What is Missouri Famous For?
Missouri is famous for jazz, blues, and wine as well as literary and historical milestones. Click here for all of the details!
Written by Sarah Gray
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Missouri
is known for many things, but it’s most famous for great music, great food and drinks, and countless caverns and caves.Whether you’re looking for unique musical experiences, unbeatable barbecue, or endless caves to explore, Missouri has something for you. But you’ll need to see it for yourself to believe it—Missouri is, after all, the Show Me State.
If you’re planning a trip to Missouri, or if you need convincing that The Cave State is a great vacation destination, then this guide is for you.
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What is Missouri famous for?
Ragtime, Jazz, and Blues
Missouri helped nurture the development of several new types of music, including ragtime, jazz, and blues. There is no one birthplace for these great musical genres, but Missouri is home to unique variations of jazz from
Kansas City
, blues from St. Louis
, and ragtime from Missouri’s central valley. Some pioneering Missouri musicians include:If you’re interested in learning more about Missouri’s musical history, check out these great locations:
- Scott Joplin House State Historic Sitein Sedalia
- The National Blues Museumin St. Louis
- American Jazz Museumin Kansas City
The birthplace of Mark Twain and President Harry S. Truman
Few authors have done as much to shape the American psyche as Samuel Langhorn Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. You can
visit Twain’s boyhood home
in Hannibal
, which is now a museum dedicated to the author and his life—the state has also dedicated Twain’s Birthplace
as a historic site in Florida, MO. You can also see his influence in the massive 1.5 million-acre Mark Twain National Forest
. Missouri is also the birthplace of the 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman. Truman grew up in Independence and opened a haberdashery in Kansas City before turning to politics. His legacy is commemorated throughout the state at the:
Beer and wine production
Missouri is home to
Anheuser-Busch
, America’s brewery of brands like Budweiser, Shock Top, LandShark, and more. The state is also home to hundreds of craft and microbreweries with a nationwide retail presence, like Boulevard, Martin City, Schlafly, and 4 Hands. Most notably, Missouri is known for the Weston Brewing Company
in Weston
which serves craft Irish ales and stouts out of the iconic O’Malley’s 1842 Pub
—a regular on any list of “best Irish pubs in America.”In addition to brewing chops, Missouri is also famed for its wine. The state’s wine history begins with French and German settlers breeding grape hybrids to withstand Missouri’s weather. For a true taste of American history, you can head to Missouri’s oldest winery,
Stone Hill
in Hermann
—they are one of only a few wineries in the nation still producing a Pink Catawba
, which was once one of the most widely consumed wines in the country.Pro Tip Check out
Missouri Wines
for interactive maps of Missouri’s various wine trails or see a complete list of Missouri breweries by region at the Missouri Craft Beer Guide
.Caverns and caves
One of Missouri’s many nicknames is the Cave State. Much of the state sits on a foundation of porous limestone and dolomite, so the landscape is full of caves, sinkholes, and natural bridges—altogether, the state contains more than 7,000 caverns and caves. Many of these caves are open for public viewing, though several have restrictions to help protect them from damage and vandalism.
Some of Missouri’s most popular caves and caverns to visit include:
What is Kansas City famous for?
Loudest sports stadium on the planet: Arrowhead Stadium
Origin point of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails: 1811 to 1841
One of the top 10 US cities for: Barbecue and sports
Jazz
Kansas City’s jazz roots are varied and complicated, but they’re also inseparable from KC’s reputation as “The Paris of the Plains” during prohibition. Under the influence of the country’s most corrupt political boss, Tom Pendergast, KC ignored prohibition, keeping dance halls, cabarets, and speakeasies open for jazz to continue to develop and flourish while it died out elsewhere.
Jazz legends like Count Basie, Andy Kirk, Joe Turner, Hot Lips Page, Jay McShann, and Charlie Parker all played in Kansas City’s jazz district at
18th & Vine
. You can still visit 18th & Vine today to sample some of KC’s signature sounds at The Gem
and The Blue Room
, or fluff your night owl feathers at the Mutual Musicians Foundation
where the jazz keeps playing until 5 am. If you have your own instrument, feel free to join in—KC is where the jam session was invented!Barbecue
Barbecue is serious business in Kansas City, but rumors of its being synonymous with sticky-sweet, slathered-on sauces are untrue. There’s no one “true” KC ‘cue sauce (though most diners expect at least one variety of thick, sweet, tomato-based sauce) or cut (but if you don’t have burnt ends, are you even KC ‘cue?)—Kansas City barbecue is a vibe. It’s also one of the only things that transcends the border between Missouri and Kansas—when it comes to ‘cue, Kansas City is Kansas City.
