10 Interesting Places to Visit in Missouri

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Missouri has more to Offer than the Arch

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is perhaps the most recognized place to visit in the state. But if you travel beyond the city of St. Louis you will also find a host of wonderful places to visit.

Did you know that the town of Fulton is home to a piece of the Berlin Wall and a Winston Churchill Memorial?

In Missouri you will find a presidential library, the place where Jesse James died, and Mark Twains boyhood home.

This and many other interesting facts about Missouri will be uncovered as you browse through my ten interesting places to visit in Missouri.

Discovering Missouri 

great small town attractions

Although I have lived in Missouri my entire life, I have lived at various times on both sides of the state(St. Louis and Kansas City) and right in the middle in Columbia.

I was lucky to have a career that allowed me to travel throughout the state. At one point I was a franchise director for a major retailer and traveled to many of the small towns within the state.

In my traveling I was able to discover the rich history and interesting places that Missouri has to offer.

Here are ten of the places that I found the most interesting.

Wine Country Gardens

Great Day Trip from St. Louis 

Wine Country Gardens is a great way to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the country.

Located just 45 minutes from downtown St. Louis in Defiance, MO, it features 42 acres of beautiful flowers, a view of the Missouri river valley, great wine tasting, and a wonderful patio cafe.

You can view menus, get directions and view more photos at their web site Wine Country Gardens

For a wonderfully unique experience spend an afternoon at Wine Country Gardens

Wine Country Gardens- Peaceful and Serene

Pink Hydrangea Photo from Wine Country Gardens 

Here is a design from my photo

Wine Country Gardens 

a wonderful cafe

Winston Churchill Memorial

Winston Churchill Memorial- Fulton

A Piece of the Berlin Wall 

Fulton has a piece of Berlin

The Winston Churchill Memorial in Fulton, Mo was founded in 1969 to honor the life and legacy of Winston Churchill.

On May 5, 1946 Winston Churchill gave the famous "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in Fulton. Forty-five years later on May 6, 1992 Mikhail Gorbachev came to the Churchill memorial in Fulton and gave a speech announcing the end of the Cold War

When the Berlin Wall came down, the granddaughter of Winston Churchill acquired a piece to have a sculpture made to honor the "Iron Curtain" speech. The sculpture entitled "Break Through" can be seen on the campus of Westminister College in Fulton.

this photo and the previous photo by pictophile from Creative Commons

Hermann, MO

Hermann Missouri Winery

Hermann, MO- Missouri's Rhine Valley 

built along the banks of the Missouri river

Hermann is a wonderful small town with old world charm. It is nestled in the hills in Missouri wine country and is the home to many festivals and events througout the year.

Visit Hermann and enjoy their Bed and Breakfasts, stroll the old time streets, browse their shops or enjoy the many wineries serving Missouri wines.

I have found it a great way to pass a weekend afternoon.

For more information go to their website at hermann.

Hermann winery photo by pcsmoroute66 through Creative Commons

Books on Missouri 

small town traveling

I hope I have made you curious about the fun and interesting places to visit in Missouri.

If you would like to read more here are some books that looked interesting..

Missouri Off the Beaten Path, 9th: A Guide to Unique Places (Off the Beaten Path Series)

I have used the "Off the Beaten Path" series in the past. These books are always a great way to find interesting, out of the way, places to visit.

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Backroads & Byways of Missouri: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions

There are so many interesting small town and out of the way places in Missouri. This book gives you a great guide to finding interesting places to spend a day!

Amazon Price: $12.20 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

The Butterfly House

The Butterfly House 

Chesterfield, MO

Butterfly House 

Chesterfield,MO

The Butterfly House is in a suburb of St. Louis and has a wonderful conservatory that is home to nearly 2000 butterflies. On any given day there are between 60-80 different species of tropical butterflies.

The inside hall features a "Butterflies of the World" exhibit along with exhibits of many other types of insects. At the present time there is a great exhibit that children can walk under that is full of orange headed roaches. It is quite intriquing.

The outdoor garden is host to many of the local species of butterflies.

More information is available at the web site Butterfly House

Photo taken at Butterfly House 

design from my photograph

Monarch on Purple Flower card
Monarch on Purple Flower by mbgphoto
cards made online at Zazzle

Harry Truman Library

Statue of Harry Truman outside the Library 

Harry Truman Library -Independence, MO

The Harry Truman Library and Museum is a wonderful place to visit . The museum has two major ongoing exhibits Truman:The Presidential Years and Harry S. Truman: His Life and Times In addition it will have various traveling exhibits. You can check the website for the current exhibits Truman Library.

There is a library for research and an ongoing educational program in addition to the museum exhibits.

