Old Village Mercantile
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Old Village Mercantile is the place to be. An authentic c. 1909 mercantile that takes you back to a simpler time. It’s an experience for the whole family. Enjoy 600 varieties of Old Fashioned Candy, fudge, Coffee House & Smoothie Bar, Antique Gallery, Gifts, and so much more to see! Located in the Historic Village of Caledonia, MO, come see for yourself!
The Old Village Mercantile takes you back to a simpler time. It’s an experience for the whole family. The historic building was build in 1909. Also well known for their antiques and homemade goodies.
Caledonia is rich with Scottish history. Main street was built in the mid 1800s. The town today is unspoiled by time. Caledonia is a National Historic District with 33 homes and businesses on the national register. The town of the century, Caledonia, at one time had 4 general stores, an old hardware store, and stage coach inn used in the civil war as a hospital for the union army. Also, a cheese factory and black smith shop.
Caledonia has the oldest continuous masonic lodge over 175 years old and the oldest Presbyterian Church west of the Mississippi. The historic society owns the church and has it open for tours and can be rented for special occasions.
Today the Old Village Mercantile is the only business to survive time in tact with all originality. The rest of the historic district is preserved as homes, shops, and restaurants.
Dillard Mill State Historic Site
A red mill set on the blue waters of Huzzah Creek is as pretty a picture as there is in Missouri, and that’s the setting for Dillard Mill State Historic Site. The site interprets one of the state’s best-preserved gristmills, completed in 1908. Most of the machinery in the mill is still intact and original to the building.
Today, the restored mill contains most of its original machinery. Two of the three steel roller mills, however, were donated for scrap metal during World War II. Visitors can see the remaining machinery come to life during a tour of the mill. With the turn of a wheel, the mill begins to operate as it did years ago, grinding grain into flour. The sound of the water gushing over the dam outside the mill is replaced with the sounds of the belts and rollers turning. Tours of the mill are given year-round, although days and times vary by season.
Visitors can hike a trail that winds through the hillside amid oak-hickory forest and a plateau of pines. Benches along the trail allow visitors to catch their breath or just sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. Deer, turkey or beaver may be spotted along the trail or creeks. Picnic sites provide a shady place to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. One of the picnic areas provides the perfect location to snap a picture of the mill’s beautiful, rustic setting. If you like the outdoors, the site’s location on Huzzah Creek in the Ozarks provides plenty of opportunities to fish, hike, picnic or just dream about the past.
Another great day trip located just an hour from the hotel. Take Hwy 21 North 6 miles, to West on Hwy 32 for 25 miles, Hwy 49 for 17 miles.
Big Springs State Park
The name says it all. Big Spring is indeed a big spring and the biggest in Missouri in terms of average daily discharge with some 276 million gallons of cool spring water (58 degrees Fahrenheit) flowing from it each day. This is one of the largest springs in the world. A dye-trace study has showed that dye introduced into a losing stream 39.5 miles away (near Mountain View) was detected at Big Spring 16 days later. The spring is at least 80 feet deep based on research dives.
The Big Spring area became a state park in 1925 and was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression era of the 1930s. In 1972 the area was transferred to the newly created Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This beautiful, BIG spring is well worth the drive!
Directions: Hwy 21 south for 55 miles, to Hwy 60 west for 5 miles, Hwy 103 for 4 miles. Approximate travel time 1.5 hours.
