Jefferson City
Missouri’s capital city offers a look at government in action

Although history is a primary attraction in Jefferson City, it’s not just confined to museums that exhibit artifacts and ideas from the past. Missouri history is forged every year in this capital city, where officials debate policy, enact laws and influence the course of people’s lives.

Visitors can watch history being shaped during the legislative session as well as explore plenty of other attractions in Jefferson City and in nearby Fulton and Columbia. Splendid gardens, art galleries, museums, historic homes, shops and lovely parks can round out a day tour of the region, which could be extended into a several-day excursion.

Revisiting the Iron Curtain

Begin your day tour in Fulton, roughly seven miles south of Interstate 70 off Highway 54. To get downtown, take Business 54 and turn right on East Fifth Street. As you pass the Callaway County courthouse, turn left on Court Street to the Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce at 409 Court St. to pick up tourist information. For details, call (573) 642-3055 or 1-800-257-3554, or click on www.callawaychamber.com.

In addition to browsing in the shops that line the brick streets of the lovely town square, visit one of Missouri’s most interesting treasures–the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library on the campus of Westminster College. Churchill defined the Cold War with his prophetic “Iron Curtain” speech when he visited the campus on March 5, 1946.

As a memorial to Churchill, the college transported a 12th-century church from London stone by stone and reconstructed it. Severely damaged during World War II, the church’s bombed-out portions were replaced, and the undercroft now houses a museum tracing Churchill’s life through an array of artifacts. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and AAA members, $4 for students ages 12–18 and $3 for children 6–11. Daily hours are 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. For details, call (573) 592-5369 or visit www.churchillmemorial.org.

Also, part of the Berlin Wall has been relocated and erected on the memorial’s grounds. The 30-foot sculpture, called “Breakthrough,” celebrates the fall of the wall, a physical representation of the Iron Curtain.

While in town, visit the Auto World Car Museum, which has a collection of 86 rare automobiles, fire trucks and tractors, as well as other artifacts. Hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily from April–December and by appointment January–March. Call (573) 642-2080 or visit www.autoworldmuseum.com.

Jefferson’s city

From Fulton, take Highway 54 south about 25 miles to Jefferson City and exit onto West Main Street. Immediately, you can see the Missouri State Capitol situated high atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The spectacular white limestone structure takes up three city blocks and is adorned with striking columns and a huge dome, an awe-inspiring sight.

Named for Statesman Thomas Jefferson, the city has been the seat of government since 1826. For more details about the city, call (573) 632-2820 or 1-800-769-4183, or visit www.visitjeffersoncity.com.

After passing the Capitol, Main Street becomes East Capitol Avenue. Turn left on Jefferson Street to the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, one of the few remaining 19th-century Missouri River landings. The focus of the site is the Lohman Building, a three-story limestone structure that was used as an inn, general store and warehouse over the years. The Lohman Building is a good starting point because it explains the area’s history with exhibits. Also on the grounds is the Union Hotel, which was built in the 1850s. It now houses the Elizabeth Rozier Art Gallery, which showcases Missouri art. The site is open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday and is closed in December. Call (573) 751-2854, or visit www.mostateparks.com.

A short walk away is the Capitol, the centerpiece of the city. Completed in 1918, the Renaissance-style building is the third statehouse, the previous two having been destroyed by fire in 1837 and 1911. Find a great view of the building from the All Missouri Veterans Memorial on the northeast corner of the grounds. With a limestone colonnade, terraced waterfall, reflecting pool and eight black marble posts, it’s a lovely spot to relax.

The first floor features the extensive Missouri State Museum, which traces the state’s history from the earliest native Indians through World War II. Free tours of the building are offered year-round from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on the hour (excluding the noon hour) Monday–Saturday. On Sunday, tours are offered at 10 and 11 a.m. and 2 and 3 p.m. Among the highlights of the tours are the House of Representatives’ chamber, the Rotunda and the House Lounge, which features the striking Thomas Hart Benton mural “A Social History of the State of Missouri.” For details, call (573) 751-2854.

To see government at work, visit from January through mid-May and take a seat in the gallery of the House or Senate chambers Tuesday– Thursday. Make arrangements for group tours through the museum.

To the east of the Capitol, visit the Governor’s Mansion, a stately home built in 1871 in Renaissance Revival style. Tours of the first floor, restored with elaborate period furnishings, are offered Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.–noon and 1–3 p.m. and at the same times on Wednesdays in March, April and the first two weeks of May. There are no tours in August and December, except Christmas candlelight tours. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance. Call (573) 751-7929 for details.

Across the street from the mansion is the Cole County Historical Museum, which occupies a building dating to 1871. With period furnishings, Civil War artifacts and exhibits, it is a door to the past. Hours are 1–3 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. The cost is $3 for adults, $1 for students in grades K–12. For details, call (573) 635-1850, or visit www.colecohistsoc.org.

Just east of downtown is the Missouri State Highway Patrol Safety Education Center at 1510 E. Elm St. Exhibits include weapons, law enforcement antiques and five patrol cars, one of which dates to 1931. Hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday. For information, call (573) 526-6149.

Other notable sights include: the Runge Conservation Nature Center, which features wildlife exhibits, a 2,400-gallon aquarium and nature trails (573-526-5544); the Missouri Veterinary Medical Foundation Museum, which displays veterinary instruments and artifacts (573-636-8737); and the Museum of Missouri Military History at the Ike Skelton Training Site about six miles east of town, which focuses on the history of the Missouri National Guard (573-638-9603). Also, access to the Katy Trail State Park is just north of the city (1-800-334-6946).

College town

To get to Columbia from Jefferson City, take Highway 63 north about 32 miles and go left on Stadium Boulevard. Then turn right on Providence Road. The Convention and Visitors Bureau is at the intersection of Providence Road and Elm Street, where you can pick up tourist information. Call (573) 875-1231 or 1-800-652-0987, or visit www.visitcolumbiamo.com.

The city owes much of its spirit to the 1,300-acre University of Missouri (MU) campus, which became the first public university west of the Mississippi River when it opened in 1839. Two other schools–Columbia College and Stephens College–confirm Columbia’s identity as a college town.

The most recognizable landmarks in Columbia are the six ionic columns in the middle of Francis Quadrangle on the MU campus. The columns are all that remain of Academic Hall, the university’s first administration building that was destroyed by fire in 1892. At the quadrangle’s north end is Thomas Jefferson’s original tombstone, located there because the university was modeled after his design for the University of Virginia.

Also on the quadrangle are two excellent museums. The Museum of Art and Archaeology houses Egyptian, Greek, Roman, European and American art from the 15th century to the present (573-882-3591). Hours are 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and noon–4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The nearby Museum of Anthropology’s exhibits detail the anthropological history of man (573-882-3573). Hours are 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Friday.

To explore the area’s past, visit the Walters-Boone County Museum, just off Highway 63 at the AC Exit south of the city. The center resembles a wood-hewn farmhouse and details the area’s history with artifacts, photos and exhibits. Adjoining the museum is the Montminy Galley, which shows rotating art exhibits. Call (573) 875-5268, or visit www.boonehistory.org.

For those with shopping and eating in mind, head to The District, the downtown cultural epicenter of Columbia where more than 150 specialty shops, bars, galleries and restaurants can be found.

To return to the St. Louis area from Columbia, take I-70 about 124 miles east. The approximate round-trip mileage for the day tour is 293 miles.

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