LEISURE

Considered one of the cradles of American jazz, at one time Kansas City's 12th Street had more than fifty jazz clubs. Six blocks away, 18th & Vine was the center of the city’s African-American community. Famed jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker began his musical career in Kansas City as did many others.

Courtesy of University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries, Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Special Collections. View this sheet music online.

Home to both ragtime and blues, St. Louis inspired traditional songs "Frankie and Johnny" and "Stagger Lee." Ragtime great Scott Joplin played in St. Louis in the early twentieth century. "Father of the Blues" W.C. Handy composed "Saint Louis Blues," which is widely considered the most famous blues song ever. Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry also called St. Louis home.

Public domain.

Artist George Caleb Bingham painted with a realistic, luminous style. He spent his life in Missouri, and most of his works feature sites and events from his home state. Bingham was active as a painter from the 1830s through the 1870s. His particular forté was scenes of river life, such as this image titled, "The Jolly Flatboatmen."

Courtesy of National Gallery of Art.

Every year the Roots N Blues festival in Columbia celebrates Missouri's long tradition of blues music and fine barbecue. Musicians and fans from across the country converge on this Central Missouri town for a weekend of music and food.

Courtesy of Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival

Decades after the death of Missouri author Mark Twain, artist Thomas Hart Benton was asked to illustrate some of Twain's most famous works. This is from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Benton is well-known for his murals in public buildings around the state, such as the Capitol in Jefferson City and the Truman Library in Independence.

Courtesy of The State Historical Society of Missouri.

Rose O'Neill, one of the best-known illustrators of her time, won a drawing contest at age fourteen and soon began selling illustrations to national magazines. She became the first female staff artist at Puck Magazine at a time when women's art was generally considered inferior. In 1909, she created her most famous character, the Kewpie.

Courtesy of the Rose O'Neill Foundation.

The world's most respected documentary film festival takes place every winter in Columbia. Called True/False, independent documentarians from across the world showcase their films to thousands of festival attendees over four days and multiple venues.

Courtesy of Ragtag Film Society.

The world's most respected documentary film festival takes place every winter in Columbia. Called True/False, independent documentarians from across the world showcase their films to thousands of festival attendees over four days and multiple venues.

Courtesy of Ragtag Film Society.

Missouri has been the setting for many films and television episodes over the years: Killer Diller, Winter's Bone, Gone Girl, Paper Moon, The Abyss films, and episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies, Lassie, and more. With both cities and natural areas to serve as backdrops, the state can prove quite attractive to filmmakers. Pictured here is Donna Douglas as Elly May Clampett in a The Beverly Hillbillies episode filmed at Silver Dollar City that aired on October 8, 1969.

Source: RG104 Department of Economic Development Commerce and Industrial Development Photograph Collection, #RG104_078_007A.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name of Mark Twain, was a Missouri-born writer known for his humor and ability to capture everyday life in America. His most famous works are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both considered classic American novels.

Source: RG395.2 Missouri State Capitol Commission Photograph Collection #RG395_Series2_02_022, courtesy of Missouri State Capitol Commission and MSA. Photo by Lloyd Grotjan.

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils came to nationwide attention for their hits "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" (1973) and "Jackie Blue" (1974). However, the band's lesser-known songs such as "Chicken Train" (1973) feature traditional Ozarks folk instruments, such as the mountain mouth-bow.

Photo by Bob Treat. Original post can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/30559980@N07/16226393687

Science fiction fans are well aware of Robert Heinlein's work as a premier author in the genre. His book Stranger in a Strange Land and teen series Starship Troopers are perhaps the most well-known today. Heinlein was born and raised in Missouri. Fresh out of high school, he joined the Missouri National Guard, as this enlistment contract shows. He would later go to the U.S. Naval Academy. His writing career spanned decades. Heinlein is frequently counted as one of the top science fiction writers in American history.

Source: RG133 National Guard Enlistment Contracts, Box 122 F. 1.

Under the penname Kenneth Robeson, Missourian Lester Dent gained fame as the author of over 180 pulp fiction Doc Savage publications. His character Clark "Doc" Savage was the first modern superhero; Stan Lee even credited him as an inspiration for his creations. Dent hailed from the small town of La Plata, MO. His modest home is now on the National Register of Historic Places. His study is pictured here.

Source: RG110 Department of Natural Resources National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Mary B. Aue.

Maya Angelou, shown here by her birth name of Marguerite Johnson, was a poet, actress, writer, and civil rights activist. She recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the presidential inauguration in 1993, the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since 1961. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Kansas Citian journalist and author Gillian Flynn came to national attention in 2012 with the release of her book Gone Girl. Set in a small town in Missouri, the book is about the search for a woman who goes missing on her wedding anniversary. The book was adapted into a successful movie in 2014. Flynn was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe.

