Get outside
Things to do
Where the Cherokee crossed the Mississippi, a Civil War–era mill and covered bridge, Cape Girardeau’s riverfront murals and 1861 fort, and Jackson’s courthouse square — all within the county, plus places to eat, shop, and stay.
Riverfront & Downtown Cape
The Mississippi floodwall murals, Lorimier’s Red House, and the rock that gave the city its name.
Mississippi River Tales Mural
Nearly 18,000 square feet of painted history across 24 panels on the downtown floodwall, telling the history of Cape Girardeau and the river. Step through the floodwall gates to Riverfront Park, where riverboats tie up, for a view of the Mississippi and the cable-stayed Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, opened in 2003.
Red House Interpretive Center
Louis Lorimier, who opened a trading post here under a Spanish grant in 1793, built his Red House in 1797, and Meriwether Lewis met him there when the Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped at Cape Girardeau on November 23, 1803. The original was destroyed by a tornado in 1850; this French colonial–style house was built in 2003 for the expedition’s bicentennial and tells the story of early Cape. It’s a certified Lewis and Clark Trail site. Open Friday and Saturday afternoons, 1 to 4 p.m.
Cape Rock Park
The rocky cape on the Mississippi that gave the city its name was blasted away for a railroad, but a remnant still stands on this promontory north of downtown overlooking the Mississippi. The name goes back to Jean Baptiste de Girardot, who set up a trading post in the area around 1733.
Historic Sites & Museums
A Civil War–era mill and covered bridge, an 1861 fort, and the oldest Protestant church building west of the Mississippi.
Bollinger Mill State Historic Site
A massive four-story mill from the Civil War era on the Whitewater River, beside the Burfordville Covered Bridge, one of only four covered bridges left in Missouri. Guided tours of the mill take about 45 minutes for up to 10 people and climb three flights of steep, open stairs; the building isn’t heated or cooled. There are picnic grounds and a short walk to the Bollinger family cemetery.
Historic Fort D
The only survivor of four earthen forts Union troops built around Cape Girardeau beginning in August 1861, designed by German-American engineers from St. Louis and built by soldiers including the 20th Illinois Infantry, Bissell’s Engineers of the West, and militia under Lt. John Wesley Powell. The earthworks, a stone blockhouse, and display panels are free to walk any time. Reenactors hold living history days on Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekend, and an original 1861 cannon fires at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day. On April 26, 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought the four-hour Battle of Cape Girardeau around the city.
Glenn House
A late-Victorian brick house built in 1883 by architect Edwin Deane as a wedding gift for his daughter Lula and her husband, David Glenn, and restored with period furnishings. It’s on the National Register, was featured on Ghost Hunters, and decks out for Christmas tours. Tours run Saturday and Sunday afternoons, 1 to 4 p.m., in season.
Crisp Museum
Southeast Missouri State University’s museum, on its River Campus near Old St. Vincent’s Church, where archaeology, history, and fine art come together. Open weekdays.
Old McKendree Chapel
A log chapel finished in 1819, often called the oldest Protestant church building still standing west of the Mississippi. It’s on the National Register, and a heritage service has been held on its grounds each September for more than 75 years.
Uptown Jackson
The county seat’s historic square, laid out in 1815 and named for Andrew Jackson in 1819. The county courthouse on the square dates from 1908, designed by P. H. Weathers, after the first one burned in 1870, and Jones Drug Store has been on the square since 1871. The Uptown commercial district is on the National Register.
Parks & Nature
Where the Cherokee crossed the Mississippi, and a nature center in Cape.
Trail of Tears State Park
More than 3,400 acres of bluffs and forest on the Mississippi, where nine of the thirteen Cherokee detachments forced west crossed the river in the harsh winter of 1838–39. The visitor center tells the story of the thousands who died on the march. Hike or ride the trails, camp, fish and swim at Lake Boutin (electric motors only), and take in the overlook above the river, one of the best places in Missouri to watch migrating waterfowl.
Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center
The Missouri Department of Conservation’s nature center in Cape Girardeau, with nature exhibits, programs, and trails. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Entertainment
A heritage railroad and a performing arts campus.
Iron Mountain Railway
A volunteer-run heritage railroad out of Jackson, pulled by a preserved E8A diesel, No. 5898, with passenger cars dating to 1926. Rides run April through New Year’s Eve, including the James Gang train robbery, ice cream and murder mystery trains, haunted rides, and the Santa Express. Fittingly, Jackson was linked to Cape Girardeau in 1877 by the first long-distance railway line in Missouri.
River Campus at Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University’s arts campus on the bluff above the river downtown, with concerts, recitals, theater, and dance through the year. See the schedule for what’s on.
Seasonal Events
When to plan a trip.
SEMO District Fair
Cape’s big September fair at Arena Park, with concerts and a parade from Capaha Park to kick it off. It runs September 12–19 in 2026; check the fair for the schedule.
Jackson Homecomers
Jackson’s summer festival, a tradition for more than a century; the town marked its 100th year in 2008. Check locally for this year’s dates.
Living History at Fort D
Free living history days at the 1861 fort, with reenactors on Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekend’s Fall Muster, and the fort’s 1861 cannon fired at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day.
Food & Drink
Places to eat and drink
Shopping
Antiques, boutiques, and local shops
Camping & Lodging
Places to stay
Gas & Convenience
Gas and supplies
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Verify before relying on this. Compiled from Missouri State Parks, the National Park Service, the City of Cape Girardeau, Visit Cape, and each venue’s own site. Hours, fees, and regulations change — check directly before a trip, especially for hunting and fishing seasons and limits.
