Tag: Family Fun in Sainte Genevieve

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…

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…

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…

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…

February 4, 2023 Do you love eating chocolate and shopping? Then this event is for you! Join in the delicious fun on the first Saturday in February in historic downtown Ste. Geneviève. With the purchase of a ticket, you will be able to sample a yummy chocolate treat at each participating shop while you explore the unique items for sale! Only 300 tickets are available, and they always sell out in advance. To purchase tickets go to:  https://downtown-sainte-genevieve.square.site/ . This event is sponsored by Downtown Ste. Geneviève. Read more…