Hospitality and Tourism

It’s rolling pastureland and big-city chic. It’s full-throttle on the water and the finest in performing and visual arts. It’s the Great Outdoors and stepping into architectural wonders. All of it wrapped up in four distinct seasons that will appeal to primitive campers in the summer and deer hunters in the heart of autumn, to springtime blossom-chasers at botanical gardens to trout fishermen in the dead of winter.

Everywhere you go across this state’s 69,704 square miles, activities and attractions beckon. Entire books—quite literally—have been written about the places to go and the things to do in the Show-Me State. But where to start looking?

Here’s a clue: Don’t try to eat the elephant in one bite. Break Missouri down to its constituent components, distinct districts with individual demographic, geographic, artistic, historic, and cultural markers. Once you do that, you get a sense that it’s going to take a lot longer than you might have imagined—a lot longer—to see this state up close.

Start the way the 17th-century explorers did: In the east. That means St. Louis, the most populous metropolitan region of the state. On the western bank of the Mississippi River, the Gateway Arch is stop No. 1 for visitors to the state. Millions have flocked to the base of this 640-foot arch since its opening in 1963, with a fair number of them discovering the courage to take one of its elevator capsules to the top for an unforgettable view of Middle America. The home of brewing giant Anheuser Busch has also witnessed a craft-brewing renaissance, so allocate your time—and consumption—accordingly. No need to rush. Hungry? St. Louis-style barbecued ribs got that name for a reason, and some classical pizza joints and frozen custard outlets are local favorites. Ask the locals about their favorites—they won’t always align with the travel brochures. 

On the other side of the state, you have what residents declare is the real barbecue capital of America, no slight intended to their St. Louis cousins or the more distant practitioners of the smoking arts in Texas or the Carolinas. Come for the Royals or Chiefs; stay for the burnt ends. The arts live here, as well, with the twin-domed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts hailed as a world-class performing arts venue. As with St. Louis, you’ll find an abundance of museums, arboretums, and zoos, many of them as good as any in the country.

Mid-Missouri and the Lake. Ah, the Lake Life. It’s a real thing, and why not? The granddaddy of Missouri’s waterways (not talking rivers here) is the Lake of the Ozarks, with more than 1,100 miles of shoreline. For those counting, that’s a third again what California has to offer with its ocean frontage. Since it was created by the utility company that today is Ameren, the long and winding lake and multiple small rivers that have been dammed created a recreational magnet that flows throughout central Missouri. Along the waterways, you’ll find hidden-gem restaurants, water-side bars, and boating/skiing/fishing venues of all sizes and horsepower. Vacation homes abound; this is a target-rich environment for vacation rental operators. But it’s a rapidly growing retirement destination, as well. 

Further south, you get into the Ozark highland, then the mountainous areas leading into northern Arkansas. This vast expanse of forest, hill, dale, and mountain is bursting with opportunities for off-the-beaten-path camping, canoeing, and hiking opportunities. Not far away, for those who demand nearby civilization, is Missouri’s third-largest metropolitan area, Springfield, with nearly 437,000 residents and the amenities to support their lifestyles. If you go there, be prepared to budget at least a full day for one of America’s hottest family attractions, Bass Pro Shop founder Johnny Morris’ World of Wildlife (half for land animals, half for aquatic) in Springfield. You could easily spend a day inside each half and not see it all.

Missouri’s connections to the Old South show up in the Bootheel, where Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky come together on either side of the Mississippi River. Set off by a prominent geological drift that slashes across the southeast corner, the Bootheel is a special place all its own. Culturally, it’s more a part of the Deep South, with Kentucky and Tennessee sitting across the Mississippi, and economically, as well, with a heavy reliance on cotton crops as part of its ag makeup. As a result, farms and homes have that special southern appeal. And the proximity to Memphis makes this more of a Tennessee exurb than a “Missouri” region.

Those are just starting points. None of them, in itself, represents the real Missouri. All of them, combined, provide a Show-Me level of proof that Missouri takes a back seat to no other state when it comes to the diversity of hospitality and tourism venues and choices.