Long before European settlers arrived, the Indian Nations bearing the names Capaha, the Osage, the Delaware, the Shawnee and the Cherokee called Southeast Missouri home.  Step back in time to these sites in Cape Girardeau that honor our region’s Native American heritage.  



Crisp Museum is found inside the River Campus, and features the Beckwith Collection, which includes nine hundred unbroken ceramic vessels.  Most of the artifacts in this collection were excavated by Thomas Beckwith at the end of the 19th century from mounds on his property in southeast Missouri.  



Crisp has several collections of prehistoric Native American artifacts that transports you to 13,500 B.C. – 1400 A.D.  In addition, a life size Native American dwelling has been created inside the museum allowing you to truly step back in time to an era when Indian Nations flourished in this area.  



Just 11 miles north of Crisp Museum in downtown Cape Girardeau, Trail of Tears State Park is a beautiful drive to over 3,400 acres of pristine natural beauty along the Mississippi River.  Trail of Tears State Park commemorates the forced removal of the Cherokee people from areas east of the Mississippi River to west to Indian territory.  In the harsh winter of 1838 and 1839, floating ice halted the attempted river crossing; the Cherokee people set up camps on both sides of the river as they waited to cross, enduring brutal conditions.  The over 4,000 Cherokee who lost their lives on the march are honored at the Bushyhead Memorial.  The park’s visitor center has an outstanding film featuring Cherokee actors that brings to life the human story of Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, and other exhibits that interpret the forced relocation as well as the park’s many natural features.  



The overlook is a fully ADA accessible way to enjoy one of the very best views of the Mighty Mississippi, and hiking trails of varying difficulty and distance give you many opportunities to explore the mature forests and steep ravines of the park.  Campsites for tents and RVs are available, and Lake Boutin has a swimming beach and a boat ramp.  

Plan your visit: