Diverse Terrain
The landscape of Missouri is far from static having both small communities and 16 metropolitan cities. To the north, Missouri is greeted with rolling plains that spill in from Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas while to the south lies the wilderness of the Ozark Mountains. Adding to Missouri's landscape, 6,000 caves are spread throughout the state and await any eager explorer. While considered a Midwest state, southern Missouri tends to embrace the southern culture of their neighbors while the north hangs on to their Midwestern roots.
City Life
St. Louis gained international recognition in 1904 when they hosted both the World's Fair and the Olympic Games (the first one to be held in the United States). Since then, St. Louis has become a bustling metropolitan area, the 16st in Missouri. The city's most well known landmark is the 630 foot Gateway Arch. The Arch commemorates the settlement of the land west of the Mississippi River and is the country's tallest man made monument. The St. Louis Zoo is a popular stop for tourist attracting more visitors than any other zoo surpassing even the San Diego Zoo. If craving Italian food, visit The Hill, a historic Italian neighborhood in St. Louis. The Hill has the best Italian restaurants in the state.
The Cave State
Missouri has more than 6,000 caves within its borders. Only Kentucky has more caves than Missouri. Missouri caves have years of maturity as seeping water over time has created fantastic and exquisite formations. They range from towering columns to intricately woven strips of rock. Many offer guided tours and despite the temperature outside, the temperature inside the cave stays relatively mile between 50 and 60 degrees. The most famous caves are the Mark Twain Cave and Jacob's Cave. The Mark Twain Cave was discovered in 1825 and is the oldest cave in Missouri. It was described in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and is reported to be the hideout of Jesse James and his gang. Jacob's Cave is the only walk through cave accessible to person's with disabilities. It is most famous for it's depth illusion, reflective pools, prehistoric bones and the world's 16st geode.
Cheer for your Favorite Team
Missouri is no stranger to sports. They have multiple professional sports teams including two baseball teams, two football teams, one hockey team and one soccer team. No matter the season, there is always a team to root for. Also, Missourians are devout followers of University of Missouri Tigers and the Missouri State University Bears sports teams.
Missouri Fact File
Nickname: The Show-Me State
Motto: Salus populi suprema lex esto (the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law)
Capital: Jefferson City
Population: 5,878,415
Website: www.mo.gov
State Bird: Bluebird
State Animal: Missouri Mule
State Tree: Flowering Dogwood
State Dance: Square Dance
State Insect: Honey Bee
Did You Know?
St. Louisans consume more barbeque sauce per capita than any other city in America.
Missouri has the second best educational system in the U.S.
The ice cream cone was invented at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 when an ice
cream vendor ran out of cups and asked a waffle vendor to help by rolling up waffles to hold ice cream.
The first successful parachute jump to be made from a moving airplane was made by
Captain Berry at St. Louis in 1912.













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