Courtesy of Heidi Jo Brady.

The Little House on the Prairie is an iconic series of children's books modeled after the life of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wilder recounts aspects of her childhood growing up in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, and South Dakota during the 19th century in these semi-autobiographical novels. She garnered worldwide fame for this book series, which she wrote from her Mansfield, MO home. But before her Little House success, Wilder penned columns for rural Missouri publications, such as this 1911 article in the State Board of Agriculture's Monthly Bulletin.

Source: RG102 Department of Agriculture State Board of Agriculture Monthly Bulletin Vol. IX No. 2 pp. 31-35.

The Little House on the Prairie is an iconic series of children's books modeled after the life of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wilder recounts aspects of her childhood growing up in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, and South Dakota during the 19th Century in these semi-autobiographical novels. She garnered worldwide fame for this book series, which she wrote from her Mansfield, MO home. But before her Little House success, Wilder penned columns for rural Missouri publications, such as this 1911 article in the State Board of Agriculture's Monthly Bulletin.

Source: RG102 Department of Agriculture State Board of Agriculture Monthly Bulletin Vol. IX No. 2 pp. 31-35.

The Little House on the Prairie is an iconic series of children's books modeled after the life of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wilder recounts aspects of her childhood growing up in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, and South Dakota during the 19th Century in these semi-autobiographical novels. She garnered worldwide fame for this book series, which she wrote from her Mansfield, MO home. But before her Little House success, Wilder penned columns for rural Missouri publications, such as this 1911 article in the State Board of Agriculture's Monthly Bulletin.

Source: RG102 Department of Agriculture State Board of Agriculture Monthly Bulletin Vol. IX No. 2 pp. 31-35.

The Little House on the Prairie is an iconic series of children's books modeled after the life of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wilder recounts aspects of her childhood growing up in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, and South Dakota during the 19th Century in these semi-autobiographical novels. She garnered worldwide fame for this book series, which she wrote from her Mansfield, MO home. But before her Little House success, Wilder penned columns for rural Missouri publications, such as this 1911 article in the State Board of Agriculture's Monthly Bulletin.

Source: RG102 Department of Agriculture State Board of Agriculture Monthly Bulletin Vol. IX No. 2 pp. 31-35.

Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean began his pro career in 1930. He became a regular starter for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932. Colorful language and humorous antics led teammate Pepper Martin, pictured on the left, to describe Dean on the mound as a "three-ring circus." Dean later became a sportscaster known for his entertaining mispronunciations and colloquialisms.

Courtesy of Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis.

Organized in 1920 and disbanded in 1965, the Kansas City Monarchs was the longest-running Negro League team in the U.S. Jackie Robinson (left) went from the Monarchs to become the first African-American Major League Baseball player. He and Satchel Paige (right), another Monarchs player, are both members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Courtesy of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City.

The Sportsmans Park site has been a baseball field since Reconstruction. In the 1800s, the site was the home to the St. Louis Brown Stockings. From 1920-1953 the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals both played there. Pictured here in 1907, it was later renamed Busch Stadium. The last game was played there in 1966 when St. Louis baseball moved to the new Busch Stadium.

Courtesy of the Chicago History Museum, Chicago Daily News, Inc.

The Truman Sports Complex contains Arrowhead Stadium (football), opened in 1972, and Kauffman Stadium, (baseball) opened in 1973. Arrowhead is the home of the Kansas City Chiefs (proud to have the loudest fans in the nation) and Kauffman houses the Kansas City Royals.

Courtesy of Kansas City Public Library Missouri Valley Special Collections, General Collection, #10006829.

In 1985, Missouri's two professional baseball teams were pitted against each other: Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals won four games to three. Pictured here are fans from each team.

Source: RG104 Department of Economic Development Division of Tourism, Series B #126-25252 and #126-25255.

The St. Louis Blues hockey team has been a staple of St. Louis life since its creation in 1967. The Blues were the oldest NHL team never to have won the Stanley Cup. This changed in 2019, when the St. Louis Blues beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Series.

Source: RG104 Department of Economic Development Division of Tourism, Series B #110-21917.

St. Louis hosted the first-ever Olympic Games held in the United States and the third in the world. The events coincided with the World's Fair Louisiana Purchase Exposition. These Olympics were full of controversy. Only 12 countries participated. The marathon was a debacle. An "Anthropology Days" event was added to the schedule where indigenous peoples exhibiting at the World's Fair were commandeered to perform Olympic sports for the crowd's amusement. Women were only allowed to compete in the archery event. The 1904 Olympics did have at least one lasting effect: it was the first Olympic Games to have gold, silver and bronze medals for first, second and third places, a tradition that is still followed today.

Courtesy of Missouri Historical Society Louisiana Purchase Exposition Collection, #N15465. View this collection online.

