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Missouri

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Downtown St Louis skyline at dusk, featuring the Gateway Arch.

©Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images

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Overview

The most populated state in the Plains, Missouri likes to mix things up, serving visitors ample portions of both sophisticated city life and down-home country sights. St Louis and Kansas City are the region's most interesting cities, and each is a destination in its own right. But, with more forest and less farm field than neighboring states, Missouri also cradles plenty of wild places and wide-open spaces, most notably the rolling Ozark Mountains, where the winding valleys invite adventurous exploration or just some laid-back meandering behind the steering wheel. Maybe you'll find an adventure worthy of Hannibal native Mark Twain as you wander the state.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • 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…

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Best Things to Do

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