Missouri Travel Guide
Named after the Missouri Native Americans that inhabited the
fertile lands around the tributaries of the Mississippi and
Missouri Rivers, the state of Missouri became part of the US after
a long colonial tussle between France and Spain. The original
Missouri people were driven out by the flood of European immigrants
who came to settle here, founding the two fur trading centres of St
Louis and Kansas City. The state's central location on the
Mississippi River's north-south trade route and the east-west
railroad made it an important crossroads. Kansas City, and St Louis
in particular, established themselves as major gateways to the
western frontier.Today the state is associated with historical figures from the
nation's past, such as Mark Twain and his famous stories about Tom
Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the gun-slinging outlaw Jesse James,
western pioneers like Lewis and Clark, and the 33rd president of
the United States, Harry Truman. The brown waters of the great
Mississippi River and its small river towns, paddle steamers, the
stockyards of Kansas City and the jazz and blues clubs of St Louis
are other images representative of the state. The dominant city of
St Louis is recognisable for its Gateway Arch and is the 'Home of
the Blues', while the only other significant city, Kansas City is
famous for its steaks and barbecues as well as its hearty jazz. In
contrast, the south features the beautiful hillsides and lakes of
the Ozark Mountains that are great recreational areas, and the
conservative country-and-western tourist town of Branson.Music, history, arts and heritage are all an intricate part of
Missouri… 'Where the Rivers Run'.
Missouri Travel Guide
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Missouri Travel Guide
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Description:
Within the riverside park known as the Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial, the Gateway Arch is a soaring landmark above
the city's skyline
-the thin stainless steel arc reaches to twice the
height of the Statue of Liberty at 630 feet (192m) tall. It
symbolises the role of St Louis as the 'Gateway to the West' for
the pioneers who journeyed along the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails
towards the western frontier. It is also dedicated to the US
president who was responsible for opening up the West. An
observation deck that is reached by a tram system provides
magnificent views over the city, the Mississippi and the spreading
plains. Also on the site with the Arch is the Old Courthouse Museum
that was the venue for the hearing of several momentous cases
during the 19th century. At the base of the monument is the
excellent Museum of Westward Expansion with exhibits covering
exploration of the west and its honoured pioneers, including Lewis
and Clark, the Plains Indians and buffalo soldiers. The Odyssey
IMAX Theatre shows big-screen films about the region and its
history.
Address:
St Louis Riverfront
Postcode:
Telephone:
(877) 982 1410
Email:
info@gatewayarch.com
Website:
www.gatewayarch.com
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Description:
The beautifully landscaped Forest Park is larger than New York's
Central Park and its leafy grounds are filled with attractions. The
acclaimed St Louis Art Museum has a magnificent international
collection of art, covering works from prehistoric times to
contemporary, and houses one of the most extensive collections of
German Expressionism worldwide. The St Louis Science Center
features life-size dinosaurs along with displays and interactive
exhibits on the environment, aviation, technology and more. There
is also an OMNIMAX Theatre and Planetarium. Thousands of animals
roam the beautiful grounds of the St Louis Zoo, with indoor and
outdoor cageless displays, and a Living World Exhibition features
an animated robotic figure of Charles Darwin who summarises his
theories on evolution. The Missouri History Museum documents life
in St Louis with old photographs and displays on river life, black
music and western expansion.
Address:
5595 Grand Drive, St Louis
Postcode:
Telephone:
(314) 289 4444 (Science Center); (314) 781 0900 (Zoo);
(314) 721 0072 (Art Museum); (314) 454 3150 (History
Museum)
Email:
Website:
www.stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark
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Description:
In the 1920s the neighbourhood of 18th and Vine was the heart of
the jazz scene and today the museum complex houses the celebrated
American Jazz Museum, the Blue Room Jazz Club and the Negro Leagues
Baseball Museum. The Jazz Museum honours jazz greats like Louis
Armstrong and Charlie Parker and visitors can experience the rich
culture and history through dozens of exhibits and an interactive
studio. The fascinating history of the Negro Leagues is documented
in the Baseball Museum and exhibits, video presentations and
memorabilia reveal stories about baseball stars like Buck and
Paige.
Address:
1616 East 18th Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(816) 871 3016 (Visitor Centre)
Email:
Website:
www.18thandvinedistrict.org
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Description:
The mission statement of Laumeier Sculpture Park - an open-air
museum, covering 105 acres and containing over 70 outdoor
sculptures dotted along a 1.4 mile (about 2.3km) walking trail - is
to "expand the context of contemporary sculpture beyond the
traditional confines of a museum; [and to] initiate a lifelong
process of cultural awareness, to enrich lives and inspire creative
thinking, by engaging people in experiences of sculpture and nature
simultaneously." Visitors to the Laumeier Sculpture Park - which
also boasts outdoor movies and an indoor gallery housed in an 1816
stone Tudor mansion - are unanimous in their approval of this goal,
with more than 300,000 people visiting the park every year. Over
and above being a wonderful picnic site, Laumeier Sculpture Park
offers visitors a fresh and exciting way to engage with the plastic
arts, and should not be missed.
Address:
12580 Rott Road, St Louis
Postcode:
Telephone:
(314) 821-1209
Email:
Website:
www.laumeiersculpturepark.org
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Description:
The National World War I Museum in Kansas City is America's
official museum dedicated to the Great War. Housed within the
Liberty Memorial, its state-of-the-art facilities provide visitors
with the chance to explore the nation's most extensive assembly of
WWI artefacts, photography, art and narratives ever brought
together in a single collection. The museum's mission is to inspire
thought, dialogue and learning, in order to make the experiences of
the World War I era meaningful and relevant to present and future
generations. Visitors enter the museum across a glass bridge above
a field of 9,000 poppies (each one representing 1,000 war combatant
deaths), and inside, the museum boasts two theatres, exhibitions
with period artefacts (including a tank, uniforms, guns, maps, and
photographs of major forces) in cutting edge interactive displays,
an enormous research centre and a library. In the face of a barrage
of fascinating audio-visual stimulation, visitors to the National
World War I Museum are sure to leave having had an unforgettable
experience.
Address:
100 West 26th Street, Kansas City
Postcode:
Telephone:
(816) 784-1918
Email:
Website:
www.theworldwar.org
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Description:
One of the most popular attractions for kids in St Louis, the St
Louis City Museum isn't a stuffy hall with dusty dioramas; it's
part playground, part funhouse, and all fun! Boasting attractions
like a ten-story slide, rooftop ferris wheel, treehouses, enchanted
caves, a 200-year-old frontier cabin, aquarium, and plenty more.
There are also educational exhibits on natural history and
architecture, and special areas for toddlers. There is a gift shop
on the ground floor and several cafes throughout the building. With
a reasonable admission charge and so much on offer, the St Louis
City Museum is definitely a must for those travelling with kids in
St Louis.
Address:
701 N 15th Street
Postcode:
Telephone:
(314) 231-2489
Email:
Website:
www.citymuseum.org
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