Missouri Civil War Museum
St. Louis
St. Louis’ Jefferson Barracks Historic Site has a long history both as a military outpost — about 220 Civil War generals served and trained there — and as a public site. Until this year, however, there has not been anyplace for visitors to learn about the history of the site and Missouri’s greater place in the Civil War.
Through a grassroots fundraising effort, Civil War enthusiast and collector Mark Trout raised $1.7 million and a substantial volunteer labor force to complete a 10-year renovation of the Post Exchange and Gymnasium Building. As the main training site, barracks and hospital at Jefferson Barracks, it was a natural choice to house the nearly 2,000 Civil War artifacts that now make up the museum.
The exhibits began with Trout’s personal collection, and through in-kind donations, the collection grew to encompass a variety of personal effects of soldiers, from uniforms and weapons to more everyday possessions such as Bibles to rare treasures such as medals of honor.
The group tour program, like the museum, is still in its infancy, although the organization is able to accommodate large groups of around 100 people with advance notice. A video overview educates visitors on Missouri’s role in the Civil War, which began during the Border Wars with Kansas long before the official start of the Civil War.
Adventure Zip KC
Bonner Springs, Kansas
From the Costa Rican rain forest to river gorges in Turkey, ziplining is taking the adventure travel world by storm. The adrenaline rush of soaring dozens or hundreds of feet above ground makes ziplining a treat anywhere, but the new Adventure Zip KC has brought the trend to Kansas.
A half-hour’s drive outside Kansas City, Adventure Zip KC combines forested hills with river views to create a rain-forest-style ziplining experience.
“We offer three different zip-line packages: our hike and zip, the tower tour and the full tour, which includes both the hike and zip and the tower tour, for eight zip lines total,” said Monica Reid, general manager.
The tower tour is the longer option and includes five zips per person over two to two and a half hours; the hike and zip, which is appropriate for most levels of physical fitness, includes three zips during the hour-and-a-half tour.
“The main restriction is not on group size, because we can accommodate groups of anywhere from eight to 200, but weight. Individuals who weigh 70 to 275 pounds can zip alone, and we can do tandem if they’re under,” Reid said. Reid can arrange to close the zips to the public for large groups.
