The Truly Grim Reality Of 4 Ghost Towns In Missouri
By Beth Price-Williams|Published January 25, 2023
×
Beth Price-Williams
Author
A professional writer for more than two decades, Beth has lived in nearly a dozen states – from Missouri and Virginia to Connecticut and Vermont – and Toronto, Canada. In addition to traveling extensively in the U.S. and the U.K., she has a BA in Journalism from Point Park University (PA), a MA in Holocaust & Genocide Studies from Stockton University (NJ), and a Master of Professional Writing from Chatham University (PA). A writer and editor for Only In Your State since 2016, Beth grew up in and currently lives outside of Pittsburgh and when she’s not writing or hanging out with her bunnies, budgies, and chinchilla, she and her daughter are out chasing waterfalls.
Missouri’s home to quite a few abandoned places; some we can explore; others we can marvel at from afar, allowing our imaginations to run free. However, there are a few ghost towns in Missouri that we can actually visit, including a former resort town turned into a popular Missouri state park and a rebuilt town that’s considered a ghost town and a living history museum. Each of these Missouri ghost towns boasts a fascinating backstory and, if you’re in the area, you might want to stop by.
1. Times Beach
Route 66 State Park, 97 N Outer Rd, Eureka, MO 63025, USA
Times Beach may be long gone, but Missourians still visit it every day. Today the land on which Times Beach sat is Route 66 State Park. In its heyday and beginning in 1926, Times Beach was a popular resort town, where Missourians flocked to get away from the busyness of life in St. Louis. The town thrived, for the most part, until the 1980s when a cancer-causing pollutant was found to be used in the waste oil on the town’s streets. High levels of dioxin were so concerning that the town was evacuated for a massive clean-up effort. Instead of repopulating Times Beach, the land became Route 66 State Park. Read more about this Missouri ghost town in our previous article.
The Missouri river town of Arlington, like Times Beach, was a beach town to which Missourians flocked to get away from it all. Founded in 1867, the town thrived until the birth and eventual expansion of Route 66. The town began its slow but steady decline in the 1950s when Interstate 44 was built, redirecting traffic away from the town. However, it hung on for decades, with the last business shuttering in 2008. A few residents remain in what is largely a ghost town today. Read more about this forgotten ghost town in Missouri.
Depending upon to whom you talk, you might hear that Red Oak II isn’t a ghost town. Some consider it one while others do not. Regardless of what camp you’re in, you’ll definitely want to plan a visit to Red Oak II, which is also considered a living museum. The town was abandoned in 1970. In the late 1980s, artist and former resident Lowell Davis decided to transform the abandoned town into Red Oak II. Residents live in the adorable homes, and you can even visit an old jail. Read more about this ghost town (if that’s what you want to call it) that’s the perfect day trip destination in Missouri.
Not much remains of the ghost town of Garber; in fact, the vast majority of it is now the Ruth & Paul Henning Conservation Park in Branson. Founded by the Garber family in 1895, the town thrived throughout the 1920s. Unfortunately, in the latter part of the decade, an arsonist set the post office and general store on fire, destroying both. The town could not recover; however, a stone church transformed into a post office is one of the few buildings that remain.
Did you know about these ghost towns in Missouri? Have you ever visited any? Let us know in the comments! Up for an adventure of a different kind? Follow these 12 scenic trails in Missouri – one for each month of the year.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
