101 Fun Things To Do: Fun things to entertain and inform history buffs

47. BOLLINGER COUNTY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in Marble Hill, Mo. Check out dinosaur artifacts from a local dinosaur dig, American Indian artifacts, Will Mayfield College artifacts and alternating regional exhibits of historical significance.

48. BOLLINGER MILL STATE HISTORIC SITE in Burfordville, Mo., is a four-story, stone and brick water-powered mill that dates to around 1867. The 140-foot Burfordville Covered Bridge crosses the Whitewater River, which powers the mill. Cornmeal is ground as part of the mill tour.

49.The RED HOUSE INTERPRETIVE CENTER in Cape Girardeau commemorates the life of community founder Louis Lorimier, as well as the November 1803 visit of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The interpretive center houses an early-1800s exhibit that reflects the lives of the early settlers of Cape Girardeau.

50. ROCKY HOLLER in Jackson, offers pony-drawn wagon rides, fishing, a tram, a lake, a petting zoo, antiques on display, panning for gold, a blacksmith shop and food.

51. ALLEY SPRING GRIST MILL in Eminence, Mo. This 1894 roller mill and one-room schoolhouse was once the focal point of the Alley Spring community. Visit the historic mill to learn about life in the good old days. Park rangers in period costume will show you how the mill worked, how school was taught in the one-room schoolhouse and offer a variety of other historic programs.

52. SIKESTON DEPOT in Sikeston, Mo. The 1916 depot houses historic exhibits of Southeast Missouri and national significance. It's the site of monthly art and cultural events, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Academic Hall

53. ACADEMIC HALL at Southeast Missouri State University. The copper-domed building, which sits in the middle of campus on the highest hill in Cape Girardeau, was built on the site of a Civil War fort. Completed in 1905, Academic Hall was constructed to replace the Normal School building destroyed by fire in 1902. It was originally the primary structure on the campus, containing classrooms, a gymnasium and the library. Contact the university about tours.

54. MASTODON STATE HISTORIC SITE in Imperial, Mo. Site excavations have established that Paleo-Indians hunted the American mastodon here during the ice age. The museum displays artifacts, fossils and a replica of a mastodon skeleton.

55. The Historical Society Museum and 1870 Jailhouse in FREDERICKTOWN, MO., has items of Madison County historic and nostalgic interest inside and outside the old jail. The Civil War Museum, operated by the Foundation for Historic Preservation, memorializes the Battle of Fredericktown, which took place Oct. 21, 1861. Fredericktown is also the beginning of the War Eagle Trail.

56. PERRY COUNTY is known for its Lutheran and German heritage. The Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna, Mo., is dedicated to the 700 Saxon immigrants who came to the United States in 1839 from Germany. The grounds feature several log cabins, a log barn, a blacksmith shop, a bake oven and a visitors center. The Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum of Altenburg, Mo., focuses on Lutheran immigration from Germany to America, the history of the Lutheran Church in Perry County and the German-American culture of the region. The museum has a gift shop, exhibit hall and reception area, and offers tours of 19th century church buildings and cabins.

57. The STARS AND STRIPES MUSEUM near Bloomfield, Mo., on Highway 25. On Nov. 9, 1861, ten Illinois Union soldiers, using the vacated press of the Bloomfield Herald, published the first "Stars and Stripes,"newspaper which they named after the American flag. One of the original copies of that 1861 paper is now owned by the Stoddard County Historical Society. The history of the publication and the military lives it touched are being preserved at the Stars and Stripes Museum and Library.

58. SHRINE OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL in Perry County. Since the building of the Shrine Chapel in 1929, the church of St. Mary's of the Barrens has served as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Its architecture and decorations reflect its long and interesting history.

59. The BLOODWORTH HOUSE in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The original red brick Queen Anne style cottage was the home of the C.T. Bloodworth family for many years. Today, its has been restored as an English Baroque stately home in the style of the William and Mary Period (1689-1702).

60. The tiny river town of Commerce, Mo., hosts the annual Floodfest and is also home to a winery and some interesting shopping.

61. The village of STE. GENEVIEVE, MO., off Interstate 55 north of Cape Girardeau, is on the bank of the Mississippi River and was built in the tradition of the pioneer French. Art galleries, antique stores and annual festivals make it a quaint destination.

62. PIONEER MUSEUMS IN CARTER COUNTY. Living history museums feature pioneer life and chores, weaving, spinning, music and storytelling. Children are welcome and pottery, crafts and baskets arer available in the gift shop.

63. OLD BETHEL CHAPEL near Jackson is the site of the first permanent Baptist house of worship west of the Mississippi. The chapel was reconstructed in 2007.

64. TURNER MILL on Eleven Point River near Alton, Mo. It's the site of the former community of Surprise, named because of J.L.C. Turner's astonishment when his petition for a U.S. post office was approved. You can still see remnants of the mill, including the 26-foot steel overshot wheel installed around 1915.

65. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM in Miner, Mo. The museum, including two circa-1800 log cabins, holds more than 6,000 pieces of antique farm equipment and a 5,000-square-foot antique store.

66. OLD MCKENDREE CHAPEL on County Road 206 in Cape Girardeau County is regarded as the oldest Protestant church structure standing west of the Mississippi River.

67. A post-bellum manor, MAGNOLIA MANOR in Cairo, Ill., has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since Dec. 17, 1969.

68. OLD APPLETON BRIDGE. Built in 1879, the wrought iron bridge at Old Appleton is the second-oldest bridge in Southeast Missouri, eclipsed only by the Burfordville Covered Bridge. After it was destroyed by a flood in 1982, it took almost a quarter-century to put it back together. It's now the centerpiece of the town.