Florissant combines historic sites with a wide range of parks. This gives you two distinct focuses for planning your trip: the city’s history and time outdoors. If you’re considering Florissant as a destination, you can tailor your choices to the topics that interest you most and look for suitable hotels in Florissant.
The historic sites tell very different stories: from a land grant in 1788 to a former narrow-gauge railway and a Victorian building complex. Parks and recreational activities offer a different focus. The examples below can help you weigh these themes against each other as you plan your stay.
Historic Sites and Their Stories
St. Ferdinand Shrine is a Florissant landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Florissant’s Old Town District is also listed on the register. The two listings mark a historic focus, but they do not refer to the same kind of place: one is a shrine, the other a district.
Spanish Land Grant Park brings together several concrete traces of the area’s history. The park is located at the site where, in 1788, Spanish commandant Francois Dunegant granted the residents of Florissant Township land for a log church, a rectory, and a burial ground. Some graves remain there, and the American, French, and Spanish flags fly above the site. A completed archaeological excavation uncovered numerous significant artifacts. The land grant, surviving graves, and archaeological finds can all be found here.
The John B. Myers House and Barn offers a different perspective: the restored Victorian building complex features Palladian influences and includes yarn and fabric shops as well as a Barn Deli. Taille de Noyer is a historic antebellum mansion, dating from before the American Civil War. Those interested in architecture and different historical periods will find more topics here, distinct from the history of Spanish Land Grant Park.
Parks, Trails, and Recreation
Sunset Park covers 108 acres. The Sunset Trail, which runs along the banks of the Missouri River, adds a specific distance: the trail is 3.9 miles long. This means the park’s area and the trail can be considered as two different planning points: the size of the park, on the one hand, and the length of the riverside trail, on the other.
Florissant’s Parks and Recreation Department offers 20 parks covering a total of nearly 400 acres. For golf, Florissant Golf Club offers public play on a par-72 championship course. If golf is part of your travel plans, check the tee-time schedule in advance, as times may change.
Louis and Anne Desloge Werner Memorial Woods is reserved exclusively for recreational activities such as walking dogs, camping, horseback riding, and hiking. These activities offer a different option from the Sunset Trail or golf. When choosing what to do, consider which of these recreational activities suit your travel interests.
Narrow-Gauge Railway and Sundays of the Past
The West End Narrow Gauge Railroad opened on October 1, 1878. The eight-mile-long line, with a three-foot gauge, ran from Florissant to St. Louis. The Narrow Gauge Railway station was moved to St. Catherine Street and restored.
The Round House in DeLisle Park is also connected with Sundays of the past. Dances were held there before travelers caught the last train home. The grounds around the Round House served as a picnic area, and families came to Florissant by train on Sundays.
Events Throughout the Year
Annual events include the Valley of Flowers Parade & Festival on the first weekend in May and Fiesta in Florissant on the fourth weekend in June. The Tour de Florissant takes place every year on Labor Day. Since specific event dates may vary from year to year, check the dates for your chosen year before traveling.
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For the broader travel overview: St Louis.
