Family Fun

Historic Downtown Ste. Geneviève Bring your friends and enjoy a leisurely stroll among the shops, restaurants, and art galleries of downtown Ste. Geneviève. During the 4th Friday Art Walks, Ste. Geneviève art galleries offer visitors the opportunity to view the works of local and regional artists displaying a variety of art forms. During the Fourth Friday Art Walk, many businesses in the Historic District participate by extending their store hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Start your tour at the Welcome Center where you can view two important art collections, as well as pick up a map to the galleries. The 4th Friday Art Walk is sponsored by the Gallery Association of Sainte Geneviève. Art Walks are on the fourth Friday of each month from February thru November. Refreshments may be served at various locations and there are five restaurants with regular evening hours in the historic district. Local Article Read more...

Craft Showroom 183 South Third St., Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-883-2095 Daily Hours 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  *Demonstrations Daily About ASL Pewter Foundry:  What would you expect to find walking the streets of the oldest town in Missouri?  If I said we had a pewter foundry, you might raise a quizzical brow.  If you know what pewter is, you understand how rare the practice of making has become.  If you’re raising your brow because you’ve never heard of pewter, then it confirms how rare the practice is.   Pat and Tom Hooper have been keeping this ancient practice alive for nearly 40 years.  They spent years travelling the Ren Faire circuit, showing off their high quality, lead free wares.  Their designs became so sought after that it landed them a trip to the Whitehouse during George W. Bush’s administration.  A picture of the couple with first lady Laura Bush sits in their office.  Their work has also been featured heavily in period television, most notably in the series, John Adams, starring Paul Giamatti.  No trip to Sainte Geneviève is truly complete without seeing the work of Pat and Tom and getting to pet the two friendly savannah Read more...

8932 Jackson School Road Bloomsdate, MO 63627 Call us at 573-483-9021 Check-in advance for open hours. Interested in a fun day at Baetje Farms? Schedule a tour of our world famous creamery, goats, barn, and a complimentary cheese tasting! Baetje Farms is open to the public Monday through Thursday and often on Sundays. Please check our website for updates. While you are there, feed the goats and then feed yourself award-winning goat cheese for a truly memorable experience! Read more...

8932 Jackson School Road Bloomsdale, MO 63627 Call us at 573-483-9021 Check-in advance for open hours. For a one-of-a-kind wine and cheese tasting experience, visit Baetje Farms. Baetje Farms is open to the public Monday through Thursday and often on Sundays. Please check our website for updates. While you are there, feed the goats and then feed yourself award-winning goat cheese for a truly memorable experience! Read more...

327 St Marys Rd Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-883-7102 Open seasonally Built around 1792 by Jean-Baptiste St. Gemme Beauvais, the Beauvais-Amoureux Historic House overlooks Ste. Geneviève’s communal agricultural fields, le Grand Champ. Its upright cedar log walls are set directly into the earth in the rare “poteaux-en-terre” or “posts-in-the-earth” architecture method of construction. Heavy, hand-hewn timbers form the Norman truss system which supports the steeply-pitched roof that is reminiscent of early French Canadian architecture. This vertical log home was purchased by Benjamin Amoureux in 1852 and later inherited by his wife Pelagie. Visit Pelagie Amoureux to hear her story. This house is now part of the National Park Service. Tour a display explaining how vertical log buildings were constructed and a large, impressive diorama depicting the village of Ste. Geneviève as it was in 1832!  Free A bit about the house Read more...

351 St Marys Rd Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-747-1000 Open Saturdays 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. seasonally by request. Built in 1808, the Bequette-Ribault House, located across from Le Grand Champ or the “Big Field,” is an excellent example of “poteaux-en-terre” or “posts-in-the-earth” architecture. Ste. Geneviève is home to 3 out of 5 remaining such buildings. Poteaux-en-terre architecture is in reference to the vertical logs built directly into the ground without a foundation. The Bequette Ribault House was restored by Chaumette’s owners Hank and Jacque Johnson. In one of its outbuildings, a Hospitality Center features a tasting bar offering tastings and purchases of Chaumette’s award-winning wines. Public tours are typically available on Saturdays, from noon to 5 p.m. and from Memorial Day to October. Private tours on Saturdays can be arranged during the winter months by calling 573-747-1000. For more info visit their website. Read more...

Entry at 198 Market St Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573.883.3105 Hours Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 P.M. The Bolduc House was the home of Louis Bolduc, a French Creole merchant, built in the late 18th century in the unique French Creole vertical timber style of architecture.  It was restored in the 1950s to its 1790s appearance, and is a National Historic Landmark.  The house is fully furnished with original late 18th-early 19th century artifacts.  Guided tours also take guests into the LeMeilleur House next door, which was a home built around 1820 by one of Louis’ granddaughters. This also is furnished with original artifacts and illustrates how many aspects of life in this region changed within a relatively short time span, while other elements of Creole life did continue. Tours happen every hour on the half hour (except 12:30) and tickets for the house tours may be purchased at the campus gift shop inside the Centre for French Colonial Life at the corner of 2nd and Market Streets. Adult/$15, Student/$7. Free to the military with I.D. Call to schedule a group tour. Read more...

