It’s fitting that Missouri is called the “Show Me State” because it’s always ready to show off how much it really has in store, especially when it comes to culture. Famous for jazz music—with Kansas City natives Count Basie and Charlie Parker in the jazz pantheon—Missouri also has plenty of festivals, cultural performances and art galleries to go around.
By celebrating artists through exhibits and performances and nurturing its rich history, Missouri is flexing its muscle in the world of art and culture. Above all, it is ready to prove that a down-home welcome and the heights of artistic achievement are beautiful music to a planner’s ear.
Culture hounds, take note: Missouri is on the map, and there are countless ways for meeting planners to infuse its cultural heritage into agendas.
St. Louis Area
In addition to a world-renowned, award-winning symphony, an opera company and a variety of contemporary theater companies, St. Louis embraces all manner of visual and performing arts. The collection of museums runs from the traditional—St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Museum of Transportation—to the whimsical—Dog Museum, Butterfly House and International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.
“If it’s worth celebrating or honoring, St. Louis is sure to have a way to pay homage,” says Donna Andrews, spokesperson for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission.
St. Louis also offers visitors an eclectic mix of international cultural options, including special events that celebrate the region’s unique ethnic mix. From the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Serb Fest in McKinley Heights to Bastille Day celebrations, St. Louis embraces diversity.
For off-site venues full of local flavor, Andrews recommends the Contemporary Art Museum, located in the Grand Center arts and entertainment district. It features distinctive architectural elements and more than 27,000 square feet of easily adaptable space. Grand Center has private event spaces, galleries, museums, and performing arts venues such as the Fox Theatre, Sheldon Concert Hall and Jazz at the Bistro.
The renowned Saint Louis Symphony, led by David Robertson, calls Powell Symphony Hall home, and the ornate Fox Theatre stages a variety of touring Broadway shows, dance performances, private events, and live concerts.
At the neighboring Grandel Theatre, the St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents a season of drama, comedy and musicals told from the African-American perspective.
“The season runs from January through June, and the company has been called America’s best African-American theater,” Andrews says. “The acoustically perfect Sheldon Concert Hall presents live jazz, folk, blues, and more throughout the year, along with the popular Cabaret in the Savoy Room series.”
Dance St. Louis brings some of the greatest dancers and dance companies in the world to the Fox Theatre, the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center and Washington University’s Edison Theatre.
Kansas City Area
“Kansas City is in the midst of a major renaissance,” says Denise DeJulio, executive director of convention sales for the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association.
There is more than $4.5 billion worth of development downtown, including the new eight-block Kansas City Power and Light District, which features more than 40 restaurants and entertainment venues just blocks from the convention center.
“We have also added some great new cultural attractions,” DeJulio explains. “The new Bloch Building at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened in June 2007 to international rave reviews. Time magazine called it ‘the No. 1 architectural marvel of 2007.’”
Including outings or receptions at any of the city’s museums is sure to bring a cultural bang to meeting agendas. In December 2006, the new National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial opened beneath the Liberty Memorial. It’s the only World War I Museum in the country and houses one of the greatest collections of World War I artifacts anywhere in the world.
DeJulio also recommends the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, which features the White House Decision Center, a great team-building activity designed for groups.
Planners should also be on the lookout for the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, scheduled to open in 2010. Its two performance halls will be home to the Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
“We also have a storied jazz heritage that dates back to the 1920s,” DeJulio says, referring to musicians such as Count Basie, Bennie Moten and Jay McShann, while Kansas City is also the birthplace of Charlie Parker. “You can still hear live jazz at clubs around town, and the American Jazz Museum celebrates this uniquely American art form.”
Located at what’s commonly known as the “museums at 18th and Vine,” the area is home to the American Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. They share a common atrium, which is a great site for receptions and dinners, according to DeJulio.
While in Kansas City, visitors shouldn’t miss out on the metro’s famous barbecue. Whether enjoyed at one of the 100 restaurants in town or during a group cookout, the slow-cooked meat never disappoints.
Nearby St. Joseph was one of the last stops before pioneers hit the roughest stretches of their journey. The town’s history is full of outlaws, including Jesse James, who met his demise here.
“St. Joseph recalls a time when the West was truly wild,” says Lindsay Bernard, visitor relations and sales manager at the St. Joseph CVB.
From the Apple Blossom Festival in May to the two-day Coleman Hawkins Blues Festival in September, the town also knows how to organize fun events for visitors and residents alike.
The museums and attractions here include the Pony Express National Museum, dedicated to the mail service that began here in 1860. Close by is the Patee House Museum, a glorious hotel from the 1800s. Next door you’ll find the Jesse James Home, where he was killed in 1882.
Central Missouri
The history in Jefferson City is what really sets the city apart, according to Sarah Stroesser, communications manager at the Jefferson City CVB.
“Our slogan at the convention and visitors bureau is ‘You’ll feel the history,’ and we try to share that history with visitors in a fun and educational way,” she says.