Statue of Harry S Truman in the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, Independence, Missouri, USA




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St. Joseph, Missouri

Pony Express, St. Joseph, MO 

first rider leaves St. Joseph in 1860

If you are interested in seeing a great old western town, St. Joseph is the place to come. Their website claims that they are "Where the west official started getting wild" Stjomo

St. Joseph has 13 distinctive museums and over 50 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Come to St. Jo and see where the Pony Express started and Jesse James ended.

First Rider of the Pony Express Leaves St Joseph, Missouri, 1860




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Alley Springs, MO

Alley Mill at Alley Springs 

Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Ozark National Park

I have many fond memories of Alley Springs as a young girl. My friend and I used to go camping there with her parents and spent many a summer swimming in the spring fed waters or sitting and talking by the old mill.

The old red mill makes Alley Springs a very picturesque site. For more information or directions you can visit their website at Stateparks

Alley Mill at Alley Spring, Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Ozark National Park, Missouri




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Hannibal, MO

Hannibal, Missouri 

home of Mark Twain

Children always seem to enjoy a visit to Mark Twain's hometown. In Hannibal you can explore Mark Twain's cave, visit his boyhood home and museum, or take a nice relaxing riverboat ride down the Mississippi.

For more information go to the website VisitHannibal

Mark Twain Riverboat, Hannibal, Missouri




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Hannibal and Mark Twain 

inspiration for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Samuel Langhorne Clemens lived from 1835-1910. When he was 4 years old his parents moved to Hannibal, Missouri and this became the inspiration for many of his novels.

Writing under the pen name of Mark Twain he wrote many popular novels. Two of the most famous are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn .

These novels have become the favorites of children. I can remember my son reading and rereading Twains novels and being so excited when we were able to visit Hannibal and see the setting for the books.

The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain: A Book of Quotations (Dover Thrift Editions)

Along with his novels, Mark Twain was also known for his quotations. I am sure you will enjoy this book full of his wonderful wit.

Amazon Price: $2.50 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Tom Sawyer, Detective

Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Precious Moments Park, Carthage, MO

Precious Moments Park 

studio, chapel and much more

Carthage, Missouri is a small town just east of Joplin. It has turned an interest in Precious Moments figurines into a wonderful park. I visited there a few years back when there was just the Chapel and Studio and at that time it was well worth the visit.

From looking at their website Precious Moments today it has even more to offer. Along with the welcome center, chapel, and studio, it now offers several different shows and a nice little shuttle bus takes you between the various attractions.

Make a Joyful Noise




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Here are some special Precious Moments figurines. 

I collected these little figurines for years. It was great visiting their studio at the Precious Moments park and hearing how the figurines are designed.

Precious Moments I Love You This Much!

This figurine would make a great gift for a mom or grandma.

Amazon Price: $35.00 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Precious Moments Grandma & Me

What Grandma wouldn't love to recieve this special figurine.

Amazon Price: $27.50 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Precious Moments Beautiful And Blushing, My Baby's Now A Bride

This would make a great shower gift for the new bride.

Amazon Price: $39.20 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Precious Moments A Whole Year Filled With Special Moments

A wonderful gift for a first anniversary.

Amazon Price: $39.95 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Precious Moments Wishing You A Birthday Fit For A Princess 108534

Just the right gift for your little princess.

Amazon Price: (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Historic Clarksville, MO

Clarksville, MO 

Mississippi River Town

Clarksville is a wonderful small town on the banks of the Mississippi. It was founded in 1817 and today you can wonder the streets and find many small shops full of antiques and artisans.

This photo was taken on a visit last fall. For more information visit Clarksvillemo

Baseball is Popular in Missouri 

Albert Pujols- hero on and off the field

Cardinal baseball is popular throughout the state of Missouri. Take a few minutes and stop by my lens on one of the great men of baseball.

I spent a day in the Missouri countryside 

beautiful hummingbirds are photographed here

Missouri has some beautiful countryside.

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Find out a little more about Me 

I hope you will stop by and visit some of my other lenses.

Lensmaster mbgphoto has been a member since October 9 2008, has rated 2,149 lenses, favorited 76, and has created 80 lenses from scratch. Mary Beth Granger donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund. This member's top-ranked page is "Visiting a Covered Bridge". See all my lenses

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On one of my 60th birthday cards was this phrase Sometimes the best things in life happen afer you've done what you're "supposed" to do and are free to follow your dreams That is exactly how I feel about this stage of my life. I've done the corporate business world (for over 30 years) and now I'm looking for new avenues to express myself. I wanted something totally different and have decided to combine my love of photography and love of travel! Squidoo gives me a great outlet for my photos and gives me an opportunity to share my adventures. Welcome to my journey!

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