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The Herman Haar house, built in 1859 by Prussian native Herman Haar, is one of the few surviving antebellum Missouri-German dwellings in Jefferson City. In 1986, local citizens worked with city officials to preserve the home by moving it a short distance in order to save it from demolition during an urban renewal project. The German vernacular design, noted for its brick exterior, speaks to the abundance of German immigrants that settled in Jefferson City during the nineteenth century. 

The William Porth House was built of a local limestone called "cotton rock" sometime in the mid to late 1820s. The house is named after a man who moved to town in 1842 and became a judge. Upon his death in 1888, his son, Dr. Joseph P. Porth inherited the house and resided here with his family. Dr. Porth ran his medical practice from the walkout basement; Joseph was elected Mayor of Jefferson City in 1903 and was president of the Cole County Medical Association. The house passed out of the family's hands in 1923 and became a restaurant for decades. The building now house the corporate offices of the Architects Alliance.

The Missouri State Archives are located two blocks west of the State Capitol Building on West Main Street. The Archives are situated within the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, across the street from the historic William Porth House (also a Clio entry). The Archives houses over 336 million pages of paper, so you're sure to find something of interest! Thousands of historical maps, census records, county records, photographs, and military records of Missourians are housed here. The Archives are open for in-person research and offer tours for schoolchildren with advance notice.There are lots of resources available through their digital collection online, too.

Built from 1913 to 1917, the Missouri State Capitol is located Jefferson City and is the seat of the state government. It is the state's third capitol building. Like other state capitol buildings, it was designed in the Classical Revival style. Its most prominent feature, the dome, rises 262 feet from the basement floor. The building houses the Missouri State History Museum, which is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The capitol was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

The Missouri State Museum is located in the Missouri State Capitol. There are two galleries on the main floor that provide exhibits portraying the state's natural and cultural history. Museum staff provide tours of the Capitol and also manage Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, including the Elizabeth Rozier Gallery. The museum is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources/Missouri State Parks.

Missouri women quickly organized to advocate for suffrage, utilizing their networks from previous reform and war aid work. The Woman Suffrage Association of Missouri formed in 1867, one of the earliest such organizations in the United States. Missouri women asked the state legislature for a suffrage amendment eighteen times between 1867 and 1901 with no success. In 1868 the 14th Amendment was ratified to the Constitution and Missouri suffrage leaders argued that the 14th Amendment protected a women’s right to the vote. Virginia Minor and her husband Frank advocated for a strategy where women showed up to polling places and asked to register for the vote. After Virginia Minor was turned away from the St. Louis County Courthouse in 1872, the Minors sued the city registrar, Reese Happersett, in a case that advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the case Minor v. Happersett (1874) the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution did not grant suffrage to anyone and reaffirmed that it was the power of the states to decide who could vote. In the 1910s Missouri women continued to push for suffrage and in March 1919 the state passed legislation allowing women to vote only in presidential elections. A few months later Missouri was the 11th state to ratify the 19th Amendment on July 3, 1919. 

Located just down the street from the state capitol building, this monument commemorates the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which passed what is now Jefferson City on June 4, 1804. It consists of five bronze statues depicting expedition leaders Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Lewis' Newfoundland dog Seaman, Clark's African-American slave York, and George Drouillard, who was an interpreter, hunter and trapper. The monument is part of a plaza featuring interpretive panels describing the expedition and the Jefferson City Greenway, which is a multi-use trail that runs throughout the city.

The Jefferson Landing Historic Site is an historic area located in Jefferson City, Missouri, situated just east of the state capitol building. It is comprised of two historic structures: the Lohman Building, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and the Union Hotel. The Lohman Building has been restored as an 1850s general store and warehouse. A film about the history of Jefferson City is also shown there. The Union Hotel houses the Elizabeth Rozier Gallery, which presents rotating exhibits about Missouri history, art and culture. Admission to the site and both buildings is free.

