Discover Southeast Missouri’s Hidden Gems
We searched every corner of Missouri for hidden gems—fascinating but sometimes overlooked places that are worth the drive. Where will this southeast Missouri hidden gems road trip, with places suggested by Missouri Life ambassadors, take you?
Where to Find an Alligator, Prehistoric Pottery, and a Civil War Fort
Discover a Missouri town that offers a unique safari, where you can have a close encounter with an alligator, a python, and a lemur. Also visit a museum that contains 15,000-year-old pottery, plus a Civil War Fort and the Shipyard Music Festival.
O Little Town
The 2021 Christmas Country Church Tour, set for December 16-17, encompasses more than thirty churches in tiny hamlets, villages, and towns spread across Perry, Bollinger, Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau counties in southeastern Missouri, and one in Kaskaskia, Ill. All but three of the church buildings are more than 100 years old; three churches recently celebrated their 200th anniversaries. Each church on the free, self-guided driving tour is staffed with volunteers eager to share information about the church’s history and traditions.