Missouri Mines State Historic Site tells the Lead Belt story

Missouri Mines State Historic Site at Park Hills preserves part of a former St. Joe lead-mining and milling complex and interprets the Old Lead Belt’s history — the work, the machinery, and the communities the industry built. It sits next to St. Joe State Park, so the historic site and the recreation area together tell the before-and-after of the same mining ground. For someone trying to understand why towns like Park Hills, Bonne Terre, Desloge, and Leadwood exist where they do, this is the most direct place to start. Missouri State Parks operates the site and is the source for current hours, exhibits, and any seasonal schedule. As with all dates and ‘firsts,’ confirm specific historical claims against the official site rather than assuming.