41 historic tours and trails in Missouri: 12 walking tours and ranger programs, 12 driving trails, National Historic Trails and heritage areas, and more. 21 are free. Prices and schedules come from each operator’s own page.
Header photo: The J. Huston Tavern (1834) in Arrow Rock’s historic village, photographed for HABS on July 5, 1940. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS MO,98-ARORO,2-.
- 41tours and trails
- 12walking tours and ranger programs
- 21free
- 12trails and heritage areas
- Self-guided walking
- Guided walking
- Ranger-led
- House tour
- Boat/train/trolley
- Bike
- Audio/app
- Ghost & history tour
- Driving trail
- National Historic Trail
- Heritage area
Download this data: CSV · JSON · 41 tours · free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to It’s Missouri. All open data: catalog.json.
Self-guided walking tours (3)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark’s Hill trail Two American Indian mounds and the overlook Clark climbed June 2, 1804 | Osage City | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | Free | Daily (seasonal hours) | Short trail |
| Island Mound Courage Trail Wayside exhibits on the 1862 battle, the first combat by Black soldiers in the Civil War | Butler | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | Free | Sunrise-sunset | 0.5 mile |
| Osage Village walking tour Site of the Big Osage village (1700-1775), excavation areas, view toward Manuel Lisa’s 1802 trading post site | Walker | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | Free | Sunrise-sunset | Short trail with numbered stops |
Guided walking tours (5)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrow Rock village tram, guided, house and walking tours Historic Boone’s Lick Country village incl. the J. Huston Tavern, Bingham house and courthouse | Arrow Rock | Friends of Arrow Rock | Tram tours ‘nominal fee’ – see official site | Reserve: 660-837-3231 | See official site |
| Missouri State Capitol guided tours Capitol architecture and art incl. Thomas Hart Benton’s 1936 mural ‘A Social History of Missouri’ in the House Lounge | Jefferson City | Missouri State Museum (Missouri State Parks) | Free | Year-round; see tour times | See official site |
| Missouri State Penitentiary history tour Decommissioned 1836 prison, first west of the Mississippi | Jefferson City | Missouri State Penitentiary Tours | From $30 | Seasonal – see official site | 2 hours; age 5 and under not permitted |
| Missouri Mines museum docent tours St. Joe Lead Co. powerhouse, mining equipment, mineral gallery | Park Hills | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $3 youth 6-17 | Apr-Nov Wed-Sun; Dec-Mar Sat-Sun | About 45 minutes incl. video |
| Budweiser Brewery Experience tours (Anheuser-Busch Brewery NHL) Tours of the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis brewery, a National Historic Landmark (1966) | St. Louis | Anheuser-Busch | See official site | See official site | See official site |
Ranger-led programs (4)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truman Home guided tour Harry and Bess Truman’s home at 219 N. Delaware St. with thousands of original artifacts | Independence | National Park Service (Harry S Truman NHS) | Free (same-day ticket required) | Wed-Sun; tickets at 223 N. Main St. visitor center | Max 8 people per tour |
| Ste. Genevieve French colonial house tours Jean Baptiste Vallé House, Green Tree Tavern and Bauvais-Amoureux House | Ste. Genevieve | National Park Service (Ste. Genevieve NHP) | Free (same-day reservation at Welcome Center, 66 S. Main St.) | Daily; check Welcome Center | 15-person capacity per tour |
| Carver Trail ranger-led tour Childhood landscape and life of George Washington Carver | Diamond | National Park Service (George Washington Carver NM) | Free | Daily 10am and 2pm | About 1 hr 15 min |
| White Haven Main House guided tour Dent family home where Grant met Julia Dent; story of the enslaved people who lived and worked there | St. Louis (Grantwood Village) | National Park Service (Ulysses S. Grant NHS) | Free | Daily during visitor center hours 9am-5pm | See official site |
Historic house tours (10)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bothwell Lodge tour 31-room lodge built over two caves | Sedalia | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $4 adults, $3 youth 6-17 | Thu/Fri-Sun seasonal; last tour 3pm | About 1 hr 15 min; max 8; 200+ stairs |
