Travel Guide: Jefferson City

-Jess

Travel Guide: Jefferson City

When we’re planning a trip, we very rarely look in our own backyard. However, this season of travel will be a bit different for us, with Brad moving to a more demanding role at work. With this being said – we will be traveling more within our state than outside of it. To kick off Season 3 we decided to start in the heart of Missouri – Jefferson City!

Jefferson City is not only the states capitol, but home to loads of history & some of the nicest people we’ve met while traveling! There are endless opportunities for family & budget friendly entertainment, which as you know, is what we strive to find when traveling!

About Jefferson City

Jefferson City was originally laid out by Daniel Morgan Boone, son of the frontiersman. Named after the 3rd President of the US – Thomas Jefferson – the city was incorporated in 1825, with the general assembly moving to the city a year later. The capitol building that stands today is actually the 3rd building to stand as the seat of government in Jefferson City, with the first two burning down due to lightning storms.

In 1836, the Missouri State Penitentiary opened in Jefferson City. This prison was home to multiple famous Americans, such as James Earl Ray & Sonny Liston. During the Civil War, Jefferson City was occupied by the Union troops – with both the Union & the Confederacy claiming the city.

What To Expect In Jefferson City

Jefferson City is a rapidly growing city with old world charm. Home to 42,000 residents – Jefferson City may seem overwhelming – but the reality is, it still holds onto it’s small town roots – which makes Jefferson City the perfect destination.

Jefferson City Court House

Visiting Jefferson City, you’ll find locally owned shops, restaurants, historic statues & symbols, as well as a stunning view of the Missouri River. What makes the city really shine are it’s kind hearted & helpful people. We met many people who were eager to help & recommend their favorites to us during our visit.

When To Visit Jefferson City

Jefferson City is a beautiful destination to visit any time of the year! The seasons in Missouri offer a range of temps & weather conditions. Planning your trip around the seasons is probably the best bet for visiting. Do you want to see the frozen river with snowfall on the capitol? Or would you rather have sunshine & wildflowers blooming? The choice is yours!

During our visit the beginning of April (it was also Easter weekend!) we enjoyed mild temps ranging from 50*F to 70*F & lots of sunshine! Many of the outdoor areas were decorated for Easter, including the Governors Mansion pictured here.

Governors Mansion

Our Experience

This was the first visit to Jefferson City – and we were pleasantly surprised! The downtown area itself is large, but surprisingly quiet. We spent most of our time walking High Street & enjoying the capitol grounds. The view of the Governors Mansion from Carnahan Memorial Gardens is simply stunning, and you can always spot the dome of the capitol above the city skyline. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the capitol city & can’t wait to go back!

Dining

Dining in Jefferson City is top notch! We enjoyed a few locally owned locations, including Prison Brews for locally made beers & burgers, Arris Pizza for a Greek inspired lunch buffet , as well as Cork & Board for pub food & board games. The girls especially enjoyed hand dipped ice cream at Central Dairy! Each location gives such a unique experience to their guests & each brought our family joy during our trip.

Prison Brews
Micro Flight – $7.50
Central Dairy
Cork & Board

Activities

We found Jefferson City to be extremely budget & family friendly. Many of the top locations are within walking distance of the capitol, and even more are FREE of charge to visit! You can tour the capitol (or visit without a guided tour) for completely FREE! There is a museum on the ground floor dedicated to the history of Missouri, as well as beautiful architecture over 100yrs old all over the building. The capitol is run by Missouri State Parks and includes a gift shop run by park rangers.


Other FREE locations include: Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge, sightseeing on the capitol grounds, visiting Carnahan Memorial Gardens & viewing the Governers Mansion (reservations are required if you want to tour the mansion, you can find them here!)

Missouri State Penitentiary

We also visited the Missouri State Penitentiary during our visit. The prison was built in 1836 and was known as the ‘Bloodiest 47 acers in America’. Missouri State Penitentiary was the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi until it was decommissioned in 2004, housing inmates for 168 years.

During our 2 hour History tour ($25 per person) we learned about the early years of the prison, as well as the famous Americans who served time here (and how they escaped!). We were able to visit Housing Unit 1 as well as Housing Unit 4 where the dungeon cells are located. Zoey & I took a trip into the dungeon & had a ‘lights out’ experience. The longest an inmate served in one of these cells was 18 years! Moving along the tour, we were able to experience Housing Unit 3 – where James Earl Ray & Pretty Boy Floyd were housed, as well as the gas chamber.

Traveling with young-ish kids, we were a little apprehensive to the prison tour. Thankfully we decided to give it a try, because both girls loved it! The tour wasn’t too long, and moved throughout the prison grounds – keeping their attention. At 12 & 8, both girls really enjoyed the visit.

Mural Hunting

If you’ve read our other city travel guides – you know we LOVE hunting for murals! This is another FREE activity that our family loves to do! Grab a snack, roll the windows down & tour the city looking for beautiful artwork! We found 4 murals on our hunt in Jeff City!

High Street
Unique Creations Candle Bar
Art 101
Capitol Ave

Runge Nature Center

Another FREE location to visit in Jeff City is the Runge Nature Center. Runge offers many exhibits including fish aquariums, nature exhibits with live animals as well as a wildlife viewing area where we saw countless squirrels running about! At Runge, you’ll also find 5 hiking trails, totaling 2.4miles. These trails are hard surface as well as wood chipped, so they can be navigated by people of all ages & abilities. Zoey especially loved the Missouri habitat ‘playground’ inside the visitors center, as well as the play areas along the trail.

Make sure to stop by the front desk in the visitor center to collect your scavenger hunt. Look around for all the items listed on your card to get a Runge Nature Center sticker from the rangers! This was a quick stop for us, and will be a location we visit in the future as well!

Unique Creations Candle Bar

If you know us, you know we try to find ‘Unique’ places to visit during our travels. This family owned & operated candle bar is located on High Street, right next to Cork & Board. Upon entering the shop, you will experience a range of scents that will get all your senses moving! We each chose to create a candle (around $20-$25 per person) by selecting our favorite scents and mixing them together! This was such a fun experience learning how candles are poured & scents are created. Each candle we created is different & unique to each of us! If this is in your budget & something that you think your family would enjoy – it is definitely worth checking out on your visit to Jeff City!

What To Bring

Walking shoes! Make sure to bring comfortable shoes if you plan to explore the downtown area. I also suggest a lightweight backpack to keep your belongings in. If touring the prison is on your list, pack a pair of pants & jacket – it can get quite chilly inside the old stone buildings!

Other Things To Do Near Jefferson City

Museum of Missouri Military History

Miller Performing Arts Center

Cole County Historical Museum

Katy Trail State Park

Ready To Visit Jefferson City?

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