Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

Established by 1750, Ste. Geneviève was the first permanent European settlement in Missouri. Early French Canadian settlers were drawn here by the rich agricultural land known as Le Grand Champ (the Big Field). After the flood of 1785, the town relocated to its present location on higher ground approximately three miles to the northwest of its original site.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park: Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park and the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center is open daily with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. For program information and access to historic structures, please check with staff at the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center, 573-880-7189.

Getting there

From north of Ste. Genevieve (e.g. St. Louis), take I-55 South to exit 150. Follow MO-32 East for about 4 miles. Turn right on Market Street. From south of Ste. Genevieve (e.g. Cape Girardeau), take I-55 North to exit 150. Follow MO-32 East for about 4 miles. Turn right on Market Street. From southern Illinois, you can also take the Ste. Genevieve - Modoc Ferry across the Mississippi. Please visit http://stegenmodocferry.com/ for hours and rates.

Visitor centers

Weather

The weather in Ste. Genevieve is typical of a midwestern climate. High heat and humidity, severe thunderstorms, snow and ice, and extreme cold are all possible depending upon the season. The average high in July is 88 degrees and the average low in January is 22 degrees. The area averages 41 inches of precipitation annually. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Phone: 573-880-7189

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Cream colored house with a covered porch on a street corner.
Jean Baptiste Valle House · NPS
A large raised building with a covered porch and vertical log construction visible.
Green Tree Tavern · NPS/Claire Casey
Flower beds with blooming flowers and a fountain, with a cream-colored house behind.
Jean Baptiste Valle Rose Garden · NPS Photo
Blue building with a high pitched roof. A sign in front says, "Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center."
Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center · NPS/Jana Irving

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