| Deutschheim German heritage house tours Pommer-Gentner House (1840) and Carl Strehly House (1842) | Hermann | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $3 youth 6-17 | Apr-Oct daily 10am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm; Nov-Mar Thu-Sun | See official site |
| Anderson House and battlefield tours Bullet- and cannon-scarred Oliver Anderson House (field hospital) and the 1861 battlefield | Lexington | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $6 adults, $4 youth 6-17 | Apr-Jul Tue-Sun, Aug-Oct Wed-Sun; house 10am/noon/2pm, battlefield 11am/1pm/3pm | Two 45-minute tours |
| Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio tour Benton’s home and the studio he left as it was | Kansas City | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $3.50 youth 6-17 | Mon, Thu-Sat 10am-3pm; Sun | About 45 minutes |
| Watkins Woolen Mill tours 1860 woolen mill and gristmill with original machinery, 1850 house and outbuildings | Lawson | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $4 youth 6-17 | Call 816-580-3387 for times | See official site |
| Bollinger Mill guided tour All four floors of the Civil War-era mill; Burfordville Covered Bridge | Burfordville | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $4 youth 6-17 | Apr-Oct Tue-Sun; Nov-Mar Thu-Sun; last tour 3pm | About 45 minutes; max 10; steep stairs |
| Felix Vallé House tour 1818 American-Federal style house furnished to the 1830s | Ste. Genevieve | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $6 adults, $4 youth 6-17 | Apr-Oct Wed-Sun, Nov-Mar Thu-Sun; 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm | See official site |
| Hunter-Dawson mansion tour 15-room 1860 mansion with original furniture | New Madrid | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $3 youth 6-17 | Tue-Sat hourly 10am-3pm; Sun noon-3pm Apr-Oct | About 1 hour |
| First Missouri State Capitol tour Rooms where the first state legislature met, 1821-1826 | St. Charles | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $5 adults, $3 youth 6-17 | On the hour when open (no noon tour) | See official site |
| Scott Joplin House tour Joplin’s 1902 flat, player piano, ragtime exhibits | St. Louis | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | $7 adults, $5 seniors and youth 6-17 | Hourly during site hours | See official site |
Historic boat, train and trolley rides (3)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belton Missouri Historical Railroad Heritage railroad excursions | Belton | Belton Missouri Historical Railroad (nonprofit) | See official site | See official site | See official site |
| Mark Twain Riverboat Paddle-wheeler cruises on the Mississippi at Mark Twain’s hometown | Hannibal | Mark Twain Riverboat | See official site | Seasonal – see official site | See official site |
| Gateway Arch Tram Ride to the Top Tram capsule ride 630 feet to the top of the Arch | St. Louis | Gateway Arch National Park / Gateway Arch Park Foundation (tickets) | From $15 (tram), adults 16+; from $11 ages 3-15; prices vary by date | Daily; last tram one hour before closing | 45-60 minutes incl. pre-boarding |
Bike tours (1)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katy Trail State Park Longest developed rail-trail in the country on the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) railroad; four restored depots; Cooper-to-St. Charles County section is part of the Lewis and Clark NHT | Clinton to Machens (Missouri River valley) | Missouri State Parks (DNR) | Free | Year-round | 240 miles, 26 trailheads |
Audio and app tours (2)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington audio walking and driving tour Civil War Lexington incl. the battlefield driving tour; city has about 500 antebellum homes | Lexington | Lexington tourism with University of Missouri Extension (featured by Missouri State Parks) | Free (see official site) | Year-round | Walking and driving |
| Truman Farm self-guided audio tour Farm where Harry Truman lived and worked as a young man; audio on the NPS App | Grandview | National Park Service | Free | Sunrise to sunset year-round | Self-guided |
Ghost and history tours (1)
Ghost tours mix documented history with legend. We list long-running operators with their own pages; the stories are theirs, not facts we have checked.