Initially known as Jefferson's Landing Building for its first two decades of existence, Lohman's Landing Building first served the community during the pre-railroad era, and then when railroads and steamboat traffic worked in tandem. The Landing Building handled the supplies and served the persons entering the city via the Missouri River, which acted as a superhighway into Jefferson City before the railroad arrived. The historic commercial building is located within the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, a state-owned historic district that also includes the Christopher Maus House and the Union Hotel, built by Christopher's brother, Charles Maus. Charles F. Lohman and the Maus brothers came to Jefferson City from Prussia at a time when millions of Germans immigrated to the U.S., including to Jefferson City. 

Built in 1871, the Missouri Governor's Mansion is located near the state capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri. The first governor to take up residence there was Benjamin Gratz Brown (in office from January 1871-January 1873). It was designed by English native George Ingham Barnett in the Second Empire style, which was popular at the time. The style is distinguished by the use of a steep roof, which allows for another living space on the top floor. The home was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

The Cole County Historical Society is a local, non-profit organization in Jefferson City, Missouri dedicated towards educating the public about the county's history through the collection and preservation of historical artifacts and other materials. The society operates a museum, housed in the Benjamin Gratz Brown House. Docents provide tours from Tuesday to Saturday, 1 to 3 pm. Admission charges are $3 pre person, with discounts for age 55+ and schoolchildren. Ages five and under, as well as Historical society members, get admitted at no cost. Brown was elected the twentieth Governor of Missouri in 1870. He had these triple rowhouses constructed around 1871 on his wife's family's lot. One was used for housing while a new Governor's Mansion was being built, and then as a home for his mother-in-law and sister-in-law. The Benjamin Gratz Brown House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

The Cole County Courthouse in Jefferson City was built in the Romanesque Revival style, a popular form for Missouri courthouse buildings in the late nineteenth century. The structure was built as the third courthouse for the county, and the second in Jefferson City, after the county seat was moved here from Marion in the 1830s. The massive stone courthouse with a county jail was completed in 1897. The building was gutted by a fire in March 1918 that started in the central clock tower; the corner pavilions collapsed due to the damage. The first floor and basement remained intact, but new stone was required to rebuild the second story and higher. Rebuilding began in October 1918 by Louis Schell. Don't miss the bicentennial events the county has planned for 2020 - see below for info on whiskey and beer being made just for the occasion.

Constructed in 1883, Temple Beth El is the oldest synagogue still used west of the Mississippi River and the 14th oldest in the country. It is a simple one-story structure located in the heart of downtown Jefferson City. It is a Reform congregation and as such belongs to the Union of Reform Judaism. According to official records, Jews had been living in the city since at least 1865. In 1879, a few of the men formed the Jefferson City Hebrew Cemetery Association to create a place for burial and also established the congregation that year. In 1882, some women of the Hebrew Ladies Sewing Society donated money to buy a plot of land with the purpose of building the temple. These women are honored in a plaque that is on display in the temple.

Now home to the Cole County Assessor, the former Carnegie Library remains a landmark structure in Jefferson City. The library was built in 1902 and like 2508 other libraries across the United States, it was named in honor of Andrew Carnegie as his matching grant supplied half of the funds needed to construct the building. Over the next seven decades, the building not only served as a library but also as an entertainment and civic venue. The reading room and books were located on the first floor (the children's section was in the basement) and an auditorium was located on the second. A fine example of Classical architecture, the library was designed by local architecture firm Miller & Opel.

Ivy Terrace is a Queen Anne style historic home built in 1893, that was the home of Governor Lawrence V. ("Lon") Stevens. Stevens was the State Treasurer when he had the house constructed. The huge Victorian home has about six bedrooms and seven baths and offers nearly 6,000 square feet of living space. As part of its mission to fight blight in urban Jefferson City, Ivy Terrace and five other nearby historic homes nearby (dating from 1875 to 1920) were acquired in 2019 by the Jefferson City Housing Authority and offered for redevelopment. The house was slightly damaged in a tornado that struck the town recently. Dozens of potential buyers viewed the Ivy Terrace home during open houses, and a redevelopment plan was accepted in February 2020, with details to be announced.

