Missouri Vacation Rentals: An Introduction

Known as the "Show Me State", Missouri is one of the Midwest states in the US which could surely show you some of the best things that a vacation destination can offer. From the urban feel of Kansas City and St. Louis to the laid back surroundings of the Ozarks region, you would certainly be able to find something that would make you fall in love with this state.

Missouri has several regions that you could visit during your trip. These include: the St. Louis Area; the Kansas City Area; Central Missouri; Northeast Missouri; Northwest Missouri; Southwest Missouri; and Southeast Missouri. Try to browse our listings for Missouri vacation rental homes and you should be able to find one which is located in or near the area you would be staying. We have Branson vacation rentals, vacation homes in the Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach vacation homes and many other accommodation options, along with affordable Missouri vacation offers and Missouri vacation deals for you to choose from.

Missouri Vacation Rentals: Top Vacation Destinations

Home to beautiful natural landscapes and scenery, Missouri offers plenty of options for relaxation and recreation for those who are looking to have a relaxing getaway as well as those who are planning to have an adventurous trip in the great outdoors. Here are the regions in Missouri that you could consider as your next vacation destination.

St. Louis Area covers the cities of Augusta, Eureka, Festus, Gray Summit, Imperial, Pacific, Potosi, Sullivan, St. Clair, St. Louis, St. Charles, University City and Wildwood. If you are headed to this region in Missouri, you might want to stay at a St. Louis vacation rental. St. Louis is the largest metropolitan area in the state and is filled with tourist attractions and historical and cultural sites. You can visit the City Museum which is like a big playground that has been built inside a warehouse made from architectural artifacts. It is made up of tunnels, mazes, obstacle courses, chutes, ladders and airplanes that have been suspended in midair. It is the perfect attraction to go to, especially if you are traveling with your kids.

For those who are looking for a more "grown-up" museum, you can head to the Contemporary Art Museum which housed plenty of contemporary artworks and masterpieces. The museum shares a courtyard with another great cultural destination, the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.

There are also plenty of good restaurants in the city which serve some of the delicious local food in Missouri. Some local specialties that you might want to order in the restaurants of St. Louis would include barbecued pork steaks, gooey butter cake, St. Paul sandwiches, toasted ravioli, slinger and St. Louis style pizza.

After trying out the delicious dishes served in St, Louis, you can go to the Forest Park. Forest Park is among the largest city parks in the US with 1,293 acres of land. Here, you can do just about everything. You can relax on a park bench, have a picnic with your family, play golf, baseball, handball or tennis, or go jogging, boating, fishing, biking or rollerblading. While at the park, you can also visit an art museum, a history museum, the St. Louis Science Center or the zoo before going back to your St. Louis vacation home.

If you are looking for some entertainment, you would be happy to know that St. Louis offers many entertainment destinations including the Fabulous Fox Theater, Jazz at the Bistro, The Muny, Off Broadway, Opera Theater of St. Louis and Sheldon Concert Hall. During the summer, you can also enjoy music in the Missouri Botanical Garden as the Whitaker Music Festival is held every Wednesday evening.

Aside from St. Louis, you can also get a vacation rental in St. Charles, which is a city located just outside St. Louis. This city was the first state capital of Missouri and has a lot of historical significance being one of the first stops that Lewis and Clark made during their journey to the Louisiana Territory. Here, you can enjoy plenty of shopping as well as eating from some of the best restaurants in the state. Some noteworthy attractions that you can visit while staying at a St. Charles vacation rental would be the Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Museum, the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site, the Foundry Art Center, the Katy Trail and Historic Main Street.

Kansas City is another good vacation destination in Missouri as it is the largest city in the state. Although not very popular among tourists, it has a lot to offer for travelers of all ages. It has numerous boulevards (reportedly more than that of Paris) and fountains, making it a beautiful destination for a memorable trip. It is also a unique city as it is split in the middle by the Kansas and Missouri state lines.

