Cultural Sites Photo Credit: Natchez Pilgrimage Tours (Natchez, MS)

Cultural and Historic Sites on the Great River Road

These sites express a way of living.  Customs, practices, places, and objects that hold value for a community.  Peel back the facade and delve into the history and culture of the Great River Road.

 ~Minnesota~

Oliver Kelley Farm (Elk River, MN)

Experience an 1860’s working farm! Explore the historic farmstead and the ‘farm lab’ – gardens, crops and livestock of today.

All My Relations Arts (Minneapolis, MN)

Contemporary works from Native American artists, a gem of a gallery.

 ~Wisconsin~

Laura Ingalls Wilder Cabin (Pepin, WI)

Have you ever read “Little House in the Big Woods”? The story of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthplace and childhood took place in Pepin, Wisconsin.

Fort Crawford Hospital (Prairie du Chien, WI)

Frontier medicine wasn’t what we’re used to. Leeches, iron lungs, and surgical techniques that make you glad you’re in the 21st century!

~Iowa~

Effigy Mounds Monument (Harpers Ferry, IA)

The animal shaped (effigy) mounds were created for spiritual and burial purposes and are a regional cultural wonder.

Snake Alley (Burlington, IA)

Built in 1894 and still in use, Snake Alley was touted by Ripley’s Believe it or Not as the “Crookedest Street in the World”

~Illinois~

Photo Credit: Enjoy Illinois 

Horse & Buggy Museum (Biggsville, IL)

Explore the past when horses were the primary source of power.

Cahokia Mounds Historic Site (Collinsville, IL)

As the largest prehistoric Indian site north of Mexico, Cahokia Mounds covered about 4000 acres and included at least 120 mounds. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has a unique Interpretive Center, walking trails, the largest Mound and Woodhenge.

 ~Missouri~

Mark Twain Boyhood Home (Hannibal, MO)

A young boy in a Mississippi River town became one of America’s most iconic authors. See the childhood homes of the inspirations for Huck and Becky too.

Forest Park (St. Louis, MO)

Host to the 1904 World Fair, the grounds contain some of the top cultural sites in Missouri – St. Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the St. Louis Science Center

~Kentucky~

National Quilt Museum (Paducah, KY)

Bringing the art of quilting to today’s audience. Mostly contemporary quilts, but some antique on display.

Wickliffe Mounds Historic Site (Wickliffe, KY)

This Native American Indian archaeological site features mounds, museum exhibits, a walking trail, and more.

~Tennessee~

Slave Haven Underground Railroad (Memphis, TN)

Peer through trapdoors and hidden passages to get a glimpse of the courage it took to gain freedom.

West Tennessee Delta Heritage (Brownsville, TN)

Get a window into music, culture and beauty of West Tennessee. Self guided tours are free.

~ARKANSAS~

Fort Curtis (Helena, AR)

A reproduction of the major Union Civil War fortification in historic downtown Helena.

Helena Museum of Phillips County (Helena, AR)

The oldest museum in the state of Arkansas with artifacts that range from Mark Twain to local lumber history to a letter written by Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.

~Mississippi~

Longwood (Natchez, MS)

Largest octagonal home in the US, build began in 1860 but was halted due to the Civil War.

Vicksburg National Military Park (Vicksburg, MS)

The battle of Vicksburg was a defining moment in the Civil War. A 47 day siege that ended in the Confederacy surrendering.

~Louisiana~

Preservation Hall (New Orleans, LA)

Traditional New Orleans Jazz in a 1750’s French Quarter building

Evergreen Plantation (Edgard, LA)

The most intact plantation complex in the US with 37 buildings. Take the hour and a half walking tour through this still working sugar cane plantation.