Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Columbia (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Columbia Agriculture Park, Jesse Hall, and Mizzou Arena. Also, be sure to include Faurot Field in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Columbia (Missouri).
Table of Contents
Columbia Agriculture Park
The Columbia Agriculture Park is a public park in Columbia, Missouri focusing on food production and distribution. It is home to the Columbia Farmers Market, and contains a pavilion with space for 98 vendors. The park opened in 2019 and by 2021 will include an interactive urban farm, demonstration gardens and orchards, a commercial kitchen, event space, a recreational trail, amphitheater, outdoor classroom, and playground. It will also house the offices of the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and a resource center. The park was created by a public-private partnership between Columbia Parks and Recreation, the Columbia Farmers Market, the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, and Sustainable Farms and Communities. It is the first of its kind in Missouri.[1]
Address: 1701 West Ash Street, Columbia (Second Ward)
Jesse Hall
Building. Jesse Hall is the main administration building for the University of Missouri. Its dome has towered 180 feet above the south end of David R. Francis Quadrangle since its completion in 1895. In the lawn in front of Jesse Hall are The Columns, all that remains of its predecessor Academic Hall, which burned in 1892. The building contains the office of the chancellor, university registrar, graduate school, admissions, and financial aid. One of the most photographic landmarks in Missouri, the building was designed by Missouri architect Morris Frederick Bell, and is his largest surviving work. Jesse Auditorium had hosted graduations and countless university functions over the years. The University Concert Series presents national and international concerts, Broadway shows, performers, bands, speakers, and theater to the largest auditorium in Columbia. As the former home of the School of Music, student performances occasionally happen. The building is the most prominent contributing structure to the David R. Francis Quadrangle National Register of Historic Places District. In 1922 "New Academic Hall" became "Jesse Hall" in honor of retiring University President Richard Henry Jesse.[2]
Address: 801 Conley Rd, 65201 Columbia (Sixth Ward)
Mizzou Arena
Arena in Columbia, Missouri. Mizzou Arena is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Home to the school's men's and women's basketball teams, the facility opened in November 2004 and replaced the Hearnes Center as the school's flagship indoor sports facility. The arena also serves as the Columbia-Jefferson City market's venue for well-known 'arena' acts such as Rascal Flatts, Luke Bryan and the Eagles. The arched-roof building seats 15,061, and is located just south of Hearnes and Memorial Stadium. The arena is host to Missouri State High School Activities Association championships for basketball and wrestling. The arena was briefly known as Paige Sports Arena.[3]
Address: 1 Champions Dr, 65211-0001 Columbia (Sixth Ward)
Faurot Field
Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. Faurot Field, at Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Columbia, Missouri, United States, on the campus of the University of Missouri. It is primarily used for football and serves as the home field for the Missouri Tigers football program. It is the third-largest sports facility by seating capacity in the state of Missouri, behind The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot.
During the offseason, soccer goals are set up in the end zones and it is used for intramural matches. Until 2012 it was the site of the annual "Providence Bowl" game between Hickman and Rock Bridge high schools, so named because both schools are located on Providence Road in Columbia, and Faurot is roughly equidistant between the two. This tradition stopped when Missouri joined the Southeastern Conference and conference scheduling made hosting the game more difficult. Faurot Field has also served as the host of Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) football championships.
The stadium is an early 20th century horseshoe-shaped stadium, with seating added on in the "open" (south) end zone. The original horseshoe is completed by a grass berm in the curved end, which is used for general admission on game days. The berm is famous for the giant block "M" made of painted white stones located behind the end zone. A paved path encircled the west, north and east sides of the field taking the place of the track, but was removed in 1994.[4]
Address: 600 East Stadium Blvd, 65201 Columbia (Sixth Ward)
The Blue Note
Music venue in Columbia, Missouri. The Blue Note is a music venue in Columbia, Missouri, and is a contributing property to the North Ninth Street Historic District. It was established in 1980 by Richard King and Phil Costello. It is famous for the legal case Bensusan Restaurant Corp. v. King over naming use on the internet.
The original Blue Note was located at 912 Business Loop 70 East and moved to its Ninth Street location in the early 1990s. In October 2014, the venue was sold to Matt Gerding and Scott Leslie.
Despite being a smaller venue, it has hosted numerous national musical acts, including Phish, Widespread Panic, R.E.M. Hüsker Dü, Uncle Tupelo, Meat Puppets, Chuck Berry, The Replacements, The Minutemen, Dinosaur Jr. Primus, Black Flag, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Violent Femmes, Soul Asylum, The Black Keys, Dave Matthews Band, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Wilco and Arctic Monkeys, and holds a five-part concert series every summer called "Ninth Street Summerfest".[5]
Address: 17 N 9th St, 65201-4845 Columbia (First Ward)
Columbia Cemetery
Cemetery in Columbia, Missouri. The Columbia Cemetery in Columbia, Missouri has been in use as a cemetery since 1820. The cemetery historically contains, White, African-American, and Jewish sections. Located in the cemetery are a vernacular stone receiving vault, and a Romanesque Revival style mausoleum.
