I woke in Rocheport for the third morning in a row. Something about the quiet, the friendly locals, and that Barred Owl calling at 4:30 a.m. kept me anchored there.

I headed into the historic district for coffee at the Rocheport General Store. I’d noticed it the night before, but the “Closed” sign was still up, along with a note listing where meals could be found in town—both spots right by the Katy Trailhead where I’d just come from. So I went back to the Meriwether Café & Bike Shop, where I already knew the coffee was good, even if I’d hoped for something new.

Afterward, I took the interstate to Jefferson City to save time. I arrived just before 10:30 and found street parking easily, though the van’s extra length hung out into traffic a bit. I fed the meter—$1.50 in quarters for two hours—and climbed the steep hill to the Capitol. There were no signs pointing to an entrance, so I tried the front steps first. Locked. Eventually, I found an open door beneath the steps. Security was light—a quick walk through a metal detector and no backpack check.

Jefferson City

Inside, I learned that when Missouri became a state in 1821, lawmakers wanted a permanent capital closer to the state’s center than St. Charles, which had only been temporary. They chose a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, hoping it would spur settlement and offer easy river access. To honor Thomas Jefferson, the third president and architect of the Louisiana Purchase—the land deal that made Missouri part of the U.S.—they named the new capital Jefferson City. The name reflected both gratitude for Jefferson’s vision and hope that this new city would embody that same spirit of expansion and opportunity.

The Benton Mural

At the gift shop desk, I picked up a couple of brochures, and the woman behind the counter asked if I wanted to see the Benton mural. I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant, but I said yes. She directed me to the third floor, told me to stand on the mat in front of some wooden doors, and take a look. There were no signs, and I walked right past it at first. Someone in a nearby office kindly pointed me back.

When I finally stepped inside, I was stunned. The entire third-floor House Lounge is covered in a sweeping mural by Missouri artist Thomas Hart Benton, titled A Social History of Missouri. Thirteen panels wrap around the room, telling the state’s story—from Native American life and westward expansion to farming, industry, and the modern era. Benton didn’t hold back. He painted slavery, the Civil War’s brutality, and scenes of political corruption right alongside images of everyday people working and living their lives. (Video by Ken Burns about the mural)

It felt raw and honest, unwilling to gloss over the hard parts of Missouri’s past. Even more astonishing, Benton painted the entire thing himself between 1935 and 1936. The state paid him $16,000—a modest sum for what would become one of the greatest works of American Regionalism.

Capitol Tour

I snapped a few photos and left just as the room was being taken over for a conference. I’d read that tours required 24-hour registration, but one was starting at 11—and I had five minutes to make it downstairs.

Our guide had retired twice but said he came back because he loved sharing the Capitol’s history. “I’ll retire for good,” he joked, “when this starts to feel like work.”

He began with the Missouri state seal, pointing out the two grizzly bears—odd, since there have never been grizzlies in Missouri. The state was the 24th to join the Union, but the gold seal in the rotunda floor features 25 stars. It was supposedly a mistake discovered after installation, yet the extra star is larger and more prominent than the others. To me, it feels intentional—someone wanted that star to stand out.

Inside the Capitol

The state once put to a vote whether to raise funds for a new Capitol. They needed about $3 million but collected $4 million. The law stated that all the money had to be spent on the building. Some wanted to return the extra million to the public, others wanted to use it elsewhere, but the controller read the statute aloud—it was clear. So, they spent the remainder on art and decoration. That’s why the building is filled with elaborate tapestries, statues, and ornate chandeliers.

Our guide pointed out that most of the limestone came from Missouri, while some columns were marble from Vermont and others granite from New Hampshire. He even showed us fossils embedded in the limestone—tiny traces of ancient life frozen in the stone.

We passed areas where fresh paint was being stripped away to reveal the original colors beneath. Down the hall, we could see the progression: what it looked like now, what was hidden underneath, and how it appeared once restored. I’ve seen similar work at other capitols—and even in the Sistine Chapel—and it always fascinates me how layers of time are peeled back to bring history to life again.

Hall of Famous Missourians

We stopped in the Hall of Famous Missourians, lined with bronze busts of the state’s most notable figures. A few names stood out—Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Harry S. Truman, Laura Ingalls Wilder, George Washington Carver, Scott Joplin, John J. Pershing, Sacagawea, and Charles Lindbergh.

One that especially caught my attention was Emmett Kelly, the world-famous clown from early black-and-white television. The artist had cleverly cut the stone so that, when light hit it just right, Kelly’s face appeared pale—like he was still wearing his trademark white makeup.

Art and Illusion

Murals cover nearly every wall in the Capitol, and we paused at a few that played tricks on the eye. As we walked past, the scenes seemed to shift and move—a clever use of three-point perspective, where vertical lines converge along with the horizontal ones. The effect makes angles appear to tilt and slide as you move, giving the illusion that the paintings are alive and watching you. Always fun to see.

We moved on to the House of Representatives chamber on the next floor, entering from the balcony in the back. What immediately caught my eye were the stained-glass windows glowing all around the room. Our guide talked about the voting process, the number of representatives, and pointed out the large World War I mural behind us—where, amusingly, every face was the same, just slightly modified.

The artwork was beautiful. I took some photos of the rotunda and then headed outside.

I spent a little more than an hour walking the grounds, grabbing photos of the building, fountains, and memorials. I was happy to see the state had their liberty bell displayed on the grounds and it had a covering over it.

Fountain of the Centaurs (1927) – bronze centaurs flanking a fountain

World War I and other veterans memorials
Statue of Thomas Jefferson
Memorial plaques and busts of notable Missourians
Lewis and Clark Monument (2008) – includes York and Seaman the dog
Law Enforcement Memorial
Firefighter Memorial
Plaques, trees, and benches honoring Missouri governors and leaders and
The Liberty Bell Replica ( I was happy to see the bell on the grounds under cover).

After the capitol, I stopped for a lake lunch at Greek restaurant a couple miles away and then grabbed a coffee. I headed off to Lake of the Ozark’s State Park to get there before the office closed at 5 p.m. They let me drive through the park to find a spot that didn’t have tree cover. I took a spot above the river without electricity, water or sewage. This was an updated campground, and it is rare to find direct sewage connections for the larger rigs. The total charge for the night was $18.

Jefferson City-Missouri Capitol