Tour Columbia Missouri

Lake of the Ozarks Vacation Getaway
Stay 3 days / 2 nights at The Lodge of Four Seasons, access to three major golf courses, 5 restaurants and night club, marina with boat rentals, free DVD movie cinema, and full service spa.

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Home to three distinguished facilities of higher education, Columbia has set its identity as a major college town.

Columbia was first founded in 1819 as Smithton, but renamed in 1821 and became seat of Boone County.

The Walters Boone County Historical Museum
3801 Ponderosa St, Columbia, MO 65205; (573) 443-8936;
Open Tues-Sat 1-5PM Apr-Oct / Sat-Sun and Wedz 1-4PM rest of year; Donations.
Local area historical photographs, artifacts and living-history exhibits. Also includes:

• Genealogical Society of Central Missouri Library
• Montminy Gallery - Collection of work by these early Missourian artists and a set of photographic plates and negatives from early Boone County photographers 1800s-1950s.

Finger Lakes State Park
1,132 acre recreational area, located 10 miles north on US-63.
[ Camping / Boating / Fishing / Swimming ]

Rock Bridge State Park
2,238 acre recreational area, located 7 miles south on SR-163.
[ Horse Trails / Fishing / Swimming ]

Katy Trail State Park - Trailhead
200-mile scenic trail follows the path of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, roughly parallel to the Missouri River. Recognized as the longest rails to trails conversion in the country stretching from St. Charles to Sedalia.

University of Missouri-Columbia
See below about the earliest state university west of the Mississippi and its many exhibits.

Columbia College

Stephens College
Hosts ongoing theatrical performances and art exhibits. (573) 442-2211.

Columbia Restaurant Directory
Restaurant listings, reviews, menus, specials and pricelist.

Columbia Hotel/Resort Directory
Online hotel room search and reservation service.

The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook
by Brett Dufur - Paperback - 224 pages 5th edition (October 1999) Pebble Publishing, Inc.;
This book covers the Katy from west to east and has a wealth of historical information on the towns along the trail

USA Riverbarge Cruises
Take a scenic 4-8 day cruise along the Mississippi, Missouri, Cumberland or Ohio Rivers and sample local cuisine, culture and entertainment at the various ports of call with our luxury hotel riverbarge.

Columbia-Days Inn Conference Center
1900 Interstate Highway 70 Drive SW - Columbia, MO, US 65203
Welcome to Columbia, Missouri where service is our goal. We are a full service Days Inn with 160 guest rooms and banquet/meeting facilities which will accommodate up to 400 people.

Fairfield Inn Columbia
2904 Clark Lane - Columbia, MO, US 65202
Marriott's award winning economy hotel lodging chain features clean, convenient, quality accommodations and the peace of mind you get from Marriott consistency - all for a great value.

Ramada Inn
1100 Vandiver Drive - Columbia, MO, US 65202
Located in the heartland of Missouri, on Interstate Highway 70, the Ramada Conference Center is central Missouri's premiere lodging and meeting facility. Enjoy the benefits and amenities of a full service hotel appealing to both the leisure and business traveler. The Ramada Conference Center also has banquet and catering facilities for up to 600 people. Relax in Honest Johns' Tavern & Grill with a drink, great food and non stop sports action. For your convenience, room service is also available. The Ramada Conference Center has just recently undergone a multi-million dollar renovation that includes, new guest rooms and public areas, new conference center facilities, updated exterior and landscaping, new health facility and business services center.

The oldest state university west of the Mississippi. Six Ionic columns on Francis Quadrangle are all that remain of the university's first administration building - built 1840 and destroyed by fire 1892. Also on the quadrangle is Thomas Jefferson's original tombstone.

Founded in the 1830's through a fervent political drive. 900 local residents, who mortgaged farms and homes to raise $117,000, worked hard to secure the establishment of the state's first school here. First classes started in 1839.

University of Misouri-Columbia
Visitor Relations: (573) 882-6333;

School of Journalism
Founded in 1908, it is distinguished as the first of its kind in the world.

Research Reactor Facility
Research Park; (573) 882-4211;
The largest university nuclear reactor research unit. Guided tours (by reservation only Tues-Fri) includes view of the reactor core where nuclear fission takes place.

George Caleb Bingham Gallery
Fine Arts Building; Open during semester: Mon-Fri 10AM-4PM; Free Admission; (573) 882-3555;
Changing exhibits of artwork by students, faculty and famous artists.

Museum of Anthropology
104 Swallow Hall, Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM; (573) 882-3573 Free Admission;
Rotating exhibits on the anthropological history of man.

Museum of Art and Archealogy
Pickard Hall, Tues-Fri 9-5 / Sat-Sun 12-5; (573) 882-3591; Free Admission;
Collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art. Also contains Early American and European artworks. Also of note is the Cast Gallery with plaster casts of early Greek and Roman sculptures.

State Historical Society of Missouri
Ground Floor of Ellis Library in Lowry Mall; (573) 882-7083; Free Admission;
Extensive collections of Missouri newspapers, books and publications. Many topics on Missouri history, genealogy, and politics. Also includes artwork by both early and contemporary Missouri artists.

Other Points of Interest:

• Geology Building - Over 100,000 fossil and rock specimens on display.
• Levefre Hall - Collection of mounted waterfall
• Thomas Edison restored dynamo - First working model of incandescent lighting west of the Mississippi. Located in the lobby of Electrical Engineering Bldg.
• Reptile Exhibit - Located in Stewart Hall, Room 202. Public viewing of mid-morning feedings every Friday. (573) 882-6468.

CaribbeanCard Experience The Caribbean
The Caribbean Card offers discounts, savings and incentives to cardholders at preferred merchants in the Caribbean: Hotels, Casinos; Restaurants; Shopping; Entertainment & Nightlife; Attractions & Recreations; & many more.

Legoland California Mini-Vacation Getaway
Stay 3 days / 2 nights at Grand Pacific Palisades Resort & Hotel directly across the street from Legoland California, one of America's newest theme parks. Certain restrictions apply.