Jefferson City Area Attractions

Jefferson City has many local attractions located in the downtown business district and Cliff Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn is within walking distance to all of the attractions listed below. Come discover and explore Jefferson City and our wonderful state capital!

Missouri State Capitol
The Missouri Capitol is open daily from 8AM to 5PM with free guided tours every hour on the hour. Inside the Capitol is the Missouri State Museum and the Thomas Hart Benton Murals. Call (573) 751-2854 for more information or log on to www.mostateparks.com

Governor's Mansion
Located just one block east of the State Capitol at 100 Madison Street, the Governor’s Mansion is open to the public on Tuesday and Thursday from 10AM to Noon and 1PM to 3PM. Admission is free but reservations are required 24 hours in advance. Call (573) 751-7929 for more information or log on to www.missourimansion.org

Carnahan Memorial Garden
Located just west of the Governor’s Mansion, the Carnahan Memorial Garden is filled with flowers, pools and walkways. The Garden can be reserved for special occasions. Call the Department of Natural Resources at (573) 751-3330 for more information.

Jefferson Landing State Historic Site
There are two main buildings to visit at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, both located between the State Capitol and Governor’s Mansion; The Lohman Building and The Union Hotel.

The Lohman Building is a three story limestone structure, built in the late 1830’s and believed to be the oldest building in Jefferson City. Inside are exhibits on transportation during the nineteenth century. Admission is free and the Lohman Building is open to the public Tuesday thru Saturday from 10AM to 4PM.

The Union Hotel, located on the second floor of the AMTRAK station, just across the street from the Lohman Building, is home to the Elizabeth Rozier Art Gallery. Admission to the Gallery is free and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10Am to 4PM.

Law Enforcement Memorial
Located on the Northwest corner of the state Capitol, and dedicated in 1994, the memorial honors law enforcement officers who have given their lives serving Missouri citizens.

All Missouri Veterans Memorial
Just northeast of the Missouri State Capitol, the Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 11, 1991 and features a limestone colonnade, terraced waterfall, reflecting pool and eight black marble posts forming a path called the Veterans Walk. There is no admission fee and is accessible to the handicapped.

Missouri State Penitentiary

Decommissioned in 2004, the Missouri State Penitentiary is now open to the public for hard hat tours. Before it closed, MSP was the oldest continually operating penitentiary west of the Mississippi. The prison was 100 years old when Alcatraz began taking inmates. When this prison opened in 1836, the Battle of the Alamo was going on in Texas and Andrew Jackson was in his second term. The tour showcases cells including those of famous inmates such as heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, who learned to box during his time in the big house, and James Earl Ray. Other stops on the tour are the gas chamber where 40 men and women were executed, the buried cells, several housing units and the upper yard. In 1967 the Missouri State Penitentiary was infamously named the “bloodiest 47 acres in America” by Time magazine because of the incredibly high number of serious assaults on the grounds between 1963-1964. Public tours cost $12 per person. Call the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau for available tour times.

Address

115 Lafayette St

Jefferson City, MO 65101

(866) 998-6998

Lewis & Clark Monument

A Lewis and Clark monument next to the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, officially called The Lewis and Clark Monument at the Katy Trailhead Plaza is located on the corner of Jefferson Street and Capitol Avenue just south and east of the capitol grounds overlooking the Jefferson Landing Historic Site and the Missouri River. Dedicated on June 4, the plaza includes Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, York; Clark’s man-servant, George Druillard; a French Canadian interpreter, and Seaman; Captain Lewis’ Newfoundland dog. There are several replicated artifacts portrayed with the travelers including a journal and telescope.

The sculpture, dedicated on June 4, 2009 commemorates the date of June 4, 1804 when the Corps of Discovery encamped in the area, which eventually became the state capitol.

The Lewis and Clark Trail Head Plaza will connect the North Jefferson Katy Trail Head when the new Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge is completed in the Spring of 2011.

Guided Tours are offered on limited days from May through September. To obtain current tour information guest can contact the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau at 573.634.6482 or email the JCCVB at info@visitjeffersoncity.com