All Things to Do in Missouri

102 South Main St. Ste. Geneviève, MO, 63670 Call us at 573-883-8233 Hours Open Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Wednesday This specialty shop sells fine European home décor and garden items made and manufactured only in Europe. Discover French linens, Scottish jewelry, Italian and German porcelain, English creamware, Swedish linens, Irish wools, and French and Italian soaps. In addition, many of these products come from companies that have been in business for well over a century. Read more…

Felix Vallé House State Historic Site – Where French Heritage Meets American Influence Step into a pivotal moment in American history at the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site, where the elegant furnishings and sophisticated architecture tell the story of how Ste. Genevieve’s French colonial community adapted to life under American rule following the Louisiana Purchase. This beautifully preserved home offers a fascinating window into a time of cultural transition, when old-world French traditions met the emerging American republic. A House That Bridges Two Worlds Built in 1818, the Felix Vallé House represents a significant departure from the earlier French Creole vertical log architecture that characterized Ste. Genevieve’s colonial period. Instead, the house embraces the American-Federal style that was sweeping the young United States—featuring refined proportions, symmetrical design, and the kind of architectural sophistication that announced the Vallé family’s status and their adaptation to the new American cultural landscape. Yet this wasn’t a complete abandonment of French identity. The house and its furnishings reflect a fascinating blend: French families like the Vallés maintaining their cultural heritage while simultaneously embracing the styles, goods, and opportunities that came with American governance. Walking through these rooms, you witness the negotiation between tradition and Read more…

Around 4th of July Admission is FREE Celebrate Ste. Geneviève’s Independence Day public gathering with music, speeches, and fireworks! At noon there is a traditional celebration with a church bell ringing, Pledge of Allegiance, patriotic speeches, and music, as well as an honor salute by various local organizations. That evening the local Muny Band will perform patriotic music, and at dusk, Fireworks will explode in Ste. Geneviève’s Pere Marquette Park. Read more…

Centre for French Colonial Life Gift Shop – Where Every Purchase Supports Preservation of America’s French Colonial Heritage Inside the Centre for French Colonial Life at 198 Market Street—the modern, purpose-built headquarters for the French Colonial America museum campus—French Colonial America’s Gift Shop offers carefully selected items enhancing the educational experience of one of America’s most significant French colonial historic sites. Open daily (Monday-Saturday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday Noon – 4:00 PM), this well-stocked museum shop sells books deepening understanding of French colonial history, CDs featuring period music, children’s games making history interactive, and branded merchandise featuring FCA’s signature trademarked logo—shirts, sweatshirts, hats, drinkware, magnets, ornaments, and postcards letting visitors take a piece of Ste. Genevieve’s 290-year French colonial legacy home. Every purchase directly supports the museum’s mission: funding preservation of National Historic Landmark buildings, educational programming reaching thousands annually, scholarly research advancing academic understanding, and professional maintenance protecting irreplaceable architectural and cultural heritage for future generations. The Centre for French Colonial Life: Your Gateway to French Colonial America Understanding the gift shop requires understanding the Centre itself—the sophisticated headquarters facility serving as interpretive foundation and administrative hub for the entire French Colonial America museum campus. The Campus: Read more…

Green Tree Tavern – Missouri’s Oldest Standing Building and a Window Into Frontier History Standing across from the famed locus of Jour de Fête in Sainte Geneviève, the Green Tree Tavern represents more than just historic architecture—it’s a living chronicle of American frontier life, cultural convergence, and the diverse lives that shaped the westward expansion. As the oldest verified building in Missouri, scientifically dated to 1790 through dendrochronology, this French colonial structure has served as family home, gathering place, inn, tobacco shop, and the meeting hall for the first Masonic Lodge west of the Mississippi River. Now part of Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park, Green Tree Tavern offers visitors a tangible connection to the complex, layered history of America’s heartland. A Building That Tells Multiple Stories What makes Green Tree Tavern exceptional isn’t just its age—it’s the remarkable diversity of human experiences that unfolded within its walls. Built by Nicolas Janis, a French Canadian immigrant from Kaskaskia, Illinois, the structure became home to his family and the fifteen people they enslaved. This uncomfortable truth sits at the foundation of Green Tree Tavern’s story, reminding us that Missouri’s early settlement depended on the forced labor of enslaved African Americans whose experiences Read more…