mastodon state historic site

I4524XHsteveb

This is kinduva niche review. If you're interested in serious backpacking, and live in metro St Louis, this is a great place to get in shape, try out different pack/gear combinations, etc. before you go on that dream hike. The Limestone Trail is about two and a quarter miles long, with some good up and down, and lots of rock and roots. When I can work my way up to four or five laps on this trail with a full pack, I feel like I'm ready for my long hikes and climbs in Colorado. Well, except for that detail called altitude acclimation...Another little known secret is that there's a cool prairie off of this trail that parallels the electric power lines, and in the late spring/early summer it's a good place to see and photograph wildflowers and butterflies. Also pretty common to see deer roaming this area.

BobW34

Great place to take kids for a visit to their museum or to walk the trails. they have a challenging trail, and some shorter level trails great for family walks.

shanasbananas

The museum was small, but very informative. We spent over an hour on the trails. The Limestone Trail was pretty challenging, especially for younger kids, but still a nice hike. The Bone Bed was kind of lame since you couldn't really see anything. Overall, we had a nice afternoon there. I would recommend it if you're looking for something different to do in the area.

budbeerman

Start outside the Visitors Center and trek the 1.75 mile forested trail that follows the park boundary. a little traffic noise in some places but you soon forget that while tackling the inclines or admiring your surroundings. Bring the pups for some exercise and meet the happy hikers as you trudge the trail to happy destiny. Visitor center is informative with good movie and display, however the "dig site" is disappointing beyond belief and has too many stairs to even count.

Diamonddave206

Took the grandchildren here for a family day. Had lots of fun hiking the trail and seeing the museum. I would recommend. Easy access from the highway. Free entertainment.

490jenniferc

Nice little hike (with lots of stairs) Not really sure where the beds were as all we saw was vegetation, the path was obvious to follow the trail but nothing marked as far as where to look for the fossil beds, we didn't call in for trail interpreter. The museum was $4 for each adult. There wasn't much to it and I've seen pretty much the same exhibits for free in Warsaw Mo. If you aren't expecting much and haven't seen any exhibits on Mastodon's then it's worth a stop.

greenhorn33

This is a quick stop kind of museum. Definitely worth a look if your in the area and need a break from the car. The museum is small but has about 10 minutes worth of items to read and look at . Costs $4 for adults. Free for kids under 12. There is a 14 minute video that provides the same information that you can read about in the museum but does it in a way that is much more interesting IMO. The trail that leads down to the bone dig is a big disappointment. You walk down tons of stairs only to come to a interpretive sign with no clear understanding of where the dig site is. I think they could do a better job in this area since you climbed all the way down the hill to get there and then are faced with climbing all the way back up. Don't do this trail if you have bad knees or are out of shape in any way. The park down the road we stopped by to check out the playground. It's small but there are picnic tables and restrooms if you want to relax for a bit. Lots of locals seems to enjoy using the park. This area sits in the middle of a huge housing development fyi.

happysmile165

We were looking for things to do on a weekend trip and this came up in a search of the area. It was a very informative and interesting place. They could use a better sign on the museum building, but other than that we were very impressed with this site. Amazing what jewels you can find tucked away not too far from home. Count on about an hour for the museum and a bit more if you include the annex and trails.

TeresaG975

Don't go expecting the Smithsonian and you will be pleasantly surprised. If you were to drive a long way just to come here, it wouldn't be worth it, but if you happen to be driving through, or nearby, it is definitely worth a stop! The museum itself is small, but informative as well. There is a short film explaining how and when the bones were discovered, as well as how the historical site itself was saved. There are a few hands-on displays, which are fun for the kids. It took our family approximately 40-45 minutes to see the film and walk through the museum. There are also some trails you can take showing the different locations the bones were discovered around the museum, however no digging is being done, the sites have all been covered over. The walk along the trail itself is still pretty. We enjoyed our visit here!

StLTourGirl

The history of the Kimmswick Bone Bed is displayed here plus has walking trails available. It's a fun stop that will take about 45 minutes and a bit more if you walk all the trails. You may prep for it by viewing the video on YouTube by the MODNR (Missouri Dept of Natural Resources) and the KETC 9 documentary as well. Lots of hands on for kids and good information for adults. See where the mastodons roamed and also where the first hunter's spear head of the Clovis Culture was found.

footforward

Our family really enjoyed the museum, and the house, and the trek down the wooden stair/walkway to the covered over bone bed, but not so much the trek back up. This, however, is just part of the attraction of Mastodon State Historic Site. The park extends for miles and has an alternate entrance. There you find a playground, picnic tables, grills for b-b-q if you wish, and a nice, smooth small pebble walking trail which our dogs love to walk on as well. At the museum grounds there are events such as Archaeology Days where one can watch animal hide preparation as it happened on the plains, or paint on a small rock to take home, or try your hand at spear throwing with an atlatl! There are many enjoyable things to experience at Mastodon State Historic Site!

llaugh8424

We were traveling with children and needed a break from the car, we couldn't have picked a better place to stop! The cost was $4 for adults and all the kids were free. There was a short movie about the mastodon and this historic site - very educational! We all learned something! The museum was interesting. The bathrooms were spotless and the air conditioning was working great! The people working there were friendly. Great place to visit!

WhiteFireLady

Anyone interested in seeing ancient recovered bones and teeth of these giant animals that died in the area and are now being recovered and studied. Kids can ooh and aah over the displays.

GabeS486

We went to Mastodon State Park was quite surprised by the museum that is there. It was quite interesting. It tells about the Mastodons and other animals that roamed in Missouri during that time frame. It cost $4 for adult and is free for kids 12 and under.

Jasolson

We lived within a few miles of this place for years. We went by once, my son enjoyed the video and looking at the different animals and fossils. Overall somewhere fun to go for an hour or so if you're looking for a quick activity on a weekend.