Must-see attractions in Missouri

  • Downtown St Louis, MO with the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch at sunrise; Shutterstock ID 373948018; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Content Asset; Full Product or Project name including edition: Guides Project Eastern USA

    Gateway Arch National Park

    St Louis

    As a symbol for St Louis, the Gateway Arch has soared above any expectations its backers could have had in 1965 when it opened. Now the centerpiece of its…

  • The Bandstand in Forest Park in St. Louis.

    Forest Park

    St Louis

    New York City may have Central Park, but St Louis has the bigger (by 528 acres) Forest Park. The superb, 1371-acre spread was the setting of the 1904…

  • ROCHEPORT, MO, USA - AUGUST 1, 2015: Cyclists at Rocheport station on Katy Trail (237 mile bike trail stretching across most of the state of Missouri converted from abandoned railroad); 
Katy Trail State Park

 Shutterstock ID 353060654; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Katy Trail State Park

    Missouri

    America's longest rail-to-trail walking and biking route starts in Machens near St Louis and St Charles and ends in Clinton, 70 miles southwest of Kansas…

  • Fall colors surround the former home of US President Harry Truman in Independence, Missouri.

    Truman Home

    Missouri

    See the simple life Harry (1884–1972) and Bess (1885–1982) lived in this basic but charming wood house. It's furnished with their original belongings and…

  • The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri.

    National WWI Museum

    Kansas City

    Enter this impressive modern museum on a glass walkway over a field of red poppies, the symbol of remembrance of WWI. Through detailed and engaging…

  • The playground at the City Museum with airplane tower and hanging school bus in St. Louis.

    City Museum

    St Louis

    Possibly the wildest highlight of any visit to St Louis is this frivolous, frilly fun house in a vast old shoe factory. The Museum of Mirth, Mystery &…

  • The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.

    Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

    Kansas City

    Giant badminton shuttlecocks (the building represents the net) surround this encyclopedic museum, which has standout European painting, photography and…

  • Echo Bluff State Park

    Echo Bluff State Park

    Missouri

    With lush forests and facilities befitting a top-tier national park, Echo Bluff is a true Ozarks highlight. Opened in 2016, this state park has a soaring…

  • 1488699024
Kansas City, MO, USA November 3 Bronze sculptures stand in their positions, honoring the baseball greats of the pre-Jackie Robinson days at the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City, Missouri

    Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

    Kansas City

    This comprehensive museum covers the lesser-known history of African American teams, such as the KC Monarchs and New York Black Yankees, that flourished…

  • Taum Sauk Mountain State Park

    Missouri

    Many Missouri state parks cater to fun and games like fishing and tubing. Not this one. You can scale the state's highest peak, Taum Sauk Mountain (1772ft…

  • Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum

    Missouri

    This museum presents eight buildings, including two homes Twain lived in and that of Laura Hawkins, the real-life inspiration for Becky Thatcher in The…

  • Ozark National Scenic Riverways

    Missouri

    Two wild rivers, the Current and the Jacks Fork, wind through 80,000 acres of raw Ozark beauty in this area managed by the National Park Service. There…

  • Big Spring

    Missouri

    The number is incomprehensible: 286 million gallons a day flows from this aptly named spring. The resulting pool feels more like a mysterious Game of…

  • Silver Dollar City

    Missouri

    A Branson original, this huge amusement park west of town has thrilling roller-coasters, water rides, a firefighter-themed area and lots of musical shows.

  • Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis.; Shutterstock ID 277224263; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Content Asset; Full Product or Project name including edition: Guides Project Eastern USA

    Old Courthouse & Museum

    St Louis

    Facing the Gateway Arch across the new plaza, this 1845 courthouse is where the notorious Dred Scott slavery case was first tried in 1857. Considered one…

  • "Bloch Fountain in front of Union Station, Kansas City, MO"
171309094
"Clear Sky, Architecture And Buildings, Architecture Backgrounds, Building Exterior, Built Structure, City, Dusk, Famous Place, Fountain, Horizontal, Kansas, Kansas City - Missouri, Landmarks, Local Landmark, Midwest USA, Missouri, Nobody, Outdoors, Reflection, Sunset, Travel Locations, Twilight, USA, Union Station - Kansas City", Urban Scene, Water, Water Surface

    Union Station

    Kansas City

    Opened in 1914, KC's Union Station is a sublime example of the magnificent architecture that once was the hallmark of American train stations. Today it…

  • Kansas City, KS - July 31, 2023: Kayak and canoes at Kaw Point Park, confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, with a cityscape of Kansas City, MO.
1614618021
afternoon, boating, confluence, editorial, illustrative, kansas city, kansas river, kaw point, kaw river, landscape, park, shore, trip, vacation