Located on Broadway just west of Downtown Columbia, the cemetery contains many burials of prominent people associated with Missouri history, the University of Missouri, or the city of Columbia. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. It is still an operating cemetery with room for many more burials and will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2020.[6]
Address: 30 E Broadway, Columbia (Fourth Ward)
Ragtag Cinema
Movie theater in Columbia, Missouri. Ragtag Cinema is a non-profit independent movie theater located on Hitt Street in Columbia, Missouri. The theater was founded by a group including Paul Sturtz and David Wilson in May 2000. The theater is the home of the Ragtag Film Society, a nonprofit organization which strives to champion film and other media arts to stimulate and encourage the culture of the community. It does so by spotlighting film as an art form, promoting media literacy, education and new ideas as well as supporting local artists. The theater also serves as a primary venue for the True/False Film Fest, which was launched by Sturtz and Wilson in 2004.
The first location, in a small storefront on 10th Street, featured couches and chairs to accommodate up to 75 guests for its one screen. The theater moved to its present location a few blocks away in 2009. Several other small businesses are housed at the same address, including Uprise Bakery and Hitt Records.[7]
Address: 10 Hitt St, 65201-5014 Columbia (First Ward)
Memorial Union
Memorial Union serves as a community center for the University of Missouri by providing meeting rooms, technology centers, dining facilities, and playing host to many special events. The facility was built in three stages between 1923 and 1963.
It was designed by Jamieson and Spearl, which designed most of the campus buildings built between 1902 and the 1950s.[8]
Address: 518 Hitt St, 65211 Columbia (Sixth Ward)
City Hall
Building in Columbia, Missouri. City Hall in Columbia, Missouri, also known as the Daniel Boone Building, was built in 1917. A major addition and restoration was completed in 2011, along with a matching five-story structure. Originally built as a hotel, it has functioned as the city hall of Columbia since 1972 by replacing the municipal building across the street. The building is a contributing property on the National Register of Historic Places in the Downtown Columbia, Missouri historic district and is at the intersection of Broadway and the Avenue of the Columns. The chambers of the Columbia City Council are on the ground floor.[9]
Missouri Theatre
Theatre in Columbia, Missouri. The Missouri Theatre, is a concert and entertainment venue in downtown Columbia, Missouri, occupying most of a city block between 9th street between Locust and Elm Streets. It was designed after the Opéra Garnier by the Boller Brothers, built in 1928, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is Columbia's only surviving pre-Depression movie palace and vaudeville stage. In 2011, the University of Missouri began a three-year lease of the facility. The Missouri Theatre is the resident home of the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, and is also frequently used by University of Missouri and civic groups. As of July 1, 2014, The University of Missouri took over ownership of the Missouri Theatre. It is one of the main performance venues for the University of Missouri School of Music.[10]
Address: 203 S 9th St, 65201-4817 Columbia (First Ward)
A. P. Green Chapel
Chapel in Columbia, Missouri. A.P. Green Chapel is a nondenominational chapel serving the University of Missouri in Columbia. Today it is available for wedding ceremonies, initiation ceremonies and other such events through the Missouri Student Union.[11]
Address: 518 Hitt St, 65211 Columbia (Sixth Ward)
Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site
Cemetery in Columbia, Missouri. Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site is a publicly owned property in Columbia, Missouri, maintained as a state historic site by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Among the notable persons buried in the cemetery, which holds the remains of more than 40 descendants of George A. Jewell, are Missouri governor Charles Henry Hardin and the educator William Jewell. The property became part of the state parks system in 1970.[12]
Address: S. Providence Road, 65203 Columbia (Fifth Ward)
St. Paul A.M.E. Church
Episcopal church in Columbia, Missouri. St. Paul A.M.E. Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal church located at Park Ave and N. 5th St. in Columbia, Missouri. It was built in 1891, and has Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival design elements.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[13]
The Columns
Historical landmark in Columbia, Missouri. The Columns are the most recognized landmark of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Standing forty-three feet tall in the center of Francis Quadrangle and at the south end of the Avenue of the Columns, they are the remains of the portico of Academic Hall. Along with Jesse Hall, they are one of the most photographed sites in Missouri. The Columns have been at the center of many traditions and events including graduations, concerts, pranks, weddings, and protests. Mizzou's school song mentions the columns, and they have been the setting for a work of fiction. They are a contributing structure to the Francis Quadrangle National Historic District. The columns underwent preservation work in 2017.[14]
Address: S 8TH St, Columbia (Sixth Ward)
First Baptist Church