If you are looking into renting a Kansas City vacation home, some of the attractions that you might want to put at the top of your list include: the American Jazz Museum; the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; the Toy and Miniature Museum; the Swope Park Zoo; Union Station, which has a visitor center, several theaters, shops, restaurants and is the location of the Science City, the Gottlieb Planetarium and the KC Rail Experience; the Crown Center; the National World War I Museum; and the Liberty Memorial.

During your trip to Kansas City, you can also do a bit of gaming at Ameristar Casino or at the Isle of Capri Casino. You can also enjoy some good performances at the Blue Room, the Majestic, Sandstone, the Starlight Theater or the Sprint Center. If you are looking into doing a bit of quiet reading and learning, the city also has several libraries such as the Steamboat Arabia Museum, the Downtown Library and the Truman Library.

Aside from being where the capital of Missouri, Jefferson City, can be found, Central Missouri is also where the smaller but equally interesting cities of Boonville, Bourbon, Clinton, Columbia, Cuba, Conway, Hermann, Lebanon, Jerome, Rolla, Salem, Sedalia, Warsaw, St. Robert and Versailles can be found.

If you are planning to go on a trip to Jefferson City, you might want to check out the Jefferson City vacation rental listings that we have to make sure that you would be able to visit some of the best attractions in the city such as the: Missouri State Museum, the Cole County Historical Museum, the Museum of Missouri Military History, the Missouri State Capital Building, the Runge Nature Center, the Governor's Mansion, Binder Park, Katy Trail State Park and the Native Stone Winery. To make sure that you would be able to see the best that Jefferson City has to offer, it might be a good idea to book a tour of the city.

You can also participate in some of the events that are popular in the city such as Oktoberfest, the Missouri River Wine Trail, Salute to America and Tour of Missouri. A lot of golfers also visit the city for some of its great golf courses such as Eagle Knoll, Railwood Golf Course, Oak Hills Golf Center, Redfield Golf Course and the Turkey Creek Golf Center.

Southeast Missouri is the best vacation destination in Missouri for nature and adventure lovers. Here, you can take in the beauty of the green Ozark hills and the sound of the flowing rivers. Some of the attractions and tourist destinations that you should see in this region would include the Grand Gulf State Park, Big Springs Park, the Victorian Homes in Charleston and Ste. Genevieve. If you are planning to go to this region, look for some vacation cabins in West Plains, Cape Girardeau or Ste. Genevieve to enjoy a comfortable stay near the city's attractions.

If you want to experience the perfect blend of nature and culture, then you should head to Southwest Missouri. Here, you can find the cities of Branson and Springfield, both popular among tourists.

You can stay at a Branson vacation rental to understand why the city is called "family-friendly Las Vegas". Branson offers numerous shows and attractions, most of which are housed in buildings with flashy decorations and neon lights. Aside from the flashy lights of this city, you can also look forward to having a relaxing time in any of the three lakes in Branson. You can choose to rent a Branson vacation cabin by Lake Taneycomo and enjoy a wide range of recreational activities like hiking, hunting, sightseeing, fishing, swimming, boating and water skiing.

You can also choose to stay at a Springfield rental home. Referred to as the birthplace of Route 66, Springfield has several family-friendly attractions such as the Discovery Center, the Moxie Cinema, the Fantastic Caverns and the Springfield Nature Center to make your vacation a blast for the whole family.

Northeast Missouri region is where the cities of Bowling Green, Hannibal, Kirksville, Mexico, Macon, Moberly and Rutledge can be found. A popular tourist destination here would be the hometown of the famous author, Mark Twain, which is Hannibal. If you would like to spend your vacation doing some relaxation and fishing, you can look for a quaint Mark Twain Lake vacation cabin that you can stay in.

Northwest Missouri is where the historical town of Arrow Rock can be found. If you are staying at a Missouri vacation rental home near the area, you might want to schedule a trip to this town to visit several attractions like the arrow Rock State Historic Site, the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the Stolberg-Jackson Community Center.