The James A. Houchins House is a Jefferson City Landmark. Houchin dominated Missouri's burgeoning saddle horse breeding industry during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Just as wealthy industrialists routinely own expensive cars today, industrialists like Houchin invested and showcased their horse collections prior to the late 1910s. James also made money in other business ventures and proved politically influential in the Democratic Party. The Houchin family's house, and the lavish parties they hosted, speak to the family's prominence during the pre-automobile era. 

One of the city's leading figures of the early 20th century, Lester S. Parker, and his wife, Missouri "Zue" Parker, bought this elegant historic home in 1905 upon its completion. Parker was a successful businessman and is known for establishing the L.S. Parker Shoe Company. He also served as the state's first superintendent of industries at the state penitentiary across the street, and was a member of the Capitol Decoration Commission in the 1920s, which was tasked with collecting artwork for the capitol building. The house is also a fine example of Classical Revival architecture. It features a full-height porch with Ionic columns and a pediment, a balconet, a fanlight and tracery surrounding main entrance, and arched window openings with keystones and circular panels. It appears to be be an apartment building today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

The Missouri State Penitentiary is a former prison located in Jefferson City. It was in operation from 1836-2004 and as such was the oldest prison still in use in the state until it closed. Over time, buildings were added to the 47 acre site; the Warden's House, built in 1868, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The prison housed several high profile inmates such as James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King in 1968. At its peak, the prison housed 5,200 inmates. It is open for tours and operates a museum located the corner of High and Jefferson streets.

This Tour is a Walking Tour .

Jefferson City along the Missouri River Walking Tour

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Description

This tour starts at a pair of historic homes and the Missouri State Archives and includes numerous landmarks including monuments and historic houses, the State Capitol, several museums, a temple, a courthouse and the state penitentiary. Stop for a milkshake at an old-time soda fountain in a drugstore, explore numerous historic buildings, and enjoy a relatively short walk which was designed to follow the Missouri River.

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Missouri State Penitentiary Tours

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When this prison opened in 1836, the Battle of the Alamo was going on in Texas. Missouri’s prison was 100 years old when Alcatraz started housing federal prisoners. In 1967, the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) was named the “bloodiest 47 acres in America” by Time magazine. Before it closed in 2004, MSP was the oldest continually operating penitentiary west of the Mississippi River.

The Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) was decommissioned in 2004. It is open (seasonally) for public tours, operated by the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Tour guides are former corrections officers, guards and wardens who worked within the walls of MSP. Prison-related gifts and souvenirs are available for purchase.

The tours showcase the history of MSP and the early penal eras in the U.S. Tours may include: the control center, the upper yard, cellblocks in housing units A (the oldest remaining cellblock on the grounds; built in 1868) and other housing units, the dungeon cells (where inmates often went mad), the industry area, the exercise yard, and the gas chamber (where 40 inmates, men and women, were executed).

Visit cells of famous inmates such as heavyweight champion Sonny Liston and James Earl Ray (who escaped in 1967 and went on to assassinate Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968).

The Missouri State Penitentiary is an incredibly historical site. Because of the nature and subject of the tours, no children younger than 10 are permitted. Photographs are allowed, but no video may be taken. No smoking. No food allowed. Because of the age of the facility, these tours are not wheelchair accessible. All attendees must sign a waiver of liability. Persons younger than 18 must have guardian’s signature on the waiver.

This CVB reserves the right to refuse admission to anyone. You may experience low visibility, damp or wet conditions, uneven ground and stairs. You should not enter if you suffer from asthma, heart conditions, are prone to seizures, have physical ailments or any type of condition that prohibits you from walking or standing. Do not enter this attraction if you are intoxicated, wearing any form of cast, medical brace, are using crutches or a wheelchair, or have any type of physical limitation.