Baptist church in Columbia, Missouri. First Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church in Columbia, Missouri. In 1823, at the time of its founding, it was the first and only church in Columbia. The Church and its members have played a prominent role in civic and religious affairs in Missouri. The church's Georgian Revival style sanctuary sits conspicuously on Broadway in Downtown Columbia; it is the fourth church building and second at that location. Stephens College, formerly a baptist institution founded by church members, is across the street. First Baptist has both a traditional and contemporary Sunday services, and formerly hosted a Swahili-language congregation. The church is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. In 2001, the congregation joined the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its longtime affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention was ended. In 2004, the Odyssey Chamber Music Series was founded as part of a community outreach effort. In addition, the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, Columbia Handbell Ensemble, Esterhazy Quartet, and the University of Missouri School of Music utilize the sanctuary as a performance venue. William Jewell, namesake of William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, has been described as the leading force behind the creation of the church. The first meeting took place in the home of Charles Hardin, father of Charles Henry Hardin governor of Missouri.[15]
Address: 1112 E Broadway, 65201-4999 Columbia (First Ward)
State Historical Society of Missouri
Historical society. The State Historical Society of Missouri, a private membership and state funded organization, is a comprehensive research facility located in Columbia, Missouri, specializing in the preservation and study of Missouri's cultural heritage. Established in 1898 by the Missouri Press Association and made a trustee of the state in 1901, the Society is the official historical society of the state of Missouri and is located on the campus of the University of Missouri in Downtown Columbia, Missouri. The Society publishes the quarterly Missouri Historical Review, the only scholarly academic journal produced in the state.
The Society engages in a number of outreach programs to bring Missouri's history to the public. Such programs are the Missouri History in Performance theatre, the Missouri History Speakers' Bureau, and the Missouri Conference on History. The collection of the Society, concerning pamphlets, books, and state publications, is over 460,000 items. In addition, the Society has over 500,000 manuscript items, 2,900 maps, over 150,000 state archival records, and over 57,000 reels of microfilm. In 2011, the Western Manuscript Collection, accessible in Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, and St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in the preservation and collection of Missouri and Middle West history, was absorbed into the Society.[16]
Missouri United Methodist Church
United methodist church in Columbia, Missouri. The Missouri United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church in downtown Columbia, Missouri. Its congregation formed the first Methodist Church in Columbia in 1837. The present building on 9th Street built between 1925 and 1930 is constructed out of Indiana Bedford limestone in a Late Gothic Revival style. The Stained Glass windows, including the large History of Methodism window at the rear of the sanctuary, are some of the most detailed in Mid-Missouri. The sanctuary seats 1,000 people. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[17]
Address: Ninth St., 65201 Columbia (First Ward)
Maplewood
Maplewood is historic home located at Columbia, Missouri, United States. It was built by Slater Ensor Lenoir and his wife Margaret Bradford Lenoir in 1877. It is a two-story, Italianate style brick dwelling. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In 1970, the City of Columbia purchased the home and 60 acres (240,000 m2) of surrounding land. This became the Frank G. Nifong Memorial Park. Today, the home is operated jointly by the Boone County Historical Society and City of Columbia Parks and Recreation.
Things to do near the building include the annual Heritage Festival in September and the Maplewood Barn Theatre productions all year round.[18]
Address: 2900 E Nifong Blvd, 65201 Columbia (Sixth Ward)
University of Missouri
Public university in Columbia, Missouri. The University of Missouri is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Founded in 1839, it was the first public university west of the Mississippi River. It is a member of the Association of American Universities.
Enrolling more than 30,000 students in 2020, it offers more than 300 degree programs in thirteen major academic divisions. Its well-known Missouri School of Journalism was founded by Walter Williams in 1908 as the world's first journalism school; It publishes a daily newspaper, the Columbia Missourian, and operates an NBC affiliate KOMU. The University of Missouri Research Reactor Center is the world's most powerful university research reactor and is the United States’ sole source of isotopes used in nuclear medicine. The university operates University of Missouri Health Care, running a number of hospitals and clinics in Mid-Missouri.
Its NCAA Division I athletic teams are known as the Missouri Tigers, and compete in the Southeastern Conference. The American tradition of homecoming is claimed to have originated at Missouri.
The campus is home to the State Historical Society of Missouri, and the Museum of Art and Archaeology. Its historic center, Francis Quadrangle, is a National Historic District. Jesse Hall and the Missouri Theatre are large performance venues and utilized by the University of Missouri School of Music.[19]
Islamic Center of Central Missouri
Mosque in Columbia, Missouri. Islamic Center of Central Missouri is a mosque located in Columbia, Missouri. Established in 1983, is the first islamic center in the state of Missouri.[20]
Address: 201 S 5th St, 65201 Columbia (First Ward)