This Is The Most Welcoming Town In Missouri
Boonville is a charming town nestled along a wide bend of the Missouri River in central Missouri. Its rich history, from river trade and railroads to agriculture, has helped shape it into a friendly regional hub long before highways came into play. Today, you can still see this history reflected in the well-preserved 19th-century buildings, a lively riverfront, and neighborhoods that truly feel like home rather than just tourist spots. The town boasts a warm community spirit, where locals genuinely participate in events and take pride in caring for their landmarks, trails, and public spaces. It’s this daily sense of connection and care, more than any fleeting spectacle, that makes Boonville one of the most welcoming places in Missouri.
History
Boonville is named after one of the famous exploring families in American history. Daniel Boone's sons, Nathan and Daniel Morgan, explored this land in the early 1800s and found a salt lick. They chose to settle here and start a salt business, which led to it being called Boone's Lick. The town was platted in 1817 and renamed Boonville.
During the American Civil War, the city was hotly contested between the Union and Confederate sides. There were three battles fought here: the Battle of Boonville, the Second Battle of Boonville, and Price's Raid. Ultimately, the Union would maintain control of the area, despite the Confederate General Sterling Price briefly capturing it in 1864.
Boonville also has the oldest operating theatrical hall west of the Allegheny Mountains at the 1855 Thespian Hall, which was converted into a hospital and morgue during the Civil War. Today, it hosts performances to delight community members. A darker historical locale is the Old Cooper County Jail and Hanging Barn. This stone building was the jail from 1849 to 1979. To learn about Boonville, you'll want to visit the Rivers, Rails & Trails Museum with its curated collection of exhibits on steamboats, wagons, and trains. A short walk from this museum is the Mitchell Antique Motorcar Museum, which houses rare vintage vehicles from 1904 to the 1920s, along with a Mitchell bicycle.
Festivals
Boonville's community comes alive during its festivals, which celebrate every aspect of its history, culture, and heritage. In April, festival season kicks off with the Big Muddy Folk Festival. This event has been going strong since 1992, featuring traditional, bluegrass, and folk music concerts and lessons, along with dances and BBQs.
On Memorial Day, Boonville hosts the Pedlers Jamboree with a 30-mile bike ride, live music, and food, while on the 4th weekend in June, Heritage Days kicks off with a carnival, parade, and craft booths. In August, the Thespian Hall puts on the Festival of the Arts, the oldest of its kind in the state.
To step back in time, attend the Steam Engine Festival in September. This festival celebrates the town's industrial history through tractor parades, flea markets, and historical demonstrations of blacksmithing, straw baling, rock crushing, and other activities.
Outdoor
Need to get outdoors? Boonville has a famous trail that used to be a railroad line, now part of the Katy Trail State Park. At 237 miles, it's the most prominent rails-to-trails place in the U.S. One of the most charming features of the park is that four of its trailheads are restored train depots. Booneville's trail head is at the Katy Depot, a Santa Fe Mission-style structure built between 1911 and 1912. There's a bicycle shop inside the depot to get your wheels up to speed before you hit the trail.
For smaller parks, go hiking on the nature trail at Rolling Hills Park or explore the Santa Fe Trail at Harley Park. From the overlook, you get a scenic view of Boonville to the east and the Arrow Rock Bluff to the west on the Missouri River.
Lastly, you'll want to check out the hidden gem of Warm Springs Ranch. Built in 2008 by Anheuser-Busch, the ranch houses the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. These horses can grow as tall as 6 feet, and are worth seeing by booking a tour at the ranch.
Shopping and Restaurants
Boonville's shops offer hospitality along with a rich array of treasures, especially in its historic downtown district. Here one can find handmade salts and seasoning for your food at 1105 Riley Salts & More, or flowers and plants from Bloom Bindings. If you're on the lookout for a gift to take back home, you can grab a souvenir from Boonville Store-Souvenirs, Gifts & Cafe, or an antique item from Buygone's Antique Vintages, Old & New.
Although Boonville is a small town, it has a big appetite, as evidenced by its food scene. It has Chinese food at China One Buffet and Mexican fare at El Rancho Viejo and La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant. You can buy your own food from the Boonville Farmer's Market, or enjoy a home-cooked American meal at the Main Street Diner.
Attractions Near Booneville
By driving around 13 miles to the east, you'll reach the cute town of Rocheport. This is an ideal town to relax in with multiple winery gardens, art galleries, and a tunnel. You can sip local wines from The Rocheport Winery at Mount Nebo Inn or The A-Frame Winegarden, which is nestled right by the Missouri River.
One of the more unique attractions in Rocheport is the Art & Antiques and Blacksmith Shop. This 19th-century shop is a working blacksmith, crafting jewelry and gifts and offering live demonstrations of the craft. Just like Boonville, it's connected to the Katy Trail Park, but its trailhead is a tunnel carved out of a cliff that was used by trains.
Boonville has just shy of 8,000 residents, and most of them have a big appetite for fun. This is easy to see from the town's many festivals, which bring folks together for great music and food, along with live demonstrations of old blacksmithing and steam engines. Hikers and bikers alike have good reason to live here, with the Katy Trail Park providing hundreds of miles of adventure through the countryside and to nearby cute towns like Rocheport. If you're looking for fun community activities, check out Boonville.
