This small town in Missouri ranks among the nation’s best places to visit. Here’s why
A Missouri destination located a little more than an hour from Belleville has been recognized as one of the best small locales to visit in the country.
If you decide to make the trek, you can check out an active lab where paleontologists are uncovering fossils, catch a trolley ride to a winery or stop by the art museum.
Smithsonian Magazine released its list of “The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2022” June 3, and Ste. Genevieve, Mo., made the list. The city’s ranking included mentions of the fossil discoveries in the area, as well as its cultural history and status as the first permanent European settlement in Missouri.
Here’s what made Ste. Genevieve stick out to Smithsonian Magazine, and some ideas for spending the day there.
Ste. Genevieve’s cultural history
Ste. Genevieve was the first permanent European settlement in Missouri. The National Park Service describes the city’s landscape as a “French Creole cultural zone” before its colonization by Europeans. The city had a unique legal system, religion, cultural norms, architecture and philosophy.
Even the French spoken in the area differed from the modern vernacular, and while the culture was created by French, Canadian and Louisianian people, it was a society of its own. According to one local business, the absence of Indigenous peoples in the area is due to an abandonment of the land around 1500 because of an exhaustion of environmental resources.
Groundbreaking discoveries
In late 2021, paleontologists confirmed the discovery of a new genus and species of duck-billed dinosaur. The remains took four years to uncover, and the find received national attention.
The first fossils were unearthed in the area by a family who stumbled upon them while breaking ground for a well in the 1940s, and paleontologists have since found a hot bed of dinosaur history.
You can check out an active paleontology lab at The Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center, which also showcases exhibits on the city’s Indigenous, German, French and mining history. According to its website, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
What to do in Ste. Genevieve
The small city has plenty to offer in addition to its rich fossil discovery zone. There’s an art museum that displays creative pieces and hosts classes and workshops for children, teens and adults.
After getting your fill of fossils and art, grab a $20 wristband to catch the trolley to one of the county’s local wineries.
You can explore almost 5,000 acres of Hawn State Park, which has ample opportunities for camping, hiking, bird-watching and geology study. If you’re in it for the long haul, you can brave a 10-mile backpacking trail.
The Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park provides information about the region’s culture and history.
The local cuisine scene includes a variety of breakfast favorites, American lunches, posh wineries and an old-fashioned ice cream shop. Cafe Genevieve serves up fried chicken, mashed potatoes and liver dumplings. For your caffeine needs, check out Common Grounds, which prides itself on its mission to build an atmosphere of inclusion by employing people with disabilities.
Other top travel towns
Here’s the full list of small towns that made the Smithsonian Magazine list, in no particular order:
Cambria, Calif.
Ste. Genevieve, Mo.
Banner Elk, N.C.
Cartersville, Ga.
Bemidji, Minn.
Everglades City, Fla.
Winslow, Ariz.
Cañon City, Colo.
Chillicothe, Ohio
Livingston, Mont.
Africatown, Ala.
Chatham, Mass.
Gallup, N.M.
Newport, R.I.
Cape May, N.J.
Smithsonian Magazine’s criteria for the list include that towns must have a population of 25,000 or fewer, a high density of cultural offerings and natural beauty and a compelling reason to visit in 2022.
