Missouri - The Show-Me State

Missouri Tourism Board

What’s New
• Brule: For over a decade, Brulé and the AIRO (American Indian Rock Opera) have been blending Native American sounds and rhythms to create a spectacular performance.
• Branson Zipline & Canopy Tours: Branson's most exciting eco-adventure shows off views of the Ozark Mountains. 
• Powell Gardens Heartland Harvest Garden: This 4.9-hectare expansion is the largest in Powell Gardens' history and is also the nation's largest "edible landscape." Learn about the journey of food from seed to plate. Kingsville.

Attractions
• Gateway Arch: Tallest national monument in the U.S. The city's best known landmark and a popular tourist attraction. St. Louis.
• Fantastic Caverns: First explored by 12 women answering a newspaper advertisement-seeking explorers. America's only ride-through cave is a family owned business. Springfield.
Missouri Tourism Board• Jesse James Farm and Museum: Restored family home of the infamous brothers and a large collection of memorabilia. Kearney.
• Kansas City Power & Light District: The Midwest’s premiere entertainment epicentre. Kansas City.
• Stone Hill Winery: Established in 1847. Started out as the nation's second largest winery, it is now a world-class winery. Hermann.

Events
• See The World In Branson (April-May), Branson. 
• Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival (June), Sedalia.
• National Tom Sawyer Days (July), Hannibal. 
• Santa Cali Gon Days Festival (September), Independence. 

Places
• Kansas City: Known for its swinging jazz, mouth-watering barbecues, visual and performing arts scenes, and more than 200 sparkling fountains.
• St. Louis: The Gateway to the West boasts a wealth of attractions, entertainment and dining options.
• Branson: Dubbed the “Live Entertainment Capital of the World”, with more than 100 live performances per day, three pristine lakes, 12 championship golf courses and an award-winning theme park.
• Independence:  Attractions include the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Home, Victorian Mansions, 1850s jail, the National Frontier Trails Museum, a historic Square, and religious sites.
• St. Joseph: Where the Pony Express began and Jesse James met his end.  Missouri’s Wild West heritage comes alive here. 

Hidden Gems
• Saint Charles: Features Historic Main Street, a 13-block stretch of downtown St. Charles with a bevy of shops, restaurants and businesses.
• Ste Genevieve: This village located on the banks of the Mississippi River owes much of its historic charm and ambiance to the remarkable preservation of the features of the colonial settlement.
• Jamesport:  Home of the largest Amish community in Missouri and the largest Old Order Amish Settlement west of the Mississippi. 

Did You Know?
State Motto: The Welfare of The People Shall Be The Supreme Law
State Flower: Hawthorn
State Bird: Bluebird

Fast Facts
Region: GREAT FRONTIER
America’s Byways: Crowley’s Ridge Parkway, Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road.
Direct Flights: Air Canada, United Airlines
Sales Tools: VisitMO newsletter (The Tourism Monitor), on-line Vacation Planner, image library, sample itineraries, destination DVDs, training PowerPoint presentations and maps. A new group travel trade page is available at VisitMO.ca
Info: Missouri Division of Tourism
1-800-519-2100
www.VisitMO.ca