Reservations are required for all tours. Every person on the tour must have a reservation. You may visit the website and call the CVB for details, schedules and reservations. Extended and paranormal (ghost) tours are offered. Special and group tours may be arranged.

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Book your history or ghost tour this 2024 season | March - November

History Tours

Step back in time at the msp.

With the history tours at Missouri State Penitentiary, you’ll truly feel the history! Our history tours will immerse you in the prison’s past with fascinating stories about the dangerous inmates that walked its halls and changed the prison system in the United States. On one of our tours, a former inmate will even relate what the penitentiary was like from the perspective of one incarcerated in its cells. Our private and student tours are also a great way to have a more intimate experience of the MSP. Choose your tour below!

• Most Popular History Tour
• Users 5 and Under Not Permitted
• Hour Glass 2 hours
• Tags History

2-Hour History Tour

Step back in time and discover the intriguing history of the infamous Missouri State Penitentiary on this guided tour! Hear about escape attempts, riots, female inmates, and more.

• Users 9 and Under Not Permitted
• Hour Glass 3 hours

3-Hour In-Depth History Tour

Learn the fascinating history and tales of Missouri’s most notorious state penitentiary with this in-depth three-hour tour that covers more details than the two-hour tour.

• June 15 and 29, 2024

3-Hour Former Inmate Tour

Learn about the Missouri State Penitentiary from a unique angle on this tour that includes a Q&A with a former inmate! Discover how the inmates spent their days within the walls.

Private 2-Hour History Tour

Discover Jefferson City’s lawless past with a private tour of the Missouri State Penitentiary! Perfect for groups of 25 or more, this private tour includes everything you want to know.

Private 3-Hour In-Depth History Tour

Explore the Missouri State Penitentiary with a group of 25 or more on this private experience that goes more in-depth than the private two-hour tour of the facility.

• Users Ages 5 or 10 years old
• Hour Glass 1 hour & 2 hours

Private Student History Tour

Bring your students to learn the fascinating history of Jefferson City’s most notorious penitentiary! This private tour is perfect for student groups and includes age-appropriate content.

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Bicentennial Bridge to Adrian's Island

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You’ll feel the history at these remarkable landmarks throughout Missouri’s capital, revealing stunning architecture and prominent stories of Jefferson City’s past.

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Missouri State Penitentiary Tours

Review Highlights

“ For some reason they collected our flashlights before we went over to the gas chamber and it was REALLY dark over there. ” in 11 reviews

“ Our tour guide was a guard when the prison was open, and his stories made everything that much more interesting. ” in 12 reviews

“ Mike Groose, the former warden of the now-closed facility, reeled off one story after another during the tour. ” in 3 reviews

Location & Hours

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115 Lafayette St

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Serving Jefferson City Area

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Public History and Paranormal Tours, Student HistoryTours, Private Tours Available for Groups of 20 or More, 5- & 8-Hour Public & Private Overnights …

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Is it true that there are 100's of body's still buried under the parking lot beside the gas chamber?

Yes. Theres bodies with no records of being moved because even though the bodies have been dead for a long long time the small pox disease and one other disease can lay dormant in the ground and digging up the bodies could lead to another outbreak… more

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I went on a tour on Friday evening and had the BEST time! This was such an interesting and fun experience that I would definitely do again! Highly recommend!

See all photos from Erin D. for Missouri State Penitentiary Tours

Interesting and informative. Great tour and well worth the money. Make a stop for this tour.