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State Penitentiary ghost tour After-dark tour of the historic prison | Jefferson City | Missouri State Penitentiary Tours | From $40 | Seasonal – see official site | 2 hours; age 13 and under not permitted |
Driving trails (4)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway 36 – The Way of American Genius Pony Express sites in St. Joseph, Pershing Boyhood Home in Laclede, Marceline museum, Chillicothe sliced-bread story, Mark Twain sites in Hannibal | St. Joseph to Hannibal across northern Missouri | Missouri Division of Tourism (promotion) | Varies by stop | Year-round | Statewide east-west corridor |
| Route 66 in Missouri Historic Mother Road; Missouri was the third state to pave its portion (Jan. 5, 1931); visitor center in the 1935 Bridgehead Inn at Route 66 State Park | St. Louis area to Joplin | Missouri State Parks (Route 66 State Park visitor center) | Free | Year-round | Statewide |
| U.S. Civil Rights Trail – Missouri sites Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Old Courthouse (Dred Scott case) and Harry S. Truman Presidential Library | Kansas City, Independence, St. Louis | U.S. Civil Rights Trail (Travel South USA) | Varies by site | Year-round | 3 Missouri sites |
| Wilson’s Creek tour road Historic Ray House (makeshift field hospital after the battle) and seven stops at points of interest | Republic | National Park Service | Free | Grounds 1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 hr after sunset; vehicles from 8am | 4.9-mile paved one-way loop, 7 stops; ~15 min to drive, ~2 hrs to walk |
National Historic Trails (7)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail (Missouri segment) 1857-contract overland mail route; from Sept. 18, 1858 mail went by train from St. Louis to Tipton, then by stagecoach toward Fort Smith and San Francisco | St. Louis, Tipton and southwest Missouri | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | Seven states (MO, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA) |
| California National Historic Trail (Missouri segment) Routes of more than 250,000 emigrants to California’s gold fields and farmlands in the 1840s-1850s; Missouri river towns were departure points | Independence, Kansas City and St. Joseph area | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | Over 5,000 miles in 10 states |
| Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (Missouri segment) Outbound and return routes of the 1803-1806 expedition; in Missouri the Corps set out from St. Charles May 21, 1804; Katy Trail between Cooper and St. Charles counties is an official trail segment | Missouri River corridor from St. Charles westward | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | Nearly 4,900 miles in 16 states |
| Oregon National Historic Trail (Missouri segment) Jumping-off towns for emigrants bound for Oregon | Independence and Kansas City area | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | More than 2,000 miles of ruts and traces in six states |
| Pony Express National Historic Trail (Missouri segment) Eastern terminus of the 1860-1861 horseback mail relay; first run left St. Joseph April 3, 1860 | St. Joseph | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | Eight states |
| Santa Fe National Historic Trail (Missouri segment) Freight route between western Missouri and Santa Fe opened to wagon trade by William Becknell in September 1821 | Central and western Missouri | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | Five states (CO, KS, MO, NM, OK) |
| Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (Missouri routes) Routes of the Cherokee forced removal of 1838-1839; Trail of Tears State Park marks where nine of 13 detachments crossed the Mississippi | Southern Missouri (Cape Girardeau County to Springfield and the southwest) | National Park Service | Free | Year-round | Nine states |
National Heritage Areas and corridors (1)
| Tour or trail | Where | Run by | Price | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area Stories of the Missouri-Kansas border: overland trails jumping-off points, the Border War, Civil War and the ongoing struggle over freedom | 41 counties in western Missouri and eastern Kansas | Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area | Free | Year-round | 41 counties |
Frequently asked questions
Which National Historic Trails cross Missouri?
Seven National Historic Trails cross Missouri: Lewis and Clark, Santa Fe, Oregon, California, Pony Express, Trail of Tears and Butterfield Overland. The Lewis and Clark trail alone winds nearly 4,900 miles through the homelands of more than 60 Tribal nations (source: NPS: Missouri).
What is the Katy Trail?
Katy Trail State Park is the longest developed rail-trail in the country: 240 miles between Clinton and Machens on the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) railroad, with 26 trailheads and four restored depots. The section from Cooper County to St. Charles County is an official segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (source: Missouri State Parks: Katy Trail State Park).
Are there free historic house tours in Missouri?
Yes. National Park Service rangers give free tours of the Truman Home in Independence (same-day tickets), White Haven at Grant’s historic site, and French colonial houses in Ste. Genevieve, where reservations are made the same day at the Welcome Center and each tour holds up to 15 people (source: NPS: Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park – Fees & Passes).
Last checked October 20, 2026 by the It’s Missouri editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.
Sources
- Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (Missouri segment)
- Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
- U.S. Civil Rights Trail – Missouri sites
- Wilson’s Creek tour road
- Lexington audio walking and driving tour
- Truman Farm self-guided audio tour
- Katy Trail State Park
- Highway 36 – The Way of American Genius
- Route 66 in Missouri
- Carver Trail ranger-led tour
- Truman Home guided tour
- White Haven Main House guided tour
- Ste. Genevieve French colonial house tours
- Gateway Arch Tram Ride to the Top
- Anderson House and battlefield tours
- Missouri State Capitol guided tours
- Deutschheim German heritage house tours
- Felix Vallé House tour
- Hunter-Dawson mansion tour
- Bothwell Lodge tour
- Watkins Woolen Mill tours
- Scott Joplin House tour
- Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio tour
- First Missouri State Capitol tour
- Bollinger Mill guided tour
- Missouri Mines museum docent tours
- Osage Village walking tour
- Clark’s Hill trail
- Island Mound Courage Trail
- Arrow Rock village tram, guided, house and walking tours
- Missouri State Penitentiary history tour
- Mark Twain Riverboat
- Belton Missouri Historical Railroad
- Budweiser Brewery Experience tours (Anheuser-Busch Brewery NHL)
Cite this page: It's Missouri, “Historic Tours in Missouri: Walking Tours, Trails and Ranger Programs”, itsmissouri.com/history/historic-tours/ (updated ). By the It's Missouri editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.