The Missouri River has played a key role in the development of Lexington. Steamboats made Lexington a frequent stop, unloading goods for pioneers heading west. The town is also recognized for its Antebellum-style homes.

Lexington was an important trading center and a major outfitter for the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails. By 1830, it was considered the largest and most important town west of St. Louis. Lexington’s proud history is seen today in the numerous historic sites open to the public and the preservation of over 100 historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A tribute to pioneer women is located in Lexington. "Madonna of the Trail," a statue dedicated in 1928, looks up the Missouri River towards the west. The statue is one of 12 placed in the states crossed by the National Old Trails Road, a route taken by early settlers that stretched from Maryland to California. The statue’s dedication ceremony was presided over by then-Jackson County Judge Harry S. Truman.

Civil War and history buffs will be enthralled by the Battle of Lexington Historic Site and Visitors Center. This is one of the few Civil War battlefields that has never been cultivated. A self-guided walking tour reveals battle trenches still visible. A 15-minute video at the Visitors Center brings the "Battle of the Hemp Bales" to life. On the grounds of the Battle of Lexington Historic Site is the Anderson House, built by Colonel Oliver Anderson and restored and furnished with antiques from that period. The house was used as a field hospital during the battle, changing hands from North to South three times. Guided tours of the house are given hourly.

The Lexington Historical Museum, built in 1846 as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, contains extensive exhibits on the Civil War, Pony Express and other bits of Lexington’s history. The Pony Express was financed by Russell, Majors and Waddell, a firm that was headquartered in Lexington. Lexington’s Lafeyette County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse in continuous use west of the Mississippi. Built in 1847-49 in the simple classic-revival design of architecture, the courthouse is in excellent condition. One modification to the original structure is the cannonball embedded in the east column, a souvenir of the Confederate victory in the 1861 Battle of Lexington. Though the cannonball was intended for General Price’s headquarters nearby, it made the courthouse its final resting place.

For additional information, please contact the Lexington Tourism CVA at 660-259-4711. You can also visit Lexington online at www.historiclexington.com.

Directions from downtown

Kansas City, Missouri to Lexington, Missouri

I-70 East to the Lexington exit (Route O). Travel North on Route O for approximately 15 miles. Continue North on Highway 13 to Lexington