We did the 3 hour - ghost tour. It was fun! Writing this review because it's what I wanted to see before I went. What do you wear? Tennis shoes and dress for the weather. There is no heat/air. We went August 19th and it was hot! Do they have EMF readers? Yes, take your ID with you they will keep it until you turn your meter back in. Flashlights? Take one or a headlamp. You can use your phone but who are we kidding, no one ever has a full charge. Fill out the waiver BEFORE you get there to make check in easy and quick. Gift shop is available, however, you will be able to buy things before the tour as it's not open afterwards. There is bottled water available for purchase in the gift shop. Okay, for the tour. Our tour started at 11. Your guide takes you around to the different buildings and tells you a little bit about the history and what each building was used for (i.e. gen pop, death row, women's ward, max security) after about 25 minutes of setting the ground rules you're free to wander about the property and enter each building when, how, where you want. You can sit in one place for a while and then slowly move to another. Or stay in one spot the whole time. There were about 40 people on the tour but you're not hardly in the same places as the others because you're all moving around.

See all photos from Morgan M. for Missouri State Penitentiary Tours

Went on a tour today. Michael and Fred did an amazing job! I would recommend this experience!

The bloodiest 47 acres in the USA is the legend of this ghostly prison which trapped inmates within it's chiseled stone walls for 160 years! Alcatraz had less murders within it's walls in it's entire existence, than the Missouri State Penitentiary experienced annually. Lots of famous prisoners checked in here. James Earl Ray escaped from here hiding in a bread box in 1967 and killed MLK in 1968. The visit to the gas chamber was ghastly!

See all photos from Bill S. for Missouri State Penitentiary Tours

On September 15, 2023 we went on a history tour. Our tour guide, Mike, was very knowledgeable and informative. He made the tour interactive and gave us a lot of facts. The 2 hours went very quickly. I would highly recommend for any history buff. He was even able to make a connection to our home area with 3 inmates making it even more interesting.

This was a very interesting tour. I would recommend for anyone visit going the area. The gas chamber was especially creepy.

We went here for a 5 hour ghost hunting experience with equipment. Ghost Hunters was also here filming the same night. Because of them our tour got delayed about 2 hours and we never got a reimbursement for the time lost. Instead of being able to go off on our own we had to wait just to get our EMF readers and then had to wait to rotate. This is one of the least spiritually active places I have visited. None of the spirits communicated, no shadow figures, some orbs here and there but nothing significantly different. This place has potential but if only the group sizes were smaller than 55 and people weren't completely disrespectful it would have been a better experience.

Larry was a great tour guide through this unique experience. I learned a lot of history about America's bloodiest 47 acres. Top thing we did in Jefferson City.

My husband and I did the 2 hour ghost tour for our anniversary and it was well worth the money! We had a blast! The tour guides Tom and Mary-Ann were so nice and knowledgeable about the prisons history. We will definitely be coming back and for the longer ghost tour!

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Missouri State Capitol

At missouri state museum, center of state government.

The present Capitol is the third to stand in Jefferson City. The first, built in 1826 when the seat of government moved to the city, measured 40 feet by 60 feet and served as home for Missouri's governors. Flames engulfed that building in 1837, but construction of a second and much larger Capitol had already started on a nearby hill. This classical Revival structure was enlarged in the late 1880s to accommodate a growing government, but it also burned on Feb. 5, 1911, in one of the most spectacular fires in Missouri's history. Despite the total loss of the building, many state records were saved through the heroic efforts of hundreds of volunteers, prisoners, legislators and public officials.

A few months later, in a special election held Aug. 1, 1911, Missourians approved the issuance of $3.5 million in state bonds for a new Capitol. New York designers Egerton Swartwout and Evarts Tracy were selected to design the new building, which was officially dedicated on Oct. 6, 1924.

When the special property tax earmarked for the Capitol generated a $1 million surplus, the attorney general ruled that the money had to be used on the building. It was decided to use the money to decorate the Capitol, and a five-person commission recruited some of the most notable artists of the day including Frank Brangwyn, N.C. Wyeth, James Earle Fraser and Alexander Stirling Calder. The result is a splendid collection of stained glass, murals, carvings and statuary portraying Missouri's history, legends and cultural achievements.