245 Merchant St. Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at (573) 880-7030 Hours Wednesday and Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Facebook The Brix Urban Winery and Market tasting room are located in the heart of Ste. Geneviève’s National Historic District. Guests can find a pleasant respite under the shade of their grape arbor or in their wine-related gift shop that features unique gifts, souvenirs, and collectible items for the home wine enthusiast. Discover numerous historic attractions within easy walking distance of the winery while tasting a sample of your favorite sweet wine or honey mead. Most Bed and Breakfast Inns, restaurants, historic homes, and antique shops are in the Historic District. Read more...

Open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 P.M. The Centre for French Colonial Life is the headquarters for the French Colonial America museum campus. This building houses changing exhibits, a gift shop, and offices.  Other buildings include the historic Bolduc and Lemeilleur Houses and the Beauvais-Linden Living History house.  Tickets for guided tours of the National Historic Landmark Bolduc House and the neighboring LeMeilleur House may be purchased at the Centre. The Linden House features living history presentations and demonstrations on Saturdays from Late March to early November. At the Centre for French Colonial Life museum, the current special exhibits include:  Saving St. Louis, which tells the story of the 60 militiamen from Ste. Geneviève who helped thwart a British attack in 1780 during the Revolutionary War; and To Shelter and Sustain which explains the origins and construction methods used in the distinctive and unique structures built by the French Creole residents of this region in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Admission to the Centre for French Colonial Life is $10 for adults and $5 for children.  House tours are $15 for adults and $7 for Read more...

Saturday August 27, 2022 When: 4th Saturday in August Call us at 800-373-7007 or 573-883-7097 A family-friendly, living history event! Observe Civil War camp life and demonstrations of marching, and musket fire. Learn about Ste. Geneviève citizens who fought in the war, some on each side. It is actually being held on Saturday, August 27th. The camp will be set up in the yard of the Felix Valle House State Historic Site. From 11:00am to 11:45am on that day, we will do a re-enactment of the Federal troops taking money from our bank during the early days of the Civil War. The re-enactment will be on the corner of Merchant and Main in front of the Show Me Shop. Read more...

Location: Historic Downtown Ste. Geneviève 800-373-7007 573-883-7097 Attention shoppers: Follow the Cookie Crumb Trail! Sample cookies and collect recipes to get started on your own Christmas baking! Participating downtown shops will feature a different cookie recipe and have sample cookies for you to taste. Proceeds go to a local family in need. Just in time for Christmas! Read more...

19620 State Route B Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-883-9909 Enjoy a 45-minute guided walking tour of Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary. Learn where the animals were rescued from, their personalities, and how you can help these amazing big cats as well as their wild relatives. After the tour, head down to our Education Center and Gift Shop where you can view and even touch tiger artifacts such as teeth, claws, and a tiger pelt, just to name a few. Visitors receive a complimentary tasting of Fizzy Izzy Root Beer named after our very own, Izzy tiger. All of the pathways are paved and accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. April thru Nov | Thursday thru Sunday | 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and  3:00 p.m. Dec thru March | Saturday, and Sunday | 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and  3:00 p.m. Read more...

October 22, 2022 “Meet” Dr. Lewis Linn, Missouri’s model Senator, Ferdinand Rozier an early merchant, and Jean Baptiste Valle an early leader of the community. Or “meet” folks portraying the well-to-do, or the not-so-well-to-do, residents of Ste. Geneviève’s history before 1880? At the Déjà vu Spirit Reunion, on the 4th Saturday in October from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., visitors will experience these stories and more as the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Geneviève hosts its annual event in the historic Memorial Cemetery. Tour the cemetery via lantern light and chat “face-to-face” with friendly spirits clad in traditional dress and enjoy a hauntingly good time. Sponsored by the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Geneviève as a fundraiser for Memorial Cemetery. Read more...

130 N Main Street Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Email jrissoverart@gmail.com Call us at: 573-330-2620 Always a sure bet to find a unique gift, E•Klek•TiX Gallery and Studio feature original work by local artist J Rissover and a collection of gift and decorative items from many parts of the world. Read more...