Fulton resident Helen Stephens achieved renown as the fastest woman in the world for her performance during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Stephens broke the world record in the 100-meter dash earning her a gold medal. She also earned gold in the 100-meter relay. These, of course, were the controversial Olympics in Nazi Germany. Stephens met Hitler personally, but she refused to salute him and did not submit to any of his pandering. This document records Stephens's return trip to the United States after the Olympics.

Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Missouri's rivers have been enjoyed by recreational anglers and vacationers since at least the 1870s. The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers are now protected as the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the first National Park to protect an entire riverway. Pictured here are vacationers camping on the shore of Current River in the early 20th century.

Source: RG998 MS330 Charles Elliott Gill Photograph Collection #749. View this photograph collection online.

Every year over two million people purchase hunting, fishing, and trapping permits from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The sale of hunting permits is one of the two main sources of revenue for Conservation. In FY2013, non-residents spent over $9.8 million just on permits. Pictured here is a non-resident hunting permit application for the Fall 1995 firearm deer season.

Source: RG000.103 Department of Conservation State Documents B. 143 F. 5.

Mark Twain laid claim to Hannibal, MO as his choice hometown. The town capitalizes on the author's literary adventures and draws in tourists from around the world. As in this photograph, boys can participate in the annual fence whitewashing contest, à la Tom Sawyer. Visitors can ride riverboats, tour Mark Twain Cave, visit Mark Twain's home, visit Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center, and much more.

Source: RG998 MS192 Gerald Massie Photograph Collection, #MS192_046_009. Photo by Gerald Massie. View this photograph collection online.

Founded in 1882, Branson is one of Missouri's top vacation destinations. The city in southwest Missouri is known nationwide for its live music shows. The Branson Ferris Wheel stands 150 feet tall, its 40 gondolas hold 240 riders, and it lights up the night with a music and light spectacular titled "Electrify."

Courtesy of Branson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Missouri is home to several amusement parks, namely Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun in Kansas City, Silver Dollar City in Branson, and Six Flags in St. Louis. Adventure rides attract the young and brave. Pictured here are the Victrix Ship, Viking Voyager log ride, Finnish Fling, etc. during Worlds of Fun's opening season, Summer 1973.

Source: RG998 MS346 Whitey Owens Photograph Collection, Box 136. Photo by Whitey Owens.

In 1934, Dr. P. C. Turner and J. M. Sojourner bought 346 acres of land in Morgan County. The men were looking to create a rural retreat away from the segregated parks of Kansas City and the Lake of the Ozarks. The Lake Placid Resort, Incorporated was organized in 1940 to sell lots around the man-made lake.

Source: RG005 Secretary of State.

Missouri has amazing museums that attract visitors year round. Prime examples are the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial and American Jazz Museum in Kansas City; City Museum, the St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum and Museum of Westward Expansion in St. Louis; the Missouri State Museum in Jefferson City; the Museum of Art and Archaeology in Columbia, and many, many more. There are also specialized museums like the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph; Leila's Hair Museum in Independence; the Space Museum in Bonne Terre; the Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James; and the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville. Pictured here is the world-renowned Nelson-Atkins Art Museum before the now-iconic shuttlecocks were installed on the lawn.

Source: RG998 MS192 Gerald Massie Photograph Collection, #MS192_051_026. View this photograph collection online.

The St. Louis Zoo has its origins in the 1904 World's Fair. The Smithsonian Institute's walk-through bird cage was bought by citizens of St. Louis after the Fair closed down. That civic involvement by Missouri citizens continued. In 1916, school children raised money to purchase the Zoo's first elephant, Miss Jim. The first elephant born at the Zoo was a male Asian elephant named Raja. The Zoo celebrated his birthday in 2017 with proclamations by the St. Louis City Mayor and the St. Louis County Executive.

Courtesy of the St. Louis City Mayor and St. Louis County Executive.

The St. Louis Zoo has its origins in the 1904 World's Fair. The Smithsonian Institute's walk-through bird cage was bought by citizens of St. Louis after the Fair closed down. That civic involvement by Missouri citizens continued. In 1916, school children raised money to purchase the Zoo's first elephant, Miss Jim. The first elephant born at the Zoo was a male Asian elephant named Raja. The Zoo celebrated his birthday in 2017 with proclamations by the St. Louis City Mayor and the St. Louis County Executive.

Courtesy of the St. Louis City Mayor and St. Louis County Executive.

Missouri's natural wonders are nearly endless, but one major attraction in Southeast MO are natural springs. Most of these beautiful geologic features are in Shannon and Carter Counties. Big Spring, pictured here in 1994, is considered (arguably) the largest natural spring in the world. It discharges 286 million gallons of water every day into the Current River system.

Source: RG104 Department of Economic Development Division of Tourism Photograph Collection, Series A #024_150. View this photograph collection online.