Sandy Creek Covered Bridge boasts the appearance of an old red barn. It was one of six bridges built in 1872 to allow passage from the Jefferson County seat of Hillsboro to St. Louis.
The site is open to the public, but unstaffed; however, interpretive programs for groups may be arranged.
Mastodon State Historic Site contains an important archaeological and paleontological site—the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Bones of mastodons and other now-extinct animals were first found here in the early 1800s. The area gained fame as one of the most extensive Pleistocene Ice Age deposits in the country and attracted scientific interest worldwide. Today, the 425-acre property preserves this National Register of Historic Places site and provides recreational opportunities. A museum tells the natural and cultural story of the oldest American Indian site one can visit in the state's park system. A full-size replica of a mastodon skeleton highlights the exhibits. A picnic area, several trails, and a special-use camping area offer chances to explore the land where the lives of Native Americans and mastodons once intertwined.
The site offers exhibits, a slideshow, tours, and educational programs.
Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site, Columbia, contains the grave of Missouri's 22nd governor (18751877), Charles Hardin, along with descendants of George Jewell. The most well-known member of the Jewell family buried in the cemetery, William Jewell, died while establishing a college in Liberty, MO, that bears his name.
The site is open to the public.
Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.
A renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer, and writer, Thomas Hart Benton had a gift for interpreting everyday life. One of his most noted murals, "A Social History of the State of Missouri," can be viewed in the House Lounge of the state Capitol. Virtually untouched since his death in 1975, the two-and-a-half story, late Victorian-style house that Benton called home was constructed of native, quarried limestone and contains simple furnishings in neutral tones that contrast Benton's vibrant paintings. Several of Benton's paintings and sculptures can be viewed in the house. Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, which remains as he left it, with coffee cans full of paintbrushes, numerous paints, and a stretched canvas waiting to be transformed into another of his masterpieces.
The site offers tours.
A barn-red mill nestled among green trees beside blue waters rolling over a rock dam create the colorful setting of one of Missouri's most picturesque historic sites. Dillard Mill State Historic Site interprets one of Missouri's best-preserved, water-powered gristmills. Completed in 1908, Dillard Mill sits along Huzzah Creek and was the second mill built at that site. The first, Wisdom's Mill, built in the 1850s, was destroyed by fire in 1895. Innovations in the new, modernized mill included steel roller mills for grinding the wheat and a turbine to power the mill. For years, farmers brought their grain to the mill to be ground into flour and eventually livestock feed. The mill ceased operation in 1956. Today, most of the original machinery is still intact and operational. A turn of a wheel brings the machinery back to life during tours of the mill, which are given year-round.
The site offers tours.
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is comprised of the Saint Louis Gateway Arch and its associated visitor center. Visitors to the arch can take elevators to the top where they have an expansive view of the city and the Mississippi River, along with a visitor center, the "Museum of Westward Expansion" which chronicles the history of westward expansion in the United States.
The site offers visitor information, in depth historical information about the location and westward expansion, and an online store. In order to contact the memorial via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.
"Wilson's Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the scene of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in combat." The battlefield is in much the same condition as it was in 1861. In addition to the battlefield, visitors can explore the Wilson's Creek Civil War Museum, which holds an outstanding collection of artifacts relevant to the portion of the civil war fought west of the Mississippi River.
The battlefield offers trails, a 29-minute introductory film, exhibits, library access, and Junior Ranger activities. The site offers historical information regarding the battle and civil war, visitor information, a listing of exhibits and notable artifacts in the museum, and an events calendar. In order to contact the battlefield via email, use the "contact us" link located on the left side of the webpage.
The Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site commemorates the lives of Ulysses S Grant (1822-1885), general-in-chief of the Union army and 18th President of the United States, and his wife Julia Dent. Dent's family home, White Haven, is the centerpiece of the park. Other structures include an interpretive museum housed in the historic Grant stable and a visitors' center.
The site offers a 16-minute introductory film, guided tours of White Haven, Junior Ranger activities, and a history reading program compliant with state educational standards.
The George Washington Carver National Monument presents the early life and impact of George Washington Carver (1864-1943). Carver conducted experiments with peanut farming which would eventually bolster the economy of the South, suffering from the downturn of the cotton industry. The site includes Carver's boyhood home, built in 1881; family cemetery; and birth site. Visitors to the site also learn about Carver's interests in rocks, wood carving, and art, among other hobbies.
The monument offers hands-on programs which focus on 19th-century life, nature programs, guided tours, Junior Ranger activities, a 3/4-mile nature trail, a fourth-grade art and essay contest, curriculum-based field trip programs, outreach programs for students, traveling trunks, and rental videos. The website offers an education packet, curricula, and suggested reading for students.
The Harry S Truman National Historic Site preserves the 1885 Queen Anne residence in which Harry S Truman lived between the ages of 22 and 88 (beginning in 1919); the Truman Farm Home in Grandview, Missouri, where Truman lived between 1906 and 1917; and several family homes. Collections consist of more than 53,000 artifacts. Truman (1884-1972) served as the 33rd President of the United States between 1945 and 1953. During this time he desegregated the military, approved nuclear weapon use on Japan, adopted the Marshall Plan, and witnessed the founding of the United Nations.
The site offers a 12-minute introductory slide presentation, tours of the Queen Anne residence, school tours of the Queen Anne residence, cell phone tours of the farm and Queen Anne sites, and Junior Ranger activities. Reservations are required for all school visits. The website offers four lesson plans, photo tours, an artifact of the month feature, and a list of the more than 1,100 books owned by Truman.