Recreation, Tourism & Culture

St. Joseph is an exciting city offering first-rate attractions, luxurious bed and breakfasts and fine dining. There are so many activities to choose from . . . For outdoor enthusiasts, St. Joseph offers an extensive parkway system with such amenities as baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and swimming pools. If attending sports events is more to your liking, be sure to catch a game of the St. Joseph Mustangs, the hometown baseball team. Or stop in at one of St. Joe’s museums featuring displays relating to everything from the Old West to fine art. Enjoy St. Joseph's rich historical past and exciting present!

PERFORMING ARTS
You’ll find the rich cultural life of St. Joseph expressed in such hallmarks as the St. Joseph Symphony, a Performing Arts Association and Robidoux Resident Theater. The Symphony features a professional orchestra with full season of symphonic and band concerts while PAA presents a variety of theater, music and dance productions showcasing talent from around the world. Many of these performances take place in the newly renovated historic Missouri Theater, a 1927 movie palace serves located in the heart of Downtown. The Allied Arts Council, St. Joseph's umbrella arts organization, can provide the information you need to partake in an enjoyable cultural experience, visit www.StJoeArts.org for details.

Want to be an artist? Midland Empire Community Arts (MECA), a division of MWSC Continuing Education, provides enrichment classes for the artist in everyone--ALL AGES! Enjoy Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, Hatha Yoga, Culinary Arts, Summer Mini-Camps and more! Visit MECA's website at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/ for class information.

MUSEUMS
St. Joseph’s 13 museums feature a variety of collections ranging from world-class art exhibits and historic medical practices to transportation and native animals. The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art houses one of the finest collections of American art in the Midwest. The St. Joseph Historical Society operates Robidoux Row Museum, home to town founder Joseph Robidoux. The St. Joseph Museum boasts an impressive collection of Native American artifacts. Religious history is featured at Twin Spires and the Pony Express Museum is dedicated to the romantic, yet short-lived, mail service.

FESTIVALS
Attend TRAILS WEST!® and help celebrate St. Joseph’s unique cultural heritage, watch the floats pass by at the Apple Blossom Parade, experience the life of early settlers during the Sacred Hills Encampment or meet some real-life cowboys at the Southside Fall Festival & Rodeo. There are so many events in St. Joseph to choose from, you are sure to find something to do all year long. For a current calendar of events, visit St. Joseph's official online community calendar of events, http://communities.stjoelive.com.

THE PARKWAY SYSTEM
Billed as the finest boulevard system in the United States, St. Joseph's Parkway ribbons through the city for 26 miles. Developed in 1918 by internationally known landscape architect George Burnap, St. Joseph was one of the first cities in the United States to develop an imaginative and comprehensive parkway plan. Popular for hiking and biking activities, the completed system connects principal parks and recreation facilities, providing a green belt throughout the city. Anchored on the northend by Krug Park and on the southside by Hyde Park, the miles of greenway between feature a multitude of outdoor and indoor recreational opportunities, walking trails and scenic overlooks. St. Joseph's Parkway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information regarding St. Joseph’s parks and the Parkway System, contact Parks & Recreation at 816/271-5500.

Krug Park
St. Joseph Avenue & Krug Park Place
Located at the northern end of the parkway, Krug Park's 163 acres house an amphitheater, a lagoon, rose gardens, picnic areas, a "castle," scenic walking trails, and a playground. Also featured is a North American native animal exhibit housing buffalo, deer, and longhorn cattle. Krug Park "lights up" during the holiday season as Holiday Park.

Northside Recreational Complex
3541-A St. Joseph Ave.
Just for sports lovers, the complex features a swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, softball, outdoor racquetball, and a playground.

Noyes Sports Complex
Noyes and Messanie
Twelve lighted tennis courts, outdoor swimming pool, sixteen horseshoe courts, running track and baseball fields welcome you to this 23-acre complex.

Bode Sports Complex
2500 Southwest Parkway
The Bode Complex features a six-court outdoor, lighted basketball complex, seating, scoreboards and pro-style glass backboards. A lighted in-line skate rink compliments this complex complete with a scoreboard. Two sand volleyball courts and table tennis are available as well as a full concession area and restrooms. Available for private parties and lessons.

Phil Welch Stadium
2500 Southwest Parkway
This 5,000-seat stadium is home to the St. Joseph Mustangs, a M.I.N.K. League professional baseball team made up of players from throughout the country. Located next to Bode Ice Arena.
Hyde Park Recreational Complex, Alabama and East Hyde Park Ave.
The 93-acre park located at the parkway's southern end offers lighted tennis courts, swimming pool, horseshoe courts, a baseball complex, basketball goals and four picnic shelters.