While many of the best ‘cue joints are hidden throughout the metro—like
Harp Barbecue
in Raytown, Jones Bar-B-Q
in KCK, and Jousting Pigs
in Liberty—we’ve restricted our list to just the top three in the KCMO city limits:- Chef J BBQ: Located in the concession stand of a seasonal haunted house (but open year-round), Chef J’s is famous for its bacon burnt ends, craft sausages, and sinfully-juicy smoked turkey. Try the smoked elotes on the side.
- Q39: A bit more upscale than your average ‘cue pit, Q39 in Midtown is a full restaurant that specializes in barbecue. Smoked wings are a favorite, as are the ribs and brisket. Wash it all down with a Smoked Old Fashioned from the bar.
- Gates BBQ: A KC staple that originated in 1946, Gates BBQ is now known around the world for its sauces, but the locals love it for burnt ends and brisket. End your meal with a slice of Yammer Pie or a snifter of cognac from the bar—you won’t be sorry.
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Sports
Kansas City takes its sports very seriously. Whether you’re headed to a Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium or taking in a few innings with the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, you’ll be in for a great time—and a loud one. Especially where Kansas City Chiefs fans are concerned, it gets loud—record-breakingly loud at Arrowhead.
During a game against the New England Patriots, Chiefs fans put up 142.2 decibels worth of cheers. You know what else produces that many decibels?—a jet engine. Images from static cameras mounted throughout the stadium could be seen shaking as the noise caused the building to vibrate and things have only gotten louder since the Royals’ World Series win in 2015 and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win in 2020.
Pro Tip If you hope to go to a Chiefs game, plan in advance as tickets are usually sold out well ahead of each game. Royals games are easier to get into but plan to sit in General Admission if you don’t want to break the bank.
Fountains
Finally, Kansas City is famous for its fountains. Visitors will find more than 200 fountains throughout the metro area. Some, like the
Fountain in Mill Creek Park
, are instantly recognizable, while others, like Fountain Basin
, are more obscure. Each year in April, Kansas City celebrates Greater Kansas City Fountain Day when all publicly-operated fountains spring back to life after a dormant winter.What is St. Louis famous for?
First US City to host the modern Olympics: 1904
First US kindergarten: 1873
One of the top 10 US cities for: Blues, beer, and fun!
Blues
Kansas City’s got jazz and St. Louis has the blues. Throughout the early 1900s, the Mississippi River provided the perfect conduit for musicians from the south to come and blend their style with artists like Henry Townsend, Lonnie Johnson, Albert King, Eva Taylor, and Chuck Berry. The blues culture is so strong in St. Louis that they even named their
hockey team
after the music genre. After taking in some history at
The National Blues Museum
, check out these local haunts and events to enjoy some great blues music:- 1860 Saloon: Offering great St. Louis blues seven nights a week with a Saturday matinee.
- BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups: Jazz, R&B, blues, and soul complement a full menu, full bar, and mini-museum experience.
- Big Muddy Blues Festival on Laclede’s Landing: Head to Laclede’s Landing over Labor Day weekend for a free blues festival featuring over 50 local artists.
Beer
St. Louis is the headquarters of
Anheuser-Busch brands
, which operates 12 breweries in the US and 20 other countries, making it one of the largest beer producers in the world. Visitors can tour the main facility, head to the Biergarten for a one-of-a-kind dining and beer-tasting experience, or visit the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales.But Anheuser-Busch isn’t the only brewery in St. Louis. The city is actually home to over 65 craft breweries including:
- Schlafly—a local favorite since the early ‘90s
- 4 Hands—a brewery specializing in American Craft, Traditional Belgian, and French-style Farmhouse ales
- Hofbrauhaus St. Louis-Belleville—the metro’s only producer of authentic German beers brewed in accordance with the 1516 Reinheitsgebot or “German Beer Purity Law”
The Gateway Arch
St. Louis is practically synonymous with the
Gateway Arch
that dominates its skyline. Designed to commemorate the city’s role as the country’s historic “Gateway to the West,” it’s actually only part of the larger Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
dedicated to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of US westward expansion.When visiting the Memorial, you can ride a tram to the top of the Arch, or learn about the Lewis and Clark Expedition, westward expansion, and the effects on the land and peoples of North America at the museum.
Pro Tip The tram to the top of the arch is tiny, and it takes about four minutes to travel from the base to the viewing platform at the top. If you’re at all bothered by close quarters, you may consider just viewing the arch from the ground.
How to save money on car insurance in Missouri
Whether you’re headed to Missouri for music, food and drink, sports, or history, you’ll want to be sure you’ve got reliable car insurance before you hop in your car to head out to the Show Me State.
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