The city has loads of German heritage, which is illustrated by the German business district, Old Munichburg. The Old Munichburg Association hosts events throughout the year, including Oktoberfest and Kristkendelfest. Groups can take part in a strudel demonstration for a hands-on experience.
Northwest of Jefferson City is Columbia. Home to the University of Missouri, it has a college town vibe and knows how to put on a show. The city hosts a variety of live performances on a weekly basis, including theater at Stephens College and the University of Missouri, as well as the university’s 100-year-old Concert Series.
“Every year, the city hosts the Roots ’N Blues ’N BBQ Festival, featuring great music and great barbecue, as well as the True/False Film Festival, a popular documentary film fest,” says Beth Mead, tourism marketing manager at the Columbia CVB.
At the University of Missouri campus, planners can impress any football fan in the Memorial Stadium press box with a visit from “Truman the Tiger” and the Mizzou cheerleaders.
Located on the Stephens College campus, the Lela Raney Wood Hall features a ballroom with a stage and a small gallery space featuring rotating displays from the college’s historic costume and fashion collection. Groups have enjoyed fashion shows while dining here. On-site, there is an old-fashioned soda fountain where planners can host ice cream socials.
Farther south at Lake of the Ozarks, attendees will find some unique shopping options in addition to plenty of outdoor activities.
“The Bagnell Dam Strip is really fun for families,” says Pam Droog Jones, spokesperson for the Lake of the Ozarks CVB. “You have an old-fashioned store called the Dogpatch that is full of great gifts, T-shirt shops and a fudge shop.”
Southwest Missouri
A top destination for entertainment, Branson, which counts 53 theaters and more theater seats than Broadway, has a lot to offer culture-seeking guests.
“I can’t think of a single group that has not taken in a show or visited an attraction—it’s why they come,” says Vienna L. Bowling, director of meeting and convention sales at the Branson Lakes Area CVB.
Popular venues include the new Titanic, a museum that is available for off-site events. The Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater Complex is another top choice for evenings out, with shows that include the original stars from the long-running television show, including Bill Medley, Bill Haley and the Comets, and Bobby Vee.
To enjoy the culture of the area, Bowling recommends getting out during the day by taking advantage of the Dogwood Canyon Nature preserve, which offers team-building cattle drives and cowboy cookouts.
Other fun activities include dinner cruises on the Showboat Branson Belle, a 700-seat paddle wheeler that features a variety show, and excursions with Branson Landing Cruises, which accommodates up to 150 guests for private outings with full catering.
For a tour of the Ozarks area, Bowling suggests riding on the Branson Scenic Railway. The old-fashioned dome-topped cars travel through the Ozark Mountains and areas not accessible by car.
North of Branson, Springfield is known for its appeal to outdoor enthusiasts, but the community is also supportive of the arts. The city features a number of venues and activities, including dozens of galleries that showcase art from local, regional and national artists, as well as live performances offered at the Landers, Vandivort and Gillioz theaters.
Food is another highlight of the destination, according to Susan Wade, public relations manager at the Springfield CVB.
“One of Springfield’s cultural assets is its chef-owned, unique restaurants,” Wade says. “A variety of menus inspired by cuisine from around the world are available. In the downtown area alone there are more than 40 restaurants, all housed in historic buildings.”
There are also several nightclubs downtown, many offering live entertainment such as a dueling piano bar, jazz at a microbrewery and opera at an Italian eatery.
A popular off-site venue is the Springfield Brewery Company, where groups can gather for a casual reception with hors d’oeuvres or a sit-down dinner.
Farther east, the city of Joplin is on the cusp of a large arts and culture movement, according to Cameo Gerdes, director of sales at the Joplin CVB.
“We’re in the second phase of a complete downtown revitalization,” Gerdes says. “We’re bringing Main Street’s historic relevance back, and the arts movement will be meshed into the historical side. Starting this summer, there will be three restored buildings on Main Street that will have artist studios with lofts or apartments above them.”
A mining boom town, Joplin is also known as the place where notorious gangsters Bonnie and Clyde hid for a while. When they were chased out of an apartment by the police, they left behind a roll of film. These were some of the only pictures of the couple shown to the public. Attendees can view the photos at the Joplin Museum Complex. In addition to the photos, visitors will see the door of the apartment where the couple hid and jewelry that belonged to Bonnie.
For More Info
Branson/Lakes Area COC and CVB 417.334.4136 www.meetinbranson.net
Columbia CVB 573.875.1231 www.visitcolumbiamo.com
Jefferson City CVB 573.632.2820 www.visitjeffersoncity.com
Joplin CVB 417.625.4789 www.visitjoplinmo.com
Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association 816.221.5242 www.visitkc.com
Lake of the Ozarks CVB 573.348.1599 www.funlake.com
Missouri Association of CVBs 816.233.6688 www.macvb.com
Overland Park CVB 913.491.0123 www.opcvb.org
Springfield CVB 417.881.5300 www.springfieldadventures.com
St. Joseph CVB 816.233.6688 www.stjomo.com
St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission 314.421.1023 www.explorestlouis.com
