Every region of Missouri offers great places to visit during the holiday season. Southeast Missouri offers many sites where the region’s history and culture are put in the spotlight.
Morning
A. Felix Valle House State Historic Site
Start your exploration in Ste. Genevieve, the first permanent settlement west of the Mississippi River. This historic site includes three houses: the 1818 Federal-style Felix Valle House; the vertical-log, 1792 Amoureux House; and the 1819 Shaw House. Exhibits interpret the lifestyles and history of early Ste. Genevieve.
B. The Centre for French Colonial Life & the Bolduc House
Continue your trek through historic properties at the Louis Bolduc House, a National Historic Landmark, built circa 1792. Visit the vertical log house, gardens, and discover what life in 18th century Ste. Genevieve was like.
Evening
A. Lambert’s Cafe – Sikeston
After a long day of exploring the region, dine at one of its most-famous restaurants, the world famous Lambert's Cafe, home of "Throwed Rolls." You'll need to pack an appetite, the portions here are incredible.
Afternoon
A. Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum
Located in Cape Girardeau, this museum features the Crossroads Gallery, which includes exhibits and interactive kiosks highlighting the history of southeast Missouri, including: The Land and Waters; First Voices; First Peoples; Frontiers and Empires; River and Rail; North and South; Subsistence to Agribusiness; Expressions of Faith; and Change through Education.
B.
On of the most historic sites in Cape, Common Pleas Courthouse was completed in 1854. It played a big part in the city's history, from Indian council meetings to the Civil War. On the west side of the courthouse stand three memorials: A cast of a Union soldier, who sits atop a fountain way, was presented by the Women's Relief Corps in 1911; another, made from Georgia silver gray marble, was presented to the city in 1931 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy; the third is a Vietnam Memorial. This attraction has an audio tour that you can dial into with your cell phone (while on-site).
C. Sikeston Depot Museum & Cultural Center
Located in 1916 train depot, in downtown Sikeston, this museum recounts the most important aspects of the area's culture. It includes an art gallery in which local artists display their work; and a cultural center displaying traveling exhibits from national museums.