See some of USA TODAY’s top culturally significant landmarks
From the Hoover Dam to Lady Liberty, discover some of USA TODAYs Most Treasured Views in America for 2026.
Less than 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, Missouri became the 24th state to enter the union. Since then, its native children and those who chose to settle or visit have made their mark on American history as scientists, soldiers, writers and leaders.
Here are six road trip destinations that Missouri newspapers in the USA TODAY Network have highlighted this year in honor of the USA 250 initiative that marks the nation’s 250th birthday. Each location has cultural and historical significance to America as a whole.
The Gateway Arch — St. Louis
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which is 630 feet tall and 630 wide, is known as the gateway to the west. On the 91 acre national park, there is an underground museum detailing the history and architectural marvel of the arch. Guests can also ride up to the top of the arch to look over St. Louis and the Mississippi River.
The Gateway Arch is the tallest monument in the U.S. and honors the country’s beginnings as well as Thomas Jefferson’s vision for a transcontinental nation.
Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. National park grounds are open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Gateway Arch and the Museum are free but other experiences, like the tram ride, do charge admission.
For more information, visit GatewayArch.com.
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The National WWI Museum and Memorial — Kansas City
The National WWI Museum and Memorial was established to create a lasting monument to those who served and became a testament to the public’s passion for remembering the war that changed their lives and the world.
The museum was designated as the nation’s official World War I museum by Congress in 2004 and opened in 2006. The museum and memorial, located at 2 Memorial Drive in Kansas City, Missouri, host more than 1 million visitors annually, according to the website.
The museum and memorial are open seven days a week during the summer.
General admission is free for members, $19.50 for adults, $15.50 for seniors 65 and older, $15.50 for military veterans and active-duty members, $11.50 for children ages 6 to 15 and free for children younger than 6. There are additional costs for admission to the featured exhibit and the Liberty Memorial Tower.
For more information, visit TheWorldWar.org.
America’s National Churchill Museum — Fulton
Eighty years ago, Westminster College representatives invited Winston Churchill, former British prime minister, to speak at the college’s gymnasium. There, he gave his “Sinews of Peace” speech — more commonly referred to as the “Iron Curtain” speech — that warned of the impending growth of the USSR and the start of the Cold War, which would last from 1947 to 1991, when the Soviet Union fully dissolved.
This speech and the life of Churchill is memorialized at America’s National Churchill Museum on the Westminster College campus, 501 Westminster Ave., Fulton, Missouri.
The museum is open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day and New Year’s Eve and Day.
Tickets are $16 for adults; $13 for seniors, AAA or AARP members and active military or veterans; $9 for ages 12-18 and college students; children 11 and under can enter free.
For more information, visit NationalChurchillMuseum.org.
George Washington Carver National Monument — Diamond
The George Washington Carver National Monument at 5646 Carver Road in Diamond, Missouri, is the first National Park Service unit to be dedicated to a Black American and was established after Carver’s death in 1943. Carver was known for his work with peanuts, sweet potatoes and other alternative crops to cotton.
Carver was born in a cabin in what is now the park, though a sickly childhood prevented him from working in the fields. Instead, he cultivated a thirst for knowledge and love of plants during his time exploring the woods.
Guests can view original artifacts or explore a classroom modeled after George Carver’s laboratory at the Tuskegee Institute at the visitor center, or take a hike on the one-mile, self-guided Carver trail through the woodlands George Carver explored as a boy.
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. No park entrance fee.
For more information, visit nps.gov/gwca.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Home — Mansfield
While most “Little House on the Prairie” fans may associate Laura Ingalls Wilder with Wisconsin or Minnesota, it was in the Missouri Ozarks where she wrote her books. Ingalls Wilder, along with her husband and daughter, settled in their Mansfield home at 3060 Highway A in 1894.
Now, Rocky Ridge Farm guests can visit the home where Ingalls Wilder started writing her beloved series, walk the same trail the Wilder family did a century ago or see artifacts like handwritten manuscripts or Pa’s fiddle.
The museum is open March 1 through Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
For more information, visit LauraIngallsWilderHome.com.
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield — Republic
Missouri did not go untouched by the Civil War, which wrenched the nation apart. In fact, it is home to a major battle and the first site where a Union General was killed in action: Wilson’s Creek. The national park is at 6424 W. Farm Road 182, Republic, Missouri.
In 1861, southern forces encamped along Wilson Creek were attacked in what was the second major battle of the Civil War and the first major battle west of the Mississippi River. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon engaged Missouri State Guardsmen and Col. Franz Sigel’s artillery drove Southern cavalry to a farm field. Ultimately, Union forces retreated after suffering heavy casualties and running low on ammunition.
In addition to walking paths and trails, the battlefield site also features public programs that depict life during the Civil War, as well as a museum and visitor center.
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is accessible for free year-round. The park grounds are open half-an-hour before sunrise until half-an-hour after sunset. Motorized access to the tour road begins at 8 a.m. daily. The visitor center and museum are open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and News Year’s Day.
For more information, visit nps.gov/wicr.
USA 250 Most Treasured Views is a USA TODAY Network project exploring places across America with historical and cultural significance, created in celebration of the USA 250 initiative marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
