All Things to Do in Missouri

Centre for French Colonial Life – Gateway to America’s French Heritage At the corner of 2nd and Market Streets in the heart of Ste. Genevieve’s Historic District stands the Centre for French Colonial Life, an institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and sharing the remarkably rich story of the French colonial presence in the Mississippi River Valley. Your Journey Begins Here The Centre for French Colonial Life is designed to be your first stop when exploring Ste. Genevieve’s French colonial heritage. Inside this modern facility, you’ll find everything you need to make the most of your visit: thoughtfully curated changing exhibits that provide context and depth, a well-stocked gift shop offering books and items related to French colonial history, and friendly staff ready to answer questions and help you plan your exploration of the museum campus. This is where you’ll purchase tickets for the guided tours of the historic Bolduc and LeMeilleur Houses, learn about special programs and events, and get oriented to the broader story you’re about to experience. The Centre serves as the interpretive foundation that makes your visits to the historic houses more meaningful—providing background, context, and the big-picture understanding that transforms a tour of old buildings into 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…

Chateau Sainte Genevieve – Grape-Growing Passion on the Missouri Terroir Just outside Ste. Genevieve, where rolling hills meet fertile valleys and the tradition of viticulture stretches back to the town’s French colonial roots, Chateau Sainte Genevieve stands as a testament to what happens when genuine passion for winemaking combines with relentless pursuit of quality. Here, every wine is crafted and bottled on-site, right alongside several acres of vineyards — a true winery where you can literally see the vines that produced the wine in your glass. Grape-Growers and Winemakers at Heart Walk into Chateau Sainte Genevieve and you’ll quickly understand what sets this winery apart: authenticity. The people making your wine aren’t following corporate formulas or chasing trends— they’re grape-growers and winemakers at heart, with mud on their boots and juice stains on their clothes. This isn’t marketing language; it’s reality. These are people who get their hands dirty in the vineyard, who monitor weather patterns and soil conditions, who make countless small decisions throughout the growing season that ultimately determine wine quality. This hands-on, from-the-ground-up approach to winemaking creates wines with genuine character and a sense of place. When you taste a wine at Chateau Sainte Genevieve, you’re tasting Read more…

Takes Place The Last Saturday in August. 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…

CJoy Art Works: Turning Out Wonderful Creations in Little Bohemia At 199 North Main Street in the Little Bohemia neighborhood of downtown Ste. Genevieve, Christina Joy Elsen opens CJoy Art Works—a studio storefront showcasing hand-built ceramic work by an artist whose journey spans scenic design for Disney and Sesame Street Live, professional painting, organic farming, and three decades of artistic evolution. Relocating to Ste. Genevieve in 2025 after emerging from a St. Louis basement studio with a distinctive hand-building style developed through years of personal practice, Christina brings BA in Studio Art from Carleton College (1995), professional credentials as scenic artist in Minneapolis, and deeply personal understanding of how life’s transformations shape artistic vision. The studio displays functional and sculptural pottery created through careful hand-building techniques, inviting visitors to experience work developed across multiple creative chapters—each piece reflecting years of skill refinement, artistic intentionality, and love of the medium. From Scenic Design to Studio Pottery: A Creative Journey Christina Joy Elsen’s artistic path spans multiple mediums and decades of creative practice. After earning her BA in Studio Art from Carleton College in 1995, she worked as scenic artist in Minneapolis, building and painting sets for major productions including Sesame Street Read more…