All Shopping in Missouri

ASL Pewter Foundry – A Working Pewter Studio Where Tom and Pat Hooper Keep Colonial Metalworking Alive A working pewter foundry in Missouri’s oldest town sounds improbable until you remember that Sainte Geneviève has always been a place where history isn’t just preserved but practiced. At 183 South 3rd Street, Tom and Patricia Hooper have spent nearly 40 years creating museum-quality pewter pieces using techniques that colonial craftspeople would recognize—casting molten tin alloy into antique molds, spinning flat pewter discs on an 1873 water-powered lathe (now electrified), and welding handles onto tankards with micro-torch precision. This isn’t a demonstration for tourists watching behind ropes. This is an active studio where you can commission custom pieces, watch the Hoopers work, learn the chemistry and history of the tin-based alloy that graced America’s founding families’ tables, and leave with functional heirlooms made by hands that understand centuries-old craft traditions. The work has earned White House recognition (Pat and Tom visited during George W. Bush’s administration, meeting First Lady Laura Bush), appeared in HBO’s John Adams miniseries starring Paul Giamatti, and attracted collectors who recognize that genuinely handcrafted American pewter—100% lead-free, made using antique tools and traditional methods—has become exceptionally rare in an 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…

Belle Ever After Boutique LLC – Where a Mother-Daughter Passion for Fashion Builds Women Up, One Outfit at a Time “Belle Ever After is a family-owned boutique, bringing a little fun and fashion to downtown Ste. Genevieve, MO. We’re all about cute clothes, great gifts, and helping women feel their best. Stop by, say hi, and see what’s new — we can’t wait to help you find something you love!” At 1 South Main Street in the heart of historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, Belle Ever After Boutique represents what happens when a “crazy idea” born from mother-daughter love for fashion transforms into thriving family business dedicated to helping women feel confident and beautiful. Established in 2017, this family-owned boutique now operates two locations—Ste. Genevieve and downtown Old Town Cape Girardeau—plus a robust online presence, all focused on a mission that transcends mere retail: “We LOVE helping build women up! We’re all beautiful in our own way, sometimes we just lack confidence and need a little help showing our inner beauty.” Carrying hand-selected clothing (sizes Small to 3XL for women, various sizes for girls), jewelry, shoes, athleisure, dresses, jeans, sweaters, tops, sunglasses, belts, candles, handmade soaps, and gifts, Belle Ever After Read more…

The Bossier-Shaw House Site Office and Interpretive Center – Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Gateway to Sainte Geneviève’s Layered History Most historic site visitor centers occupy modern buildings constructed specifically for administrative functions—climate-controlled boxes with exhibit spaces designed from the beginning for interpretive displays. The Bossier-Shaw House operates differently. This is a genuine 1819 building constructed by Jean-Baptiste Bossier as a storehouse for his mercantile business, later expanded by Dr. Benjamin Shaw into a residence, and transformed in the 1930s into the headquarters for the Ste. Genevieve Art Colony—a radical gathering of Depression-era artists including Thomas Hart Benton, Joe Jones, Jessie Beard Rickly, and Aimee Schweig who captured tenant farmers’ encampments, lime kiln workers, sharecroppers, and the human condition in ways that established this small Missouri river town as “the Mecca of Midwestern art.” Today, operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as the site office and interpretive center for the Felix Vallé State Historic Site complex, the Bossier-Shaw House hosts rotating exhibits throughout the year that explore the area’s history in the context of broader Missouri heritage, maintains a small gift shop featuring books on French Colonial history and colonial period items, and presides over the coolest feature Read more…

Charleville Brewery & Winery  Uncork and Unplug at the Regional Tourism Icon Perched high above Saline Creek Valley in western Ste. Genevieve County, Charleville Brewery & Winery delivers what one guest called “one of the best views in all of Missouri” alongside distinctive handcrafted wines and beers. Since opening in June 2003 as a retirement project, then expanding with a $5 million renovation under new ownership in 2023, Charleville has evolved into a 10,000-square-foot destination featuring an innovative 24-tap iPourIt self-serve wall, elevated food menu, fire pit patios, and an 1860s log cabin lodge for overnight stays. The wristband-activated pour system lets you sample as much or as little as you want while the Saline Creek Valley panorama unfolds below. As one visitor raved: “Upon entering, you are given a magic bracelet that you can swipe on their ‘ipourit’ wall. You just swipe and drink. It bills you based upon how much you pour. Aaron walked us through the process perfectly. Absolutely amazing…This is probably the best food I’ve ever had at a winery. This is not a basic cheeseboard. This is coconut shrimp, fantastic pizza, & ahi tuna nachos.” iPourIt Wall: Beer, Wine, and Charle-Ritas on Tap The 24-tap Read more…