Places of Interest
Since it’s settlement, Callaway County has always had a bold streak. (We tried to succeed from both the Union and Confederacy, for goodness sake.)
In 1946, we “Callawegians” we were audacious enough to ask Harry Truman to invite Winston Churchill to visit Westminster College in Fulton. Churchill accepted and delivered the “Iron Curtain” speech, now considered a harbinger of the Cold War.
In the 1960’s, we took on the daunting task of relocating the rubble of a Wren church from London and rebuilding it to house the largest Churchill Collection in North America. Twenty 20 years later, we helped Churchill's granddaughter bring the Berlin Wall sculpture to the museum. Today, "Breakthrough" is the largest section of the wall outside of Germany.
Callawegians are stouthearted and vibrant, with a strong sense of place. We invite you to visit some of our most notable places of interest.
Photo by Ivy Photography for VisitFulton
Auto World Museum
200 Peacock Dr, Fulton MO
(573) 642-2080
Covid-19 Hours: 9am - 4pm, Thur - Sun. Backer Auto World Museum displays an extraordinary collection of historic automobiles. The autos are placed in Hollywood sets, showing life in that era. Video stations are located throughout the museum along with movie screen sized photo murals, smaller photographs, and historic building facades.
Callaway County Courthouse
10 East 5th Street, Fulton, MO 65251
(573) 642-0730
The first courthouse was built in 1827 and razed in 1856. The second courthouse stood from 1856-1938. The current building was dedicated March 18, 1940. A complete history of the courthouse by Marian M. Ohman is offered for download by MU Extention Services here.
Country Stores:
Crane’s Country Store
10675 Old US 40 Williamsburg MO 63388
(573) 254-3311
Ham’s Prairie Store
7998 County Rd 409 Fulton MO 65251
(573) 642-3529
Mokane Store
300 Fulton Ave Mokane MO 65059
(573) 676-5714
Wright Brothers’ Store
7498 State Rd Z Fulton MO 65262
(573) 642-4784
Fulton’s Brick District Playhouse
613 Court St, Fulton, MO
(573) 642-6599
Covid-19 Hours: The playhouse is currently closed for renovations to the theatre’s mezzanine and balcony. Will reopen fall 2020 with revamped restaurant and facility improvements. Brick District Playhouse is a charitable organization dedicated to the restoration of the Fulton Theatre, built in 1928. It serves as a cultural anchor for Fulton's Brick District by hosting everything from children's theatre to elegant galas.
Photo by Notley Hawkins for VisitFulton
Fulton’s Brick District
Downtown Fulton - anchored by Court and Nichols Streets, between 5th and 7th Streets.
(573) 642-8010
Covid-19 Update: Most businesses have reopened. Many have mask and social distance requirements. The Brick District is why Fulton was named one of Budget Travels 10 Coolest Small Cities in America 2019. The streets of Fulton’s charming downtown are paved in brick. Vintage buildings that house nearly 100 independent businesses, including ETSY-renowned suppliers, independent retailers, art venues, festivals and worth-the-drive restaurants.
Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society
513 Court Street, Fulton, MO
(573) 642-0570, museum@kchsoc.org
The Historical Society, located in Fulton’s Brick District, features a genealogy library and rotating exhibits. Free admission. Open 10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday – Friday. Closed Christmas through the month of January.
Missouri School for the Deaf
In 1851, the Missouri School for the Deaf was established by an act of the Missouri Legislature. The impetus began with efforts by William D. Kerr of Danville, Kentucky, wrote letters of inquiry to two Fultonians urging that the State of Missouri consider the possibility of establishing a state school for the deaf.
The original school was housed in a small frame farmhouse located on property belonging to the Fulton State Hospital. On February 23, 1853, the Missouri Legislature authorized funds for the construction of permanent buildings on the present site of MSD. The school has operated continuously at its same location since, with the exception of a suspension of classes during the Civil War from July 1, 1861 to June 2, 1863.
Several buildings, including those by Fulton architect M.F. Bell, were destroyed by fire on February 27, 1888. Bell had done considerable design work on the buildings, including the main building which had a dome similar to the one Bell designed for Jesse Hall on the University of Missouri, Columbia campus. Bell helped with the design work for reconstruction, including an ornate and prominent tower. The tower was dismantled in the 1930's. Other than the loss of the tower, the buildings remained unchanged until they were razed to make way for a major construction project in 1957-1959.
The campus today occupies approximately 87 acres, offering classes K-12, a variety of campus-life activities and a strong vocational program for students from across the state.
Photo by Notley Hawkins for VisitFulton
National Churchill Museum
501 Westminster Ave, Fulton MO
(573) 592-5369
Covid-19 updated: The museum is closed for renovations and upgrades through fall 2020. The exterior sculptures are accessible, with some construction limitations. Located at Westminster College, site of Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech, the museum features the largest Churchill collection in North America. The museum is housed in a 17th-century Sir Christopher Wren church. The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury was hit by an incendiary bomb during the 1940 blitz on London. The remains of the church were relocated to Fulton in 1965 and rebuilt stone-by-stone. The last stone was laid in 1967. It took an additional two years to recreate the interior. Today, you can also walk through the nearby 32-foot section of actual pieces of the Berlin Wall as you explore Edwina Sandy’s magnificent ‘Breakthrough’ sculpture for another look back at living history. Open daily 10:00 am to 4:30 pm except Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years.
Westminster College
501 Westminster Ave, Fulton, MO 65251
800-888-9266
Westminster College was founded by Rev. William W. Robertson and the local Presbyterians in 1851 as Fulton College and assumed the present name in 1853. It was an all-male institution until 1979. Westminster Hall was destroyed by fire on September 10, 1909. The remaining columns were restored and serve as a symbolic landmark for in-coming students and graduates. The 86 acre campus is home to nearly 650 students.
Winston Churchill put Fulton on the map when he traveled to Westminster College with Harry S Truman to deliver his world-famous Iron Curtain Speech on March 5, 1946. Numerous other world leaders have lectured at Westminster since. On May 7, 1969, Westminster College dedicated the Church of St. Mary, the Virgin Aldermanbury, which was here from London to house the National Churchill Museum. A sculpture created from the Berlin Wall was dedicated by Ronald Reagan, November 8, 1990.
William Woods University
One University Ave, Fulton, MO 65251
(573) 642-2251
The school’s educational mission began in the aftermath of the Civil War. In 1870, The Christian Church of Missouri founded the Female Orphan School of the Christian Church of Missouri to help girls who had been orphaned by the conflict. The school was moved to Fulton and grew to serve other young women. It became William Woods College in 1914. In the 1990s, the school became a co-educational university with campus, off-campus and online studies. Today, the university thrives as a learning community of more than 3,500 students and faculty. The 225-acre campus hosts more than 1,100 traditional students representing more 35+ states and 24 countries.