In 1935, the Missouri House of Representatives commissioned Missouri native Thomas Hart Benton to paint a mural on the four walls of the House Lounge, a large meeting room on the third floor in the Capitol's west wing. The mural at first sparked controversy among the legislators with its bold and vivid scenes of everyday Missouri life. Surviving attempts to whitewash it, Benton's "Social History of Missouri" is now a source of pride and a popular stop for visitors touring the Capitol.

Part of the original Capitol plans called for a ground-floor museum that showcased Missouri's cultural and natural history. Now operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources , the Missouri State Museum features exhibits , dioramas and changing displays. The east wing of the museum, originally named the Missouri Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in 1919 to recognize Missourians who served during World War I, now serves as the state museum's History Hall. The Resources Museum, created in 1921 to display the products of the state's forests, fields and mines, today serves as the state museum's Resources Hall.

All four floors of Missouri's Capitol are open to the public. A 45-minute guided tour is the best way to experience the historic and decorative features of the building. A walk around the Capitol grounds highlights more of Missouri's history, including Karl Bitter's bronze relief of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, which sits on the terrace overlooking the Missouri River.

Whether viewing the interior or exterior, the Missouri state Capitol provides visitors a rewarding glimpse of the cultural and natural legacy of our state.  

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Tour of City

A Brief History of the City Jefferson City, Missouri, the state´s capital, was named for Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. Jefferson´s vision for the expansion of US territories led to the Louisiana Purchase. Missouri was part of that purchase. Jefferson City is located on the Missouri River near the geographic center of the state, and is dominated by a beautiful domed Capitol, rising from a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark passed beneath that bluff on their historic expedition. From the Capitol Complex the city extends eastward, southward, and westward over ridges and valleys paralleling the south bank of the river. On the north side of the river, where the airport is located, zoning is primarily commercial.

How Jefferson City became the State Capital When the Missouri Territory was organized in 1812, St. Louis was the seat of government. St. Charles served as the capital until Jefferson City was chosen as the new capital in 1821. In many ways, the manner in which Jefferson City was chosen as a site for Missouri´s capital is reminiscent of the political wrangling which resulted in the formation of the District of Columbia, home of our nation´s capital. The site for Missouri´s capital was chosen as a compromise between two major population centers. In the case of the District of Columbia it was North and South. In Jefferson City´s case it was East and West. In 1821 Jefferson City was known as Lohman´s Landing. It was little more than a trading post located in the wilderness about midway between St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1826 the Missouri legislature first met here. In 1839 the site was incorporated as a city. In a serendipitous way, those early founders insured that Jefferson City would become one of the most beautiful state capitals in the nation. The great domed Capitol, resembling the one in Washington, D.C., stands majestically at the center of the city, unlike many state capitols, which are frequently dwarfed by nearby skyscrapers. In Jefferson City the Capitol Complex dominates the skyline in an imposing way and visitors arriving from any direction know they have arrived at a seat of government.

The present building, which was completed in 1917, is particularly noteworthy for its murals by Missouri-born painter Thomas Hart Benton. It houses both legislative branches of government. The Governor´s Mansion, completed in 1871, lies adjacent to the Capitol separated only by a picturesque garden. Nearby are the Jefferson Building (1952), the State Office Building (1938), the Supreme Court Building (1906), and the Truman Building (1983).

Before the Louisiana Purchase In pre-columbian times, this region was home of an ancient people known as the Mound People . In fact, the largest prehistoric city in North America was located just 160 miles east of here in what is now Cahokia, Illinois. The city had several pyramid-like mounds which remain to this day. The disappearance of the Mound People remains a mystery. When European settlers began arriving here, the indigenous peoples were called the Osage Indians.

