Strolling Around in Downtown Jefferson

Missouri

May 2026

From Rainy Gray to Beautifully White

After our beautiful, sunny walk last night, we woke up to heavy rain. We initially cancelled our plans because the forecast predicted a day with thunderstorms. However, when the weather app showed a dry window of a few hours just before lunch, we decided to walk downtown. We didn’t make it far, because right by the Capitol Building, we got caught in a sudden downpour. The rain itself wasn’t the issue, but that loud thunder at the exact same time as the lightning? No, thank you.

Fortunately, the weather cleared up in the evening. Just after dinner, we went out for a stroll downtown. Because the city lacks a skyline of tall buildings, the Missouri State Capitol stands out, sitting high on a bluff where it can be admired from afar.

Walking around the grounds, I recognized the exact spot where I had taken a photo back in 2017 on our way to our youngest son’s graduation commencement. This spot also made me realize what a significant difference the weather can make. The Capitol building, constructed from Carthage limestone and marble, and completed in 1917, looked a boring gray in the afternoon rain, but now it shone beautifully white in the evening sun.

The fact that the building is considered one of the most stunning statehouses in the United States is certainly not an exaggeration. From the grand staircase and the statues, to the fountains and the peaceful small park, everything is gorgeous.

Adrian’s Island, A Hidden Gem on the Missouri River

We also crossed the pedestrian Bicentennial Bridge, which opened in late 2021, to Deborah Cooper Park on Adrian’s Island. For decades, this floodplain along the Missouri River was close to downtown yet completely cut off due to the active Union Pacific railroad tracks. The park felt like an open-air museum, with sculptures and scenic walking paths looping through native greenery right along the riverbank.

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“The State of Missouri” sculpture was the most eye-catching monument in the park. When viewed from the bridge, it perfectly showed the geographic shape of Missouri. Up close, we could see the river “flowing” through the center, the flowing beautifully mimicked by 5,000 tiny stainless steel discs that flickered in the wind.

Where Commerce Began, The Jefferson Landing State Historic Site

When we returned from Adrian’s Island, our eyes caught two historic brick buildings near the railroad tracks. These two buildings are part of the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, the original riverfront landing and the place where the city’s commerce began. The museum and gallery were closed for the day, but we still enjoyed seeing the buildings from the outside.

The multi-story stone and brick structure is the Lohman Building, built in 1839. It has functioned as a general store, a warehouse, and a riverfront hotel during the peak of the Missouri River steamboat era. Today it is a museum telling about that era gone by.

Their Journey Honored, The Lewis and Clark Monument

We also walked along the Lewis and Clark Monument, which is a homage to the famous Corps of Discovery expedition. The 2008 monument is situated on the land where the explorers encamped on June 4, 1804. The artwork, sculpted by Missouri artist Sabra Tull Meyer, honors Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with their important partners, the skilled scout George Drouillard, Clark’s enslaved servant York, and Lewis’s faithful Newfoundland dog, Seaman.