Merchant & 2nd Streets Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-883-7102 Hours Open Wednesday thru Sunday April to October Thursday thru Sunday: November to March Travel back to Missouri’s early French roots at Felix Vallé House State Historic Site. The American-Federal style Vallé house was built in 1818 and today is furnished in the style of the 1830s with a host of artifacts that show the American influence on the French community of Ste. Geneviève after the Louisiana Purchase. This historic site was the home of one of Ste. Geneviève’s premier colonial families, Felix and Odile Pratte Vallé. The house features the family’s living quarters displaying beautiful early Empire furnishings with fully restored, original mantels and interior trim. An outside staircase on the back porch leads to fully furnished, second-floor bedrooms. The charming garden features original brick and frame outbuildings. Special Saturday activities are offered seasonally. Admission includes guided tours. Meet your guide in the gift shop located across the street. Tours are offered at 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. 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...

Celebrates 300 years of French culture and traditions! Experience living history, live traditional music and more! The Second Saturday in June “Hence I have heard the guitar resound soon after sunset, with the complaints and amorous tales of the village swains, and heard the same hand, which toiled all day in the wilderness and in the waste, strike the tender notes of love in the evening. The custom seemed to pervade all ranks. Nearly every house had its group, and every group its guitar, fiddler, storyteller, or singer. As the evening advanced and the beat diminished, walking commenced, and towards midnight the music of the village united, the little world crowded to the spot and danced with infinite gaiety and mirth till past one in the morning. The Waltz had most votaries; the Pas de deux next, and the Fandango was the favorite of the few remaining Spaniards of the village.” -Thomas Ashe on dancing in Ste. Genevieve The French Heritage Festival is hosted by the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve and plays a major part in our Frontier French Calendar of Events. It’s a time for us once again to dress as our French ancestors, and carry on Read more...

Fourth and Merchant streets Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 573.883.0584 Website This National Register property is owned by the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve. Constructed in 1806 for Jacques Jean Rene Guibourd de Luzinais, it is recognized for its authentic “poteaux-sur-solle” (post on a sill) vertical log construction. Only at this site can visitors enter the attic to see and touch the massive Norman truss system made of hewn logs and wooden pins.  The home also features an elegant collection of Louis XV and XVI French antique furnishings and a lovely walled garden. Guided tours are available at 9:15 am and 12:15 pm, seven days a week, April through early December. Other times are available with advance notice. Closed on Easter and Thanksgiving. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Inquire for group and family rates. During the winter months we offer tours by prior arrangement only. Call 573-883-0584 to schedule an off-season tour. Two days’ notice is appreciated. Read more...

Hwy 144 off Highway 32 Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 573-883-3603 Just 25 minutes west of Ste. Geneviève, Hawn State Park is one of the best wilderness experiences that nature has to offer. The nearly 5,000-acre park features beautifully manicured areas for day use tent or RV camping. The River Aux Vases and Pickle Creeks provide added fun for staying cool in the summer. Dogwood and redbud trees along with numerous types of wildflowers give the park a stunning backdrop for your experience in the spring. Fall is especially colorful with the trees in their full autumn attire. Maps are available to guide visitors in hiking the many trails ranging from 2 to 10 miles in length. Read more...

Hickory Canyons Natural Area, Sprott Road Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Lamotte sandstone formed box canyons here from the sandy beaches of a shallow ocean that existed 500 million years ago. Millions of years of erosion and uplift of the Ozark Plateau exposed the sandstone we see today. After a rain event, a wet-weather waterfall can be enjoyed from the end of the 1/4 mile hiking trail on the east side of the county road. Another 1-plus mile trail loops through a canyon on the west side of Sprott Road. In the winter, the bluffs drip with icicles that sparkle in the sun. This area is botanically rich, supporting glacial relics, species that were more common in Missouri 12,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. Since then, the climate has warmed, forcing some species to inhabit micro-climates that mimic the cool, moist conditions of glacial times. Glacial relics at Hickory Canyons include hay-scented fern, fir clubmoss, and winterberry. The area is rich in fern species with over a dozen species represented. Read more...

First full weekend in December in historic downtown Ste. Geneviève. Admission: Free Call us at 573-883-7097The 39th annual Ste. Genevieve Holiday Christmas Festival will be Saturday, December 2nd and Sunday, December 3rd – but it’s much more than just your typical holiday weekend event. It boasts one of the finest Christmas celebrations in all of Missouri, but it’s also lauded as one of the top two Christmas celebrations in the entire Midwest according to AAA magazine. With a setting amidst historic houses, churches, art galleries, museums and a National Park this world-class event includes more than a dozen free performances by famed local and regional musicians, a magician, free crafts for children and adults, historical dancers, historical lectures, an Art Guild show, elegant receptions at various historic sites, a tree-trimming and a live nativity. Also back this year is Le Reveillon, a French Christmas celebrating food, customs and decorations of an early 1800’s Christmas Eve. According to Annette Rolfe, the Executive Director of the event, the weekend will cover more than 700 years of holiday-themed music from Renaissance to 21st Century jazz. Performances include a chamber choir, Madrigal singers, historical French singers, French café singers, a string quartet, a classical Read more...