The mouth of the Missouri River was explored by the French explorers Jolliet and Marquette in 1673. In 1682 La Salle came down the Mississippi and included the country in Louisiana, which he claimed for France. In 1715 Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac opened a lead mine in present Madison County. Philip Renault, another Frenchman, worked the mines in this area with slaves until 1744. The first permanent white settlement was made by the French, at Ste. Genevieve, in the late 1740s. The second settlement, St. Louis, was founded by Pierre Laclede in 1764. Many new settlers arrived from Kentucky and Tennessee by way of the Ohio River and its tributaries.

Soon after 1789, the Spanish built a road (El Camino Real, "The King´s Highway") northward from New Madrid to St. Louis. This route is now US 61. Early in the 1800s Daniel Boone blazed Boone´s Lick Trail (now Interstate 70) westward from St. Charles to the Missouri River at Franklin. The Santa Fe Trail, opened in 1821, ran from Franklin westward to Independence and then southwestward. From Independence also the Oregon Trail branched westward. The state´s system of modern highways originated with the Centennial Road Law of 1921.

The "Show Me" State Missouri's "nickname" is the Show Me State. The expression is usually traced to a speech given in 1899 in Philadelphia by Willard D. Vandiver, a Missouri congressman: "I come from a country that raises corn, cotton, cockleburs, and Democrats. I´m from Missouri, and you´ve got to show me."

Portions of the above were excerpted from Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia. Copyright © 1994, 1995 Compton’s NewMedia, Inc.

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Jefferson City Arts Foundation

Introducing...

Portals of history, jefferson city historic walking tour.

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Portals of History Walking Tour is a free, 2 day, audio-visual, narrated walking and biking exploration experience of Jefferson City.  The Jefferson City Arts Foundation, a city-wide nonprofit, in partnership with The Missouri Humanities Council, Historic Walking Tours, and local sponsors allowed the smart device app to be created.  The Jefferson City Arts Foundation exists to culturally enrich this capital city beautifully perched along the Missouri River. From that perspective, the Foundation set out to develop an easily accessible, artistic connection to the city’s past.  The Portals of History App offers a unique way to experience the rich history of Jefferson City.  Students, residents, and tourists will be connected to colorful and significant sites and events through this self-guided tour. The app is constructed to be expandable as new sites are identified.

Contributors

Historians/Professional Organizations

Jefferson City Convention & Visitors Bureau

Cole County Historical Society

Historic City of Jefferson

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Walter Schroeder,  author & local historian

Henry Gensky, local historian

Terry Casey, Cole County Historical Society

Tour Guides

Tiffany Patterson, Director - Missouri State Museum

Tom Ronk, Co-Coordinator - Discovery Expedition of St. Charles

Rebecca Gordon, Executive Director - Friends of the Missouri Governor's Mansion

Allen Tatman, Owner - Paddy Malone's Pub

Greg Barnes, local performer

Dale Eickhoff, local performer

Mark Schrieber, Missouri State Penitentiary historian and Jefferson City Councilman

John Peterson, Interpretive Resource Specialist - Missouri State Museum

Features List

Learn the History of Jefferson City with One Click

-Audio Tours

-Video Tours & Historic Snippets

-iphone & android compatibility, -enjoy from anywhere & in any order, how often are new sites added to the app.

New sites will be added as they are identified based on importance to the city’s past and relevance to the future. Do you have a suggestion for a new site? Submit an inquiry below through the contact form. We would love to hear from you!

Is this App really free?

YES! This App is 100% free for all users - thanks to a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council.

I’ve seen other Apps that serve similar purposes. What makes yours the best?

Portals of History is a unique App created specifically for Jefferson City. It includes customized text and audio site narrations with the addition of original, entertaining videos showcasing local performers for selected Jefferson City sites. This App was created in partnership with the premiere, nationally-respected Historic Walking Tours which has developed tours for cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal, and more!

I found an issue on the App or would like to request a change. How do I request that?

It's simple, really. Just use the inquiry form below to submit a request. Your request will be reviewed within 5 business days.

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