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First Missouri State Capitol
State Historic Site
DESCRIPTION: St. Charles, the oldest town on the Missouri River, was founded by French-Canadian fur trader Louis Blanchette as Les Petites Cotes (The Little Hills) in 1769. Some 52 years later, the town was chosen as the temporary headquarters of the new state of Missouri. The buildings in the historic site were used as the state's capitol from 1821 to 1826 and include fully restored legislative chambers and an interpretive center. The site also includes a restored residence and store furnished as they might have been in the 1800's.
ADDRESS: 200-216 South Main Street, St. Charles, MO
LOCATION: 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis along the Missouri River in St. Charles County.
PHONE NUMBER: 636-940-3322
WEB SITE: www.mostateparks.com/firstcapitol.htm
GETTING THERE: From downtown St. Louis take I-70 west. Cross the Missouri River and continue on I-70 a short distance to First Capitol Drive. Exit onto First Capitol Drive and follow it to Main Street. Turn left onto Main Street. The State Historic Site is at 200-216 South Main.
HOURS: Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
ADMISSION: $2.50, adult; $1.50, children, 6-12; under 6 free. Group rate of 15 people or more: $1.50, adult; $.75, children (providing that the group makes reservations 2 weeks in advance).
ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: 50,000
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Eleven rooms in the Capitol complex have been restored to their original state.
- Nine rooms are complete with furnishings from the 1821-26 period.
- The Peck brothers' residence and general store have been restored and are furnished as they might have looked in the mid-1800's.
WHAT'S FUN FOR KIDS: Since many of the attraction's visitors are 4th grade students who come to the site as part of a Missouri history class, the interpreters are adept at making the story of the history of the buildings and the people who lived there interesting to children.
ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENTS:
- Each year the Historic Site plans special activities on the Saturday closest to August 10, the day Missouri became a state. The Statehood Day celebration includes re-enactors, period dress, pioneer crafts of the early 19th century and a Missouri birthday cake. A free open house is also held at the site that day.
- Candlelight concerts are held at the historic site in December.
- Each April, the site hosts a Historical Children's Festival.
HISTORY: Missouri's first legislators met in the buildings of the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site to reorganize Missouri's territorial government into a state system. The quarters were temporary as plans were to locate the permanent seat of government in Jefferson City once statehood was achieved. After the seat of state government moved to Jefferson City in 1826, the buildings were used for other purposes. In the early 20th century, the buildings and the neighborhood surrounding them fell into disrepair. In 1961, the state of Missouri bought the Capitol complex and began a 10-year restoration project. The state's presence spurred the rebirth of St. Charles' historic district, and an 8-block section of the town is now a National Register Historic District.
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY: Partially. The restrooms are handicapped accessible as is the ground floor. People who cannot climb the stairs involved on the tour can request to see a video of the second floor and the rest of the tour. Flip cards with tour information are available for the hard-of-hearing.
WHERE TO GET LUNCH: There are several restaurants along Main Street including the Mother-In-Law's House and Lewis & Clark Restaurant.
WHAT'S NEARBY: Nearby are the Missouri River, several casinos and the UMB Bank Pavilion, an outdoor concert venue.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: David Klostermeier, 636-940-3322, dspfrst@mail.dnr.state.mo.us
Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com
