List of National Historic Landmarks in Missouri facts for kids

Imagine places in Missouri that are super important to the history of the whole United States! These special spots are called National Historic Landmarks (NHLs). They tell amazing stories about Missouri's past, from the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition exploring new lands, to the big changes during the American Civil War, the fight for fairness in the Civil Rights Movement, and even the exciting Space Age.

Missouri has 36 of these incredible landmarks. Two places used to be NHLs but lost their special status because they changed too much. These landmarks are spread out across many counties in Missouri, but a lot of them, about fifteen, are right in the city of St. Louis.

The National Park Service (NPS) helps take care of these landmarks. It's part of the U.S. government. The NPS decides which places are important enough to become an NHL. They also help find new places that might be good candidates. If a place is chosen, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior makes the final decision. Sometimes, a property owner might not want their place to be an NHL. In that case, it's just "eligible" for the title. All NHLs are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), which includes many historic spots, but NHLs are considered important for the entire nation.

Missouri also has five historic sites that are part of the U.S. National Park system. These places are automatically listed on the NRHP. They include a National Monument, a National Memorial, a National Battlefield, and two National Historic Sites.

Missouri's Important Historic Places

Here are some of the amazing National Historic Landmarks you can find in Missouri:

Anheuser-Busch Brewery (St. Louis)

The buildings at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis were built in the late 1800s. They are made of brick and have cool decorations like gargoyles. Even though the company has added new buildings, the historic feel of the area is still there.

Arrow Rock Historic District

The area around Arrow Rock was very important for early explorers in the 1700s, including the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804. It helped open up the American West. Later, a ferry here became a starting point for traders on the Santa Fe Trail. Today, you can visit the Arrow Rock State Park here.

George Caleb Bingham House

The famous painter George Caleb Bingham lived in this house from 1837 to 1845. While living here, he started sketching scenes of the Missouri River and frontier life. These sketches later became his well-known "genre" paintings.

Louis Bolduc House

This house was the home of Louis Bolduc from about 1785 until he passed away in 1815. Bolduc was a lead miner, merchant, and a leader in the small town of Ste. Genevieve. The house is a great example of French Colonial style, built with posts on a stone foundation and walls filled with clay and grass.

Carrington Osage Village Site

This site was home to the Big Osage tribe of Native Americans from about 1775 to 1825. It was their last home in southwest Missouri before they moved to a reservation in Kansas. The site shows how the Big Osage lived and traded. It's now the Osage Village State Historic Site.

Christ Church Cathedral (St. Louis)

Building this church started in 1859 and finished in 1867. It's a beautiful Gothic Revival style building, designed by architect Leopold Eidlitz.

James Beauchamp Clark House

This house was the home of James Beauchamp Clark from 1899 until he died in 1921. Clark was a very important person in the U.S. government, serving as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1919.

Eads Bridge

The Eads Bridge is a steel bridge built in 1874. It's over a mile long! It was designed by Captain James B. Eads. He used a special system of cantilevers to make it so long. When it was built, the bridge connected railroads going west into Missouri with those going east into Illinois.

Joseph Erlanger House

This house was the home of Joseph Erlanger from 1917 until he passed away in 1965. Erlanger was an American physiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1944.

Eugene Field House (St. Louis)

This house was the home of attorney Roswell Field. He famously represented the enslaved man Dred Scott in a very important U.S. Supreme Court case in 1857. It's also where Roswell's son, the author Eugene Field, was born. Today, it's known as the Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum.

Fort Osage

William Clark (from the Lewis and Clark Expedition) built this trading post in 1808. It was meant to protect the Osage Indians and was a successful trade house until 1822.

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the U.S.! It was designed by architect Eero Saarinen. This 630-foot tall structure opened in 1967 as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. In 2018, it became Gateway Arch National Park.

Graham Cave

In 1949, scientists found signs of ancient American civilizations in Graham Cave. These remains date back to 8,000 B.C., showing a mix of cultures from the Eastern Woodlands and Plains Indians. Today, Graham Cave is part of Graham Cave State Park.

