The Atlas Obscura Guide To Missouri

180 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Missouri

Updated October 24, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Missouri

Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins

Camdenton, Missouri

Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins

European castle ruins in an American state park are actually the product of death and grief.

St. Louis, Missouri

City Museum

Less a museum than a bizarre fantasy world created by artists and engineers.

Exterior West side.

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Workhouse

This abandoned prison castle has become an imposing gallery of graffiti art.

Ridgedale, Missouri

Bat Bar in Lost Canyon Cave

If there's another drive-through golf-cart bar in a bat-filled cave on top of a mountain, we don't know about it.

Welch Springs Ruins

Jadwin, Missouri

Welch Spring Hospital Ruins

Once an ambitious nature spa, these forest ruins now provide a serene monument to failure.

St. Joseph, Missouri

Glore Psychiatric Museum

The history of the treatment of mental illness, illustrated in all its gory detail, and housed in an asylum.

Billion Gallon Lake

Bonne Terre, Missouri

Bonne Terre Mine

The world's largest man-made underground caverns offer unparalleled underwater wonders.

Bathrooms!

St. Louis, Missouri

Venice Cafe

This mosaic-covered bar is brimming with curated curios.

See All 180 Things To Do in Missouri

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Missouri

Ridgedale, Missouri

Bat Bar in Lost Canyon Cave

If there's another drive-through golf-cart bar in a bat-filled cave on top of a mountain, we don't know about it.

Bathrooms!

St. Louis, Missouri

Venice Cafe

This mosaic-covered bar is brimming with curated curios.

The entrance to Saltpeter Cave.

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

Cave Vineyard

A subterranean haunt where wine and homemade biscottis are always on the menu.

Weston, Missouri

O'Malley's Pub

The oldest bar in Missouri is hidden within a limestone brewery cellar more than 50 feet underground.

See all 12 Places to Eat in Missouri

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Explorer's Guide to Highway 36: The Way of American Genius

Sponsored by Visit Missouri

Spanning the state of Missouri, from St. Joseph to Hannibal, Highway 36 is full of intriguing stops packed with incredible stories of innovation. Known as “The Way of American Genius,” the route highlights inventions and individuals who left a lasting mark. From the starting point of the Pony Express and the bakery that introduced sliced bread to magical towns that sparked inspiration for creative geniuses Walt Disney and Mark Twain, these spots along Missouri’s Highway 36 will leave any traveler dreaming of the next big thing.

Explore Missouri

Museums 29

Architecture 19

Water 14

Nature 14

Collections 12

History & Culture 12

Aletrail 11

Ecosystems 11

Caves 10

Parks 10

History 10

Geology 9

Unique Restaurants & Bars 4

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Stories About Missouri

The Missouri State Penitentiary once housed infamous inmates like James Earl Ray.

The Bloody (and Haunted) History of the Missouri State Penitentiary

Time Magazine called the prison “the bloodiest 47 acres in America.”

Sponsored by Visit Missouri

Podcast: Endangered Wolf Center

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

October 3, 2022

Podcast: Floating Freedom School

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

A crowd of swimmers and sunbathers on Lincoln Beach in the 1920s.

The Hidden History of a Missouri State Park

Century-old traces of a bygone resort are starting to surface at Castlewood.

by Evan Nicole Brown

The mysterious, infamous Missouri highway pickle jar.

A Highway Pickle Mystery Is Preserved in Missouri

The jar of cukes has survived time, construction, and foul weather. But can it survive fame?

The Route 66 record holder was bested by a bigger rocking chair in Illinois.

How the U.S. Lost the Title for the World's Largest Chair

After a century of states battling it out for the honor, the current record holder is in... Austria.

by Kavya Ram Mohan

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