Past: Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive - Art Weekend

Be sure to stop at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville while participating in the annual Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive on April 28-April 29. Missouri State Parks will sponsor special activities at the historic site both days and the public is invited to attend.

Local artists will be participating in a plein air art event on the site grounds. Some of the artists will also have their work on display inside the mill. Free self-guided tours of the first and second floors of the mill will be offered Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Bring a picnic lunch and delight in this historic treasure. The Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive is a regional driving tour that includes a stop in Burfordville. Visitors can enjoy the 19th century grist mill and the oldest covered bridge in the state of Missouri. The Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive is an invitation from the rural communities of southeast Missouri for you to join them as they celebrate spring with good food, festivals, folk music, dancing, crafts, living history events, camping, scenic vistas and much more.

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is the site of a Civil War-era mill where visitors can learn how corn and wheat were ground into meal and flour by water power, just as it was done long ago. Burfordville Covered Bridge, the oldest of the four remaining covered bridges in the state, was built in 1858 and stretches 140 feet across the Whitewater River, which powers the mill. To get to the historic site, take Highway 34 to Highway OO to Highway HH in Cape Girardeau County.

Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is located at 113 Bollinger Mill Road in Burfordville. For more information about the event contact the site at 573-243-4591. For information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.