National Historical Parks · Missouri
Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park
National Park Service source material · single source. Source dates and reuse information are available beside each field.
Check the official park website for current access, conditions and visitor information.
Introduction
Background: 1
Established by 1750, Ste. Genevieve was the first permanent European settlement in Missouri. Early French Canadian settlers were drawn here by the rich agricultural land known as le Grand Champ (the Big Field). After the flood of 1785, the town relocated to its present location on higher ground approximately three miles to the northwest of its original site.
Geography
History and culture
History & Culture: 5
Home to an international community centered in a region that many sought to control, Ste. Genevieve is rich with history. Explore the links below to learn more about some of the notable people, places, and achievements of this French colonial town.
Nature
Ecology; Nature: 6
Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park is located within the small town of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The town itself is situated a little over a mile west of the Mississippi River, just on the edge of a vast floodplain. The floodplains of the Mississippi River helped create the town by providing fertile soil for farming. New Madrid’s Faultline shaped parts of Missouri including Ste. Genevieve through earthquakes. The foothills of the Ozarks, to the west of Ste. Genevieve, provided minerals that were mined by the residents of Ste. Genevieve.
The landscape of the area near Ste. Genevieve not only led to the creation of the town, but through changes has continued to impact the town today. People in modern Ste. Geneiveve still farm the area extensively and mine minerals from the earth. The town still endures threats of flooding from the Mississippi River and earthquakes along the New Madrid Faultline.
Visitor centers and places
Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center: 7
Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park is open daily from 9AM to 5PM with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day holidays. Inside the Visitor Center, find out all there is to see and do in Ste. Genevieve, including the area history, attractions, where to eat & sleep, local tours, and annual events.
Visitor information
Visitation
Sources & field notes
Source records (11)
Select a numbered reference to open a source card. Retrieval dates describe this edition’s source capture, rather than an independent verification or the date of the underlying information.
Background · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
A New Day at the Big Field, 2022. · NPS/ David Newmann. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Catalog image date
- 05/26/2022
- Source scope
- Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain:Full Granting Rights
- Rights
- Public domain:Full Granting Rights
Designation · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
State or territory · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
History & Culture · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party material may have separate rights. No images copied.
Ecology; Nature · Nature — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- September 14, 2024
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Physical Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Mailing Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Telephone · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Recreation visits · National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. Open source ↗
- Information date
- 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Methodology
- NPS reporting unit; annual total is the sum of 12 monthly recreation visit estimates.
- Reporting unit
- Ste. Genevieve NHP
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.