Unfortunately, in 1961, portions of the old road between Spencer and Paris Springs were realigned in anticipation of the new Interstate-44 planned. Along this stretch were several towns, including Halltown, Paris Springs Junction, Spencer, Avilla, and more, that thrived when the new highway came through. When Route 66 was created in 1926, the old Ozark Trail was utilized as the new alignment from Springfield to Carthage. It made its way from St Louis, Missouri, across Oklahoma, Texas, to Romeroville, New Mexico, where it met the Old Santa Fe Trail. When automobiles became more common in the early 1900s, the Ozark Trail was developed in 1915. This stretch of the road was once the Springfield to Carthage stagecoach road.

Heading west from Springfield, Missouri, on old Route 66, travelers will make their way through a scenic stretch of the Mother Road that provides numerous peeks at the past along this almost abandoned piece of payment. You can take a ride to go see the house Daniel Boone moved into in 1799.Route 66 in southwest Missouri by Kathy Alexander.

Maramec Caverns is one of Missouri’s most notorious hideouts for criminals back in the day, and today, it’s a fascinating place to discover all the intrigue of a living cave system. Take a drive to Ha Ha Tonka State Park and swim in the crisp lake nearby. No matter what your interests are, you can probably find a road trip to satisfy the craving. Some people might call us a “flyover” state, but that’s just because they don’t know where to look to find the good stuff. Missouri is a great state for road-tripping, no matter what anyone says. What are some of the best road trips in Missouri to take? It’s hard to put an exact number on just how many of these towns are floating around out there, but it’s safe to say that there’s more than a handful. Today, many of those towns are exactly what they sound like - ghosts, forgotten by history and left to decay in the dense, wooded areas of Missouri where few people ever go.

Once upon a time, Missouri had a booming mining economy, but over time, it withered and eventually died. Places like Lone Tree, Monark Springs, Possum Trot, Georgia City, and many others are considered ghost towns. Missouri is home to several dozen abandoned and ghostly towns. How many ghost towns in Missouri are there? Click here for a road trip through some of the creepiest places in the state! If it’s spooky, it’s probably somewhere in Missouri. We’ve also got an assortment of haunted hotels, motels, inn, plantations, and more. There are some amazing, ultra-spooky mansions throughout the state, too, like the Lemp Mansion and the Beattie Mansion. Missouri State Penitentiary, for example, is often thought to be one of the most haunted places in the state. Missouri is an old state with some dark history, and with that dark history comes some super-creepy ghost stories and locations that will send chills up your spine.

Ghost town missouri