    Kaw Point Park

    Kansas City

    A hidden-in-plain-sight park with an important history: Kaw Point is where the Kansas River flows into the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark stopped here in…

  • J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, by Henri-L
155781506
By Henri-léon Gréber, Country Club Plaza, Dragon, Horse, J C Nichols Memorial Fountain, Midwest USA, Missouri, Park Metropolitan, Sculpture, Tower, Town Square, USA, heartland, public art

    Country Club Plaza

    Kansas City

    Built in the 1920s, this posh commercial district (centered on Broadway and 47th St) boasts finely detailed, sumptuous Spanish architecture. It’s rich…

  • Museum at the Gateway Arch

    St Louis

    After receiving a facelift along with the rest of the park and reopening in summer 2018, this now sleeker museum not only offers more high-tech…

  • Columbia Bottom Conservation Area

    St Louis

    Marvel at the place where two of the world's great rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi, meet. Unfortunately an industrial park on the far side of the…

  • Patee House Museum

    Missouri

    Still imposing, the 1858 Patee House has had a long and historic life. It now showcases the city's rich history with exhibits full of 19th-century…

  • George Washington Carver National Monument

    Missouri

    Visit the birthplace of the African American scientist whose experiments with peanuts have been taught to generations of American school kids. As the park…

  • Truman Presidential Museum & Library

    Missouri

    There are thousands of objects, including the famous 'The Buck Stops Here!' sign, from the man who led the US through one of its most tumultuous eras…

  • Ozark Trail

    Missouri

    Almost 400 miles in length, the Ozark Trail wends through the Ozarks in 13 sections, most of which are linked up (the longest through stretch is 230 miles…

  • National Blues Museum

    St Louis

    This flashy museum explores blues legends like hometown hero Chuck Berry, while making a strong case for the genre's myriad influences on modern rock,…

  • St Louis Art Museum

    St Louis

    This grand beaux-arts palace (with a striking modern wing) was originally built for the World's Fair. Now housing this storied institution, its collection…

  • Arrow Rock State Historic Site

    Missouri

    Some 30 miles west of Columbia and 10 miles north of I-70, Arrow Rock State Historic Site is a small preserved town that feels little changed since the…

  • Glore Psychiatric Museum

    Missouri

    Housed in the former 'State Lunatic Asylum No 2,' this museum gives a frightening and fascinating look at lobotomies, the 'bath of surprise' and other…

  • Elephant Rocks State Park

    Missouri

    This popular state park has enormous billion-year-old rocks – most far larger than any pachyderm. Some stand end-to-end like circus elephants and are good…

  • St Louis Zoo

    St Louis

    Divided into themed zones, this vast park includes a fascinating River's Edge area with African critters. Don't leave without saying hello to the zoo's…

  • Missouri Botanical Garden

    St Louis

    Dating to 1859, these gardens hold a 14-acre Japanese garden, a carnivorous plant bog, a Victorian-style hedge maze and the oldest continuously operating…

  • Luther Ely Smith Square

    St Louis

    This elegant new park seamlessly connects the Gateway Arch with the Old Courthouse by covering up traffic-choked I-44. Previously the road formed a…

  • College Basketball Experience

    Kansas City

    Really a gussied-up basketball hall of fame, this interactive (and entirely overstimulating) exhibition lets you try free throws or pretend you're an…

  • National Frontier Trails Museum

    Missouri

    Brings the tough life for the pioneers along the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails to life – many began their journey in Independence. You'll learn…

  • St Louis Science Center

    St Louis

    The interactive exhibits at this three-story museum are geared toward kids (and the young at heart). Expect live demonstrations, dinosaurs, a planetarium…

  • Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park

    Missouri

    At lush and sprawling Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, the swift Black River swirls through canyon-like gorges (shut-ins). The swimming is some of the most…

  • Missouri History Museum

    St Louis

    Presents the story of St Louis, starring such worthies as the World's Fair; a replica of Charles Lindbergh's plane, Spirit of St Louis; and a host of…

  • Lewis & Clark Boat House & Museum

    Missouri

    Explorers Lewis and Clark began their epic journey in St Charles on May 21, 1804, and their time here is reenacted annually on that date. This museum has…

  • Table Rock Lake

    Missouri

    Snaking through the hills 2 miles southwest of Branson, large Table Rock Lake is a deservedly popular destination for boating, fishing, camping and other…

  • Route 66 Museum & Research Center

    Missouri

    This museum at the Lebanon library has replicas of a 1930s gas station, a 1940s tourist cabin and a 1950s diner. The vintage maps will thrill any Route 66…

More destinations you need to see