Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park is located in Eastern Missouri south of St. Louis. The park is one of the newest National Park Service. The park was created to protect French colonial architecture and tell the story of early French settlement in North America.
Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park
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The park is dedicated to preserving the history of the oldest European settlement in Missouri.
Ste. Genevieve is located in the Mid-Mississippi River Valley and was established in 1750. Today visitors can learn about 3 of the 5 remaining vertical log construction buildings left in the United States.
The park also shares the history of the area including American Indian and French Settlements.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is located with the Ste Genevieve town visitor center. They are working on developing the park and the displays.
The park does not currently have a park film but the town does. The film is fantastic and definitely worth spending time watching.
Junior Ranger Program
The park has a great Junior Ranger program. It really helps to understand the town and the impact of the French Indian War.
The Junior Ranger Program can be filled out while in the visitor center.
Jean-Baptiste Valle House
The Jean Baptiste Valle House is located across the street from the visitor center.
The gardens are open to visitors from sunrise to sunset.
Ste. Genevieve was established as a French Community. France ceded land west of the Mississippi River to Spain from 1763-2900.
Instead of sending officials from Spain to Ste. Genevieve they appointed a local resident as a "commandant" who oversaw the administration of the colonized area.
Brothers Francois II and Jean Baptiste Valle served as Commandment for Ste. Genevieve.
The estate originally included housing for enslaved people, a summer kitchen, barn, and other outbuildings. These buildings no long exist.
Formal rose gardens were established to display wealth and mimicked aristocratic properties in France.
Jean-Baptiste Valle House address - 99 S. Main Street.
Bauvais-Amoureux House
The Bauvais-Amoureux House is located a few blocks outside of the main town of Ste. Genevieve. It is really easy to find with GPS or the park map.
The Bauvais were wealthy merchants and leading citizens of nearby Kaskaskia, Illinois.
This house is one of only three known surviving poteaux-en-terre post in ground houses in Ste. Genevieve.
These houses are one of the reasons the park was established. There are only 5 post in ground houses remaining in the United States and 3 of them are in Ste. Genevieve.
Bauvais-Amoureux House address - 327 St. Mary Road
Things to know when planning a visit
Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park became the 422nd NPS unit on October 30, 2020.
Park Address:
99 South Main Street
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670
Park Hours:
The park is open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Entrance Fees: $0.00, There is no fee to visit this park.
Camping: There is no camping available within the park.
Lodging: There is no National Park lodging within the park. The town is known for having amazing Bed and Breakfasts.
Pets: Pets are allowed on park grounds but not allowed within buildings.
National Park Service website: https://www.nps.gov/stge
National Park Sites near Ste. Geneviève NHP
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Ulysses S Grant National Historic Site
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Check out all of the National Parks in Missouri and neighboring National Parks in Arkansas, National Parks in Oklahoma, National Parks in Kansas, National Parks in Nebraska, National Parks in Iowa, National Park in Illinois, and National Park in Tennessee
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