Scott Joplin House

This house was the home of Scott Joplin, a famous American composer and pianist known as the "King of Ragtime."

Liberty Memorial

The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City was built to honor the soldiers who died in World War I. It was a huge effort, with many citizens raising over $2.5 million! The groundbreaking ceremony in 1921 included important generals from Belgium, France, Italy, Great Britain, and the United States. U.S. President Calvin Coolidge attended the dedication in 1926. The Liberty Memorial is now home to The National World War I Museum.

Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is a beautiful and historic garden in St. Louis. It's a center for plant research and conservation.

Mutual Musicians' Foundation Building

This building was a very important place for the "Kansas City Style" of jazz music. It was a center where musicians gathered and created new sounds.

John Patee House

The John Patee House is a large, historic brick building in St. Joseph.

General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home

This was the childhood home of General John J. Pershing, a very important military leader. It is now a state historic site.

Ste. Genevieve Historic District

The Ste. Genevieve Historic District has the most French colonial log buildings in the entire country! It's like stepping back in time to early French settlements.

Sanborn Field

Located on the University of Missouri campus, the research done at Sanborn Field helped create important policies for protecting soil in the United States. Also, a key antibiotic, Chlortetracycline, was first found here!

Shelley House (St. Louis)

The Shelley House was part of a very important civil rights lawsuit. This case helped make it illegal to have racial rules in property ownership deeds.

Tower Grove Park

Tower Grove Park is a large, historic park in St. Louis, known for its beautiful design and many statues.

Harry S. Truman Farm Home

This was the farm home of Harry S. Truman, who later became the 33rd President of the United States.

Harry S. Truman Historic District

The Harry S. Truman Historic District in Independence includes the home where President Truman lived for many years.

Mark Twain Boyhood Home

This was the childhood home of the famous author Mark Twain, known for books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

St. Louis Union Station

St. Louis Union Station was once one of the busiest train stations in the world. It's a grand building with amazing architecture.

United States Customhouse and Post Office (St. Louis)

This historic building, now known as the Old Post Office, served as a customhouse and post office in St. Louis.

Wainwright Building

The Wainwright Building is an important early skyscraper in St. Louis, known for its unique design.

Washington University Hilltop Campus Historic District

Much of the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis is part of this historic district. It was also part of the grounds for the 1904 World's Fair.

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site preserves a 19th-century woolen mill and farm. It's a great place to see how people lived and worked long ago.

Westminster College Gymnasium

The Westminster College Gymnasium in Fulton is famous because Winston Churchill gave his "Iron Curtain" speech here in 1946.

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

This was a home of Ulysses S. Grant, who was a famous general during the Civil War and later became President. It's now a National Historic Site.

Laura Ingalls Wilder House

This was the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the beloved author of the "Little House on the Prairie" books.

Historic National Park Service Areas

Some special historic places are part of the U.S. National Park system. These are very important national landmarks, and they were often recognized even before the National Historic Landmark program started in 1960. Missouri has five of these areas:

• George Washington Carver National Monument

This monument honors George Washington Carver, a brilliant scientist and inventor.

• Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

This site preserves the home of Civil War General and President Ulysses S. Grant.

• Gateway Arch National Park

This park includes the iconic Gateway Arch, a symbol of westward expansion.

• Harry S. Truman National Historic Site

This site preserves the homes and important places related to President Harry S. Truman.

• Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

This battlefield marks the site of an important Civil War battle in Missouri.

Former National Historic Landmarks

Sometimes, a place that was once a National Historic Landmark might lose its special status. This happens if the property changes in a way that makes it less historically important, like if it's torn down or changed a lot. The owner can ask for this, or the Secretary of the Interior can decide. Even if a place loses its NHL status, it might still be on the National Register of Historic Places.

Here are two places in Missouri that used to be NHLs:

• Goldenrod (showboat)

This historic showboat was damaged by flooding and later burned and was taken apart.

• USS Inaugural (minesweeper)

This minesweeper ship was torn from its moorings and badly damaged in 1993, becoming a total loss.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Missouri
• List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
• List of areas in the United States National Park System
• List of National Natural Landmarks in Missouri