Trenton, a rural city in northwestern Missouri, is known for its historic downtown area and several well-preserved 19th-century buildings.
The city is also home to parks and recreational facilities for residents and visitors to enjoy, including the Grundy County Fairgrounds, which hosts events throughout the year.
Initially settled in 1834, Trenton was first referred to as Lomax Store, as there is a J.S. Lomax General Store on a hill over the Thompson Branch of the Grand River.
It was given the new name of Bluff Grove and beat out Tindall to become Grundy County’s county seat.
In 1842, the city’s name was changed to Trenton, inspired by the same name of a city in New Jersey.
Arriving in 1869 was the Chicago and Southwestern Railroad, which eventually joined the Rock Island Line and ran through Trenton.
Its convenient location and rich history make it a great place to visit, whether for a weekend getaway or an extended vacation.
Here are the best things to do in Trenton, Missouri:
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The 1,912-acre Crowder State Park was established in tribute to Major General Enoch Herbert Crowder, best known as the “Father of the Selective Service.”
Crowder was also the country’s first ambassador to Cuba.
On the 21-acre Crowder State Park Lake within the park, boating and fishing are available, with a paddleboat, rowboat, and canoe rental facility.
Visitors can enjoy more than 17 miles of hiking trails, equestrian routes, picnic areas, and a playground.
Those who love the outdoors also have the chance to go backpacking in this forested, mountainous landscape.
Modern bathrooms are part of the family-friendly campground, and the park is sprinkled with areas perfect for picnics in the shade.
Crowder State Park is on MO-128.
Walking around the historic Trenton Main Street downtown area is one of the first things you should in Trenton.
Several well-preserved 19th-century buildings, including Trenton High School, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, WPA Stock Barn, and Pavilion, are all on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the stores in the downtown area while having fun with meals, bouncy houses, ax throwing, and snacks.
Events are held in the Trenton Main Street downtown area, such as the Five Point Flag Pole and Merchants in Main.
Bring a lawn chair to watch guest performances.
You can also enjoy Merchants on Main, where you can taste the local flavor with specialties from the different shops.
Trenton Main Street Downtown area is one of the best places to explore for a fun and historical experience.
Built in 1938 as a Works Progress Administration project, Trenton Rock Barn is a historic barn and pavilion in Main Street Trenton Downtown Area.
It comprises an attached one-story livestock enclosure and a two-story octagon barn.
The Trenton Rock Barn’s building has a concrete foundation and is made of local stone.
The structure housed cattle and served as a sales hall for the yearly agricultural fair in Grundy County.
The Works Progress Administration constructed this distinctive octagonal cattle barn and pavilion at the Grundy County Agriculture Fair in 1938.
The North Central Missouri Fair, Missouri Days, and other local events are also held at this historic location.
If you want quiet time and to catch up with friends, visit Black Silo Winery on East 10th Street.
This family-run winery was established in 2010 and is situated just north of Kansas City.
Tucked away in the picturesque rolling hills of Northern Missouri, it will transport you to a bygone era where time and problems vanish into the surrounding landscape.
Black Silo Winery also offers wines with unusual names, such as Jesse James, a bottle of dark red wine with earthy tones, or the Silver Dollar with its citrus flavors.
The winery also has a breathtaking wedding venue, the A Place in the Vineyard.
Black Silo Winery is the perfect place to relax and enjoy wine with friends.
The Grundy County Museum is nestled on Mable Street in Trenton.
It strives to educate the public about the history of Grundy County and Missouri through its exhibits and programs.
The museum has various exhibits covering topics such as the medical field, Native Americans, the Civil Wars, and the railroad.
It also offers the Grundy County Museum Genealogy, a digital data collection with over 200,000 names of people who have resided in Grundy County.
The Grundy County Museum’s building, built in 1895, was dedicated on July 4th, 1976, and contains three floors of local history.
Keith Snyder, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Conveniently located on Main Street, Grundy County Jewett Norris Library is the place to go if you want to read or do some research.
It has a wide variety of books, magazines, newspapers, and other materials that can be checked out and used for free.
The library offers public computers with internet access, Wi-Fi, and printing services.
If you’re curious about your family’s history, it also features genealogy research with extensive materials, such as catalogs, yearbooks, family trees, county histories, and extensive name files.
Grundy County Jewett Norris Library is the perfect place to go if you want to learn more about Grundy County or relax with a good book.
Located on Town and Country Lane, the exhilarating nine-hole regulation Riverside Country Club course offers the furthest tees and 2,791 yards of golf play for 34.
It has a long history encompassing golf, tennis, swimming, and social events, with the Riverside Country Club’s golf course maintaining a well-kept layout.
Golfers of all skill sets can find a challenge on the course’s tree-lined fairways and sloping greens.
Riverside Country Club hosts the golf programs for Trenton High School and North Central Missouri College, providing golfing opportunities for its members.
It’s the perfect place to go if you want to play golf with friends or family.
Located on East 17th Street, Peggy’s Mobile Home & RV Park is where you can go if you want to enjoy the outdoors.
