All Things to Do in United States

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, 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: Since January Read more…

Gegg’s Farm Market: An Artisan Experience in the Most Unlikely of Places Off State Route B in Ste. Genevieve County, on your way to Charleville Brewery and Winery, stands Gegg’s Farm Market—a far-flung mini Bucee’s celebrating local agriculture, artisan foods, and community sourcing in county setting where farm-to-table means walking distance to actual farms. Operated by Pat and Jessica Gegg (the same owners behind the acclaimed Silo Farm Haus), this unexpected retail treasure stocks locally grown and rendered pork rinds, cuts of meat from local farms, homemade sourdoughs, cookies, brownies, bulk jellybeans, and pickled everything—while anchoring the operation with full-service Blue Bell Ice Cream bar and made-to-order sandwich shop featuring homemade bread baked in-house. The signature Cajun Turkey sandwich (absolutely not to be missed) exemplifies the operation’s philosophy: take exceptional local ingredients, combine with quality execution, deliver experience that justifies the drive. Open Thursday-Sunday 9 AM-5 PM, Gegg’s Farm Market transforms rural location into destination—the kind of place wine country visitors stumble upon and immediately text friends about. From Silo Farm Haus to Farm Market: Pat and Jessica’s Expanding Vision Pat and Jessica Gegg operate within philosophy many entrepreneurs miss: build one excellent thing, then expand thoughtfully in directions that Read more…

244 St Marys Rd Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-880-7189 The Green Tree Tavern is the oldest verified vertical log building in Ste. Geneviève. Officially dated to 1790 by dendrochronology studies, this “poteau sur sole” (post on sill) vertical log construction was built by the French Canadian Nicolas Janis. This impressive structure has also been used as an inn, a tobacco store, and the first Masonic Lodge in Missouri. The Green Tree is transferring to the Ste. Geneviève National Historic Park. Open seasonally. 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…