• The new “Show-Me America 250” edition of the Passport Book is available now! In this update, we have included eight new “Bonus Sites.” See Obtaining Passport Books for details.
  • The current deadline for the for the Passport Program is December 31, 2026.
  • Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Kirksville is now the alternative stamp site for the Battle of Kirksville. See Stamp Site Locations and Hours for details.
  • The John Wornall House and the the 1855 Harris-Kearney House are co-stamp sites site for Westport and Byram’s Ford. You can get those stamps at either place.
  • We have a new stamp site for the Battle of Fredericktown and the Battle of Hartville. See Stamp Site Locations and Hours for details.

Welcome to the Missouri Civil War Passport Program!

We hope you will find this program both fun and educational. See the Missouri map below showing all of the sites participating in this program plus additional sites of interest.

Our Story

Currently, there is no statewide organized effort to preserve Missouri Civil War heritage, arguably the most interesting of all the states; and a case can be made for the fact that Missouri suffered more from that war than any other state. Even so, that history has almost been forgotten, and many do not even realize that Missouri played a major role in the first year of the war. One major hurdle is some of the sites that are still open to the public are currently “on life support” and in danger of closing.

During the time we have been working on this book, we have watched one civil war museum close, and were told by one historical society they could not afford to participate because of the stamp cost; luckily the Chamber of Commerce came through and that town now has a stamp site. Considering the U.S. Department of Interior feels both of those battle sites are significant and worthy of preserving, the demise of one and the poor condition of the other are to be lamented. It is the goal of this Foundation to reverse that trend.

We are working to keep the Civil War history of Missouri alive for future generations, so they can learn what happened during that war and appreciate the sacrifices of those who suffered through it. Hopefully, the interest demonstrated by passport participants will encourage site managers to apply for federal funds for the preservation and improvement of their sites for the benefit of future generations.

Please take a moment to thank the volunteers at the different sites for their work at preserving Missouri Civil War history. Through their efforts, we learn of the turmoil across the state and hardships endured by many. Please, also consider volunteering with your local historical society, museum, or historical site.

Meet Our Team

Col. Jerry R. Fry (USA, Ret.): Editor
Jackie Worth: Passport Program Manager, Cartographer, Webmaster
Blanca Madani: Copy Editor
Doreen Woodward: Stamp Site Liaison
Mel Gilbert: Public Relations

 

How the Sites Were Chosen

In 1990, Congress established the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission to identify Civil War battle sites deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. After evaluating some 10,500 conflict sites, the Commission identified 384 battlefields as historically significant. Twenty-nine of the sites selected are in Missouri.

This book is a visitor’s guide for the historically significant Missouri sites and others selected by the Trustees of Fry’s Lyon Foundation, Inc., an educational foundation dedicated to promoting the study of Missouri’s Civil War history and increasing Civil War-related tourism in Missouri (see Fry’s Lyon Foundation).

By visiting all of the sites in this book and receiving a stamp from each, participants qualify for a Certificate of Completion signed by Missouri’s lieutenant governor. Mr. Chris Winchell was the first person to visit all of the sites and receive a certificate. His certificate, shown below, is signed by Missouri’s then lieutenant governor, Mike Kehoe and Col. Jerry R. Fry (USA – Ret.), the founder of Fry’s Lyon Foundation, Inc.

First Certificate

Goals and Limitations

This book was published to make the public aware of Civil War tourist sites available in Missouri and to allow the sites to provide information needed to visit their site. The information was accurate on the initial date of publication; however, all information is subject to change. Users of this book must confirm the information in this book is still accurate before attempting to visit any site to avoid disappointment.

This website has an enlarged copy of the information and maps in the passport book for user reference. However, this website may or may not maintain up-to-date information for the separate sites; that information can only be found on each site’s official website or Facebook page.

Waiving the fee usually charged at stamp sites is a courtesy offered by the sites to prevent double-charging those who have already visited. However, we encourage stamp seekers who have not visited a site before to support the site’s efforts and volunteers by paying the fee, taking the tour, and exploring the displays for the full experience and benefit.

The publisher (Fry’s Lyon Foundation, Inc.) assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided by the separate sites, what is found at the separate sites, or what occurs travelling to/from and at the separate sites. For a detailed disclaimer concerning the information in this book, visit: https://mo-passport.org/disclaimer.