It offers various activities and unique lodgings for recreational vehicles.
RV Campers can stay at the park overnight, as it offers services like power and water hookups.
Peggy’s Mobile Home & RV Park’s other amenities include a dump station and laundry facilities, which are big-rig friendly.
It’s also pet-friendly, bringing your furry friends along for fun.
Situated on Harrison Avenue, The Garden is a non-profit organization that relies on volunteers to help maintain the garden’s beauty.
It features a wide variety of flowers and plants.
Come to The Garden to work with whatever task the volunteers are doing that day.
Typically, this takes the form of planting, gardening, composting, or harvesting.
They will walk you through every step and give you a bag of fresh fruits and veggies to take with you when you leave.
Children are especially interested in learning how their food is grown at The Garden, where there is plenty of room to run around, explore, climb, and get messy.
A “kids section” for sensory stimulation and a secure place to play while you work in the garden is also constantly developed.
Tucked away among acres of gorgeous grape arbors in Black Silo Winery, A Place in the Vineyard is the ideal location for your special day.
The 70-acre vineyard makes for a beautiful wedding venue with its stunning setting.
Any event can be held at Black Silo Winery, including weddings, receptions, and rehearsal dinners.
With a ceremony at A Place in the Vineyard’s lovely Winery, you can experience the genuine Missouri vineyard charm.
A Place in the Vineyard is more than simply an event space; it’s a place where lifelong memories are created with abundant grapevines and immaculate landscaping.
The North Central Missouri College Library is a public research library on Main Street.
It has a wide variety of resources that can be used by students, faculty, staff, and the community.
Students can broaden their knowledge as they study subjects for their assignments, thanks to the North Central Missouri College Library’s access to academic databases and collections.
The library supports the college’s curriculum and mission by making available high-quality learning resources and instructional services.
The North Central Missouri College Library benefits on-campus, and off-campus guests and the service area served by NCMC.
Visiting Trenton is an excellent opportunity to explore the surrounding area and discover new things to do.
Some of the other attractions near Trenton:
Northwest Livingston County’s Poosey Conservation Area is 26 miles from Trenton.
Unique fern-draped stone cliffs, oak and hickory-timbered slopes, sweeping grasslands, and diverse fauna can all be found here.
Fall colors are vibrant and spectacular, thanks to the area’s foliage.
The last Shawnee tribal members left the area in 1833, allowing people of European descent to settle there via Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The Poosey Conservation Area came about because some immigrants thought the harsh terrain was similar to the Posey region in Kentucky.
Indian Creek Community Lake, built in 1987, is tucked away among the jagged, forested hills in the southern part of the conservation area.
The 192-acre lake has a shooting range with 25-, 50-, and 100-yard gun targets and a floating fishing dock accessible to people with disabilities.
Thirty minutes from Trenton, you will find the Grand River Historical Society, where you can learn about the area’s rich history.
They created the museum for the gathering, conservation, and public display of essential historical items that portray local life from the time of the early settlements.
Exhibits include pioneer life, a one-room schoolhouse, a doctor’s office, a country store, and much more.
A functional train horn, a mammoth tooth, vintage firearms, Native American antiques, and an iron jail cell discovered in Livingston County are all featured in the museum’s main building.
Another exhibit room features the Main Street of Chillicothe with replicas of a soda fountain, barber shop, beauty salon, and a mom-and-pop store.
The uniforms worn by Livingston County service members from every branch of the military are also kept here, along with souvenirs from Chillicothe Business College and Chillicothe High School.
A horse-drawn coach and various farm hand tools in all sizes and forms are also on display at the Grand River Historical Society Museum.
Situated 25 minutes from Trenton, the Fast Lane Family Entertainment Center is the perfect place to have fun and let loose.
There is something for everyone here, with 24 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, a full-service bar and grill, an arcade, and pool tables.
The family-friendly entertainment center features a programmable bumper system and shoes for rent.
It offers leagues, tournaments, and open bowling.
Whether you’re a seasoned bowler or just looking for a fun night out, the Fast Lane Family Entertainment Center is the place for you.
The smallest park in Chillicothe’s system, Mills Park, is 31 minutes away from Trenton.
It comprises around an acre of land and features a dog park, playground, and open space for kids to play.
Purchased in 1958, it is also the location of the tree nursery of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Mills Park houses the Tina Mapel Memorial Dog Park, which occupies roughly an acre of ground and is located at the intersection of Clay and Boehner streets.
Two distinct areas of this land are cordoned off; fences separate a small dog park and a large dog section.
The Grand River Technical School students created dog-friendly park equipment, including A-Frame walk-ups, different ramps, weave poles, and small dog play equipment are all included in this set-up.
There are benches and water faucets—one with a spout for people and one for dogs.
Trenton is a charming city that offers something for everyone.
There’s something for everyone there, from great restaurants to attractions that will keep you and the kids entertained for hours.
Add this city to your bucket list and enjoy all the best things to do in Trenton, Missouri!
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