Centralia, MO. Battlefield Lavender consists of ~50 rows of 16 varieties of lavender plants. For the first three weeks of early June, they offer "You Pick" bundles of lavender for $15 (~100 sprigs.) Since lavender plants attract bees, there are beehives onsite to harvest fresh lavender infused honey. They even offer free tokens to feed their chickens! They have an adorable gift shop you don't want to miss filled with every lavender essenced product you could ever ask for; from luxurious bath options to culinary items. They sell these items at the Columbia Farmers Market as well if you can't make a trip out to the farm. I hope you get a chance to though. It's a beautiful place to walk around, take pictures, and stock up on all things lavender

This company does business the way it was done in the "Yesterdays". Customers are important and…read morevalue is the ONLY option. I recently drove almost 2 hours to get to Battlefield Lavender. I bought several items, breathed deeply, and had a wonderful day. However, when I arrived home was missing all my purchases. I called to check and see if anyone had found my treasures but ....alas, NO. Katie verified my purchase, offered a discounted deal to replace them, and within two days I received a box with everything I had lost. Last Saturday I made another trip and came home with my new treasures. Today , I received a box with my original purchases and a note that they had been found. What a company!!! What caring people!! If this is the result of being around lavender all day every day, the WORLD should be planting lavender!!! Katie and the Crew at Battlefield

I stopped here with my significant other after we visited Walt Disney Hometown Museum. It was very…read moreclose, so it was definitely worth a stop. The home was a private residence, so there wasn't too much to experience. It didn't cost anything to check it out. There was a sign explaining when Walt Disney came to Marceline and what his first impression was. It also explained how the 1906 home still had the largest section of the current layout. That was awesome to know that most of the home was preserved. Overall, this was a cool stop to enhance my Disney history trip. Date of visit: Dec 3, 2023

Arrow Rock SHS covers the whole village plus campgrounds south of there. If you're wanting to…read moreexplore, start with the Visitors Center, just off MO 41. Located at the Visitors Center is a museum, gift shop and theater where you can watch a 20-minute film about the history of one of Missouri's oldest settlements. The parking lot is huge so that parking should be a no-worry. Be sure to get a map of the village as there lots of historic sites noted. Many of the buildings are still standing after a century and a half, including the legendary J. Huston Tavern. Speaking of which: at this time, the tavern is temporarily closed until the State (which partly owns it) finds new ownership. I was very bummed that I did not get to eat there recently, but here's to hoping. But be sure to check out some of the old buildings like the printing press museum and the old jail. Plan on spending at least a day here.

Beautiful Place to visit and enjoy a peaceful weekend at the Upside Down Cabin and explore this…read morehistoric town. I could not of had a nicer time! And it felt like Paradise!

Samuel Clemens grew up in Hannibal Missouri, though he wasn't using his pen name of Mark Twain at…read morethe time. He learned the trade of riverboat pilot, earning his pilot's license in 1859 at the age of 23. Clemens had signed on as a pilot's apprentice in 1857 while on his way to Mississippi. He had been commissioned to write a series of comic travel letters for the Keokuk Daily Post, but after writing five, decided he'd rather be a pilot than a writer. He piloted his own boats for two years, until the Civil War halted steamboat traffic. Have a read at one autobiographical chapter: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1875/03/old-times-on-the-mississippi-part-iii/537831/ The caption with this statue of Train reads, "In 1857 young Samuel Clemens began to learn the trade of a steamboat pilot on the Lower Mississippi River. When his piloting career ended with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Clemens went to Nevada Territory where he first used pen name Mark Twin in 1863 while writing for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City. Clemens took the name 'Mark Twain' from the River sounding that indicated 12 feet of water which was safe for navigation. This statue was given to the City of Hannibal by the Schwartz Family of East Hannibal, Illinois, July 4, 2003." The statue is located in Riverfront Park where there is plenty of free parking. [Review 19723 overall - round number 200 in Missouri - 695 of 2023.]

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) grew up here in Hannibal and there's no missing his influence on the…read moretown and the town's interest in him. They are absolutely capitalizing on his upbringing here with a museum, statues, and all sorts of structures named after the man who some would call the greatest American writer. Tucked at the bottom of Cardiff Hill at the intersection of North and Main Street, this statue of two of Twain's most famous characters. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn's adventures took place in the fictional town of Saint Petersburg but it was very definitely Hannibal. The statues are by artist Frederick C. Hibbard and worth a stop as you're visiting the city. [Review 19717 overall - 195 in Missouri - 689 of 2023.]