All Day Time in Missouri

The Bolduc House Museum and LeMeilleur House – Two Centuries, Two Homes, One Remarkable Story In the heart of Ste. Genevieve’s Historic District, two neighboring houses tell one of the most compelling stories in American frontier history. The Louis Bolduc House and the LeMeilleur House, separated by just a few decades and a few yards, offer visitors a rare opportunity to witness how French Creole culture evolved during the pivotal years when the Mississippi Valley transitioned from colonial outpost to American heartland. Together, these homes create a living timeline of cultural adaptation, architectural evolution, and the persistence of identity in the face of dramatic change. The Louis Bolduc House: Portrait of Prosperity in French Colonial America The Man Behind the House Louis Bolduc wasn’t just a homeowner—he was a force in colonial Ste. Genevieve’s economic and social life. As a prosperous French Creole merchant, Bolduc built his fortune through a combination of fur trading, lead mining interests, agricultural production, and general merchandising. His business networks stretched from New Orleans up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, connecting Ste. Genevieve to broader colonial commerce. But Bolduc’s influence extended beyond business. He served as a community leader. His home reflected not just personal Read more…

Living History at the Linden House – Step Into the Past Every Saturday from late March through early November, the Linden House opens its doors to offer something rare and wonderful: the chance to experience French Creole colonial life not as distant history locked behind velvet ropes, but as living, breathing, tactile reality. This isn’t passive observation—it’s active engagement with the past, where visitors of all ages can touch history and truly understand how people lived, worked, and entertained themselves in early 19th-century Ste. Genevieve. A House That Tells Many Stories The Linden House itself embodies the layered history of Ste. Genevieve. Built in stages from 1811/1812 through the 1930s, the structure reflects how families adapted and expanded their homes across generations, responding to changing needs, prosperity, and architectural fashions. The earliest portions date to just after the Louisiana Purchase, when French Creole families were navigating the transition from Spanish and French rule to American governance. Later additions show how the property evolved as the 19th century progressed and eventually entered the 20th century. This architectural mixture —where different eras exist within a single structure—makes the Linden House particularly well-suited for living history interpretation. It’s not frozen at a single Read more…

Ste. Genevieve County Fair – Where Summer Gets Loud, Fast, and Delicious Every year on the second full weekend in July, the Ste. Genevieve County Fairgrounds transform into the epicenter of summer excitement, where engines roar, metal crunches, crowds cheer, and the irresistible aroma of fair food fills the air. This isn’t some sanitized, corporate-sponsored festival—this is a real county fair with dirt, diesel fumes, demolition, and the kind of unpretentious fun that reminds you why summer in rural America is something special. High-Octane Thrills: The Main Events Truck Pull: Power Meets Pavement Prepare for an adrenaline-pumping spectacle as gigantic trucks—modified monsters with engines—line up to test their raw power against an increasingly heavy sled. The truck pull is primal competition at its finest: driver skill, engine modifications, tire grip, and sheer mechanical force all combine as these behemoths drag massive weight down the track, their engines screaming in protest. For those unfamiliar with truck pulls, prepare to be amazed by the modifications these competitors make to their vehicles—massive tires, engine swaps, custom exhausts, and engineering tweaks that transform ordinary trucks into fire-breathing dragons of torque and horsepower. These aren’t showroom trucks; they’re purpose-built competitors representing hundreds of hours of Read more…

The Sunday After the French Heritage Festival Levee Wildlife Refuge Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-880- The famed ornithologist John James Audubon lived for a short time in Ste. Geneviève. Audubon’s Walk is a naturalist lead hike atop the Ste. Geneviève Urban Levee. Come see what shows up: cliff swallows, horned larks, red-winged blackbird, eastern bluebird, and more! Read more…

Baetje Farms – Award-Winning Cheese Meets Agritourism Excellence Just across from Chateau Ste. Genevieve winery on Jackson School Road in Bloomsdale, Baetje Farms has established itself as one of Ste. Genevieve County’s most remarkable agricultural success stories. This isn’t just a farm that happens to make cheese—it’s a comprehensive agritourism destination where award-winning artisan cheese production, immersive farm experiences, and elegant event hosting come together to create something truly special. Award-Winning Artisan Cheese: The Heart of Baetje Farms At its core, Baetje Farms is about exceptional cheese. Not mass-produced commodity cheese, but carefully crafted artisan goat cheese that has earned recognition from cheese competitions, food critics, and discerning consumers across the country. The farm’s cheeses aren’t just “good for a local product”—they’re legitimately world-class. Awards and accolades from prestigious cheese competitions validate what visitors taste for themselves: these are cheeses that stand alongside the finest artisan products from anywhere in the world. What makes Baetje Farms cheese special starts with the goats themselves. The farm raises its own herd, ensuring control over every aspect of the process from animal welfare and diet to milk quality. This vertical integration—raising the animals, producing the milk, and crafting the cheese all on-site—allows for Read more…