Union Covered Bridge near Paris is one of only four historic covered bridges still standing in Missouri.
MoDNR photo by Ben Nickelson
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If a trip to Paris, France, to see the Eiffel Tower isn’t in your budget this year and neither is a trip to Florida’s beaches, why not visit both Paris and Florida right here in Missouri?
Ooo-la-la! Visit Paris
Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site near Paris, Missouri, offers one of the most unique structures in the state. Covered bridges, a reminder of days past, represent an era of high-quality craftsmanship. Union Covered Bridge is one of only four covered bridges still standing in Missouri.
Named after nearby Union Church, this bridge served travelers in Monroe County for 99 years. The bridge measures 120 feet long, 17.5 feet wide and is 12 feet high, which was just high enough for a wagonload of hay to pass through. Initial construction of the structure took a year and a half.
Over the years, Union Covered Bridge has had to fight a variety of challenges: high water levels, fire and neglect. In the late 1960s, the structure nearly succumbed to neglect, but was saved when the Missouri Legislature passed a bill authorizing Missouri State Parks to take possession of, repair and preserve what was, at the time, the state’s five remaining covered bridges.
Materials from the Mexico Covered Bridge, which was destroyed by floods shortly after the state took possession, were repurposed in the restoration. After overweight trucks damaged the bridge’s structural timbers in 1970, it was closed to all but pedestrian traffic and received the honor of being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunny Florida
Instead of a 12-hour flight from France to the state of Florida, why not opt for a short drive? Florida, Missouri, is home to both Mark Twain State Park and Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was born Nov. 30, 1835, in a small two-room cabin.
“Recently someone in Missouri sent me a picture of the house I was born in,” Twain once wrote. “Heretofore I have always stated it was a palace, but I shall be more guarded now.”
Though it may be humble, the cabin where he was born has been preserved for visitors to see at the Mark Twain Birthplace Memorial Museum. The museum, part of Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site, was created in 1960.
In the village of Florida, be sure to visit the red granite monument marking the original location of the cabin. Surrounding the memorial museum and state historic site is Mark Twain State Park, where visitors have the opportunity to camp, hike, swim, fish and boat on Mark Twain Lake.
Established in the 1920s through the efforts of the Mark Twain Memorial Park Association, the park was created to honor the famous Missouri author. It is the third oldest state park in Missouri and the first built north of the Missouri River.
For visitors wanting to spend a night or more, the modern campground on the lake is equipped with shower and laundry facilities. Camper cabins are also available and feature heat, air conditioning and sleeping space for four adults and two children. Guests staying in these cabins have access to the campground shower house during the on-season. A courtesy boat ramp and fish-cleaning station are located in the campground area.
For more information on these and other state parks and historic sites, visit the Missouri State Parks website.