Parties on the Parkway
The Parkway System is the focus of monthly after-work celebrations from May through September. Parties on the Parkway take place at various locations along the Parkway on the third Thursday of the month from 5-8 p.m. Each community gathering features food, drinks, live music and more!

Joyce Raye Patterson Senior Citizens Center
100 South 10th
Multi-purpose room, stage, cafeteria and dining room (lunch served to the public Tuesday through Friday), 6 pool tables, craft and meeting rooms, woodshop, TV area, conference rooms, library, audio visual room, lobby and reception area, elevator from parking lot below, building totally accessible.

St. Joseph Civic Arena
100 North 4th
The contemporary design of the Civic Arena includes flexible seating that accommodates any type of event. With superb acoustics and lighting plus a clear view of activities from all locations, there is not a bad seat in the house. The arena boasts 19,000 square feet providing unobstructed exhibit space or performing surface along with seating for 2,300 people. A total of 40,000 square feet of exhibit space is available.

Missouri Theater
717 Edmond
The Missouri Theater is a 1,200 seat restored 1926 theater. The facility is listed on the National Historic Landmarks Register and is home to many of St. Joseph arts organizations.

GOLF
The Golf Club, 6480 SE Highway 169
9-hole, par 3 golf course. Driving range, pro shop & snack bar.

Fairview Golf Course
3202 Pacific
This 18-hole golf course has a fully-equipped clubhouse with snack bar, driving range and pro shop. Cart rental and lessons are available.

Moila Shrine Temple and Golf Course (private)
701 North Noyes
18 holes, par 70/6,015 yards.
Guest must be a Shriner or guest of a Shriner.

St. Joseph Country Club Golf Course (private)
50 Ridgeland Road
18 holes, par 71/6,503 yards.
Guest must be a member or guest of a member.

Cool Crest Garden Golf
1400 North Belt
Triple Garden Golf Links. Flower gardens, cool waterfalls and nostalgic music combine for a relaxing family atmosphere. Open seasonally.

SHOPPING
East Hills Mall, Belt Highway & Frederick Avenue
East Hills Shopping Center, the city within the city! A beautifully decorated and landscaped enclosed shopping mall, allows you to shop year 'round in perfect climate controlled comfort. East Hills is conveniently located at the intersection of Frederick Avenue and the Belt Highway in St. Joseph. Wherever you park, in one of the numerous free parking spaces, you are always close to a store or mall entrance. Convenient shopping is a reality East Hills Shopping Center.

The Shoppes at North Village
More than 86 acres of retail shopping, dining and entertainment options are open on the city's north and east side. Big block stores like Best Buy, Old Navy and The Home Depot accompany eateries like Chili's Grill & Bar and Cold Stone Creamery and a stadium-style cinema.

Downtown
Felix & Francis from 5th to 8th Streets
A unique concentration of boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants, antique stores and nightclubs. Some of St. Joseph's most interesting browsing can be enjoyed in its most historic and renovated areas.

Farmer’s Market
The Pony Express Farmer's Market is open seasonally from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Eastridge Village Shopping Center. It is also open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Heartland Regional Medical Center, parking lot E.

Stetson Hat Factory Outlet
3601 South Leonard Road
Visit the world famous Stetson hat factory store featuring western dress, felt, and straw hats. Stetsons are made in the factory and shipped worldwide.

CASINO
Terrible's St. Jo Frontier Casino, 777 Winners Circle
The Terrible's St. Jo Frontier Casinois your hometown-winning place to play. The riverside entertainment complex features a buffet restaurant, Jesse's Steakhouse, meeting rooms for special events and the casino. Enjoy authentic Vegas-style gaming at Blackjack, Craps, Stud Poker, Roulette tables and hundreds of Slot Machines.

LIBRARIES
The St. Joseph Public Library and Rolling Hills Consolidated Library provide materials and services to meet the informational and recreational needs of the citizens of Andrew and Buchanan Counties in Missouri.

There are five library locations: Belt Library, Carnegie Library, Downtown Library, Savannah Library, and the Washington Park Library. A number of deposit site collections are also maintained, and materials are available by mail. Daily deliveries provide access to whatever is owned by the system, and interlibrary loan is available from other libraries.

A library card enables holders to check out books, magazines, compact disks, videocassettes, audiocassettes, prints and sculpture, Bi-Folkal and concept kits, and some audiovisual equipment.

Other services include storytimes, book talks and other programs, displays, telephone reference, tours, and the very popular Summer Reading Program for children.