Spend the day at the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site and experience firsthand where the largest battle in the western campaign of the American Civil War took place. Tour the historic Anderson House utilized as a hospital and seized by both sides in the battle known as the Battle of the Hemp Bales. Trenches in the battlefield are still visible today. Historian-led tours and a pristinely preserved museum of artifacts and stories make this a must-see national heritage destination.

Broadway at Highland Ave

This monument to pioneer women was presented to Lexington in 1928. Jackson County Judge Harry S. Truman presided at the dedication.

The Madonna is one of 12 placed in every state crossed by the National Old Trails Road, the route of early settlers from  Maryland to California.

Take a tour of four National Historic Districts listening to our theatrical audio tours that bring the characters of the past to life. You’ll be in awe of the stunning architecture of our many antebellum and Victorian homes that paint the cheery streets of Lexington.

Catch the spirit of harvest at our family farms and celebrate the growing season with us. Roadside stands abound or get the whole family in on the action by picking your own fruits, from strawberries and raspberries to blackberries and more!

Constructed in 1925, this memorial to the veterans of four wars has stairs leading from the Old Trails Scenic Byway to the top of the bluff on Highland Ave., where there are benches and a fine view of the Missouri River valley.

Don’t miss the elaborately decorated sword that James A. Mulligan turned over in surrender, but was later allowed to keep per orders of General Sterling Price. Stolen by a young boy shortly after Mulligan's surrender and hidden in his father's farm near Lexington, it was eventually returned to the widow of Colonial Mulligan in 1912. The family later donated the sword to the Lexington Historical Museum in 1967. See memorabilia related to the Pony Express mail service, steamboats, coal mining, Osage Indians, and the Wentworth Military Academy

Lexington Historical Museum

Sat-Sun 1-4 pm

On October 26, 1838 about 800 Potawatomi Indians being forcibly removed from Indiana camped on the river bank opposite Lexington. They ferried the Missouri River on October 27 and were marched on to Northeast Kansas.  The marker shares the same space as the Madonna of the Trail at 224 Hwy and Highland. You can view a three minute video of this little known Trail of Death  here.    (link goes to Youtube)

A cannonball fired from the Battle of Lexington remains lodged within an upper pillar of the Lafayette County Courthouse. You’ll have to see it to believe it!

While you imagine the events that led to the misguided cannonball on that fateful day in September of 1861, take a stroll through our quaint downtown shops and don’t forget to pick up a treat - or two!

Follow the wine trail for an adventure amidst the beautiful rolling hills of our countryside, and taste the lusciousness of the land itself captured at our local wineries.

South 24th St

Area park with shade trees, park benches, walking trail and picnic tables.

A wonderful place to relax and take in some fresh air, walk the circumference of the small lake or enjoy your lunch.

North 10th Street

Although the course of the Missouri River has shifted northward, views from this city park show where Lewis & Clark and countless steamboats passed in the 19th Century. A picnic shelter, boat launch and marker explaining the site’s historical significance makes this a lovely location to relax and enjoy the river view.