Missouri 101

Although the word “sour” is sandwiched between the letters of the name of Missouri which can also sound close to “misery,” taking a tour around the state can let anyone see the irony.

The state is actually one the most fun places to visit in America, especially for the movie buffs and hopeless romantics. If you’re wondering why, then maybe you should think about Jack and Rose’s love story which definitely did not sink with the Titanic. It can in fact be visited and revisited in Missouri from Titanic: World’s Largest Museum Attraction which is not necessarily the world’s largest anything, but the ethereal love story that captured every heart of the romantics definitely makes it a hot spot.

The museum actually started in the 1980s when John Whitman who was from Sidney, Ohio opened the Titanic theme park which housed all the entertaining destinations along with a handful of artefacts from the shipwreck. After all the dilly dallies experienced in the biz, the theme park then became a “museum” after the movie hit blockbuster in 1997. It is then that the developers put up a half-scale replica of the hip’s front with the concept drawing giving the illusion of the ship emerging from the huge billboard.
Though the billboard hasn’t been completed yet, it remains to be impressive among many tourists. The number of artefacts also rose up and now amounts up to 400 pieces which outnumbers memorabilia found in other Titanic attractions. The relics include a dollar bill which was believed to be carried by the barber of Titanic, two life vests, deck chairs, old pocket watch from one of the passengers and a menu from the ship’s mess hall.

The Precious Moments chapels would also get the hearts of the hopeless romantics beating and that’s one of the answers to the ultimate question “what is great about Missouri?” Tourists who have been cashing out thousands if not hundreds of thousands collecting figurines would surely find heaven on earth after stepping into the free attraction created by Samuel Butcher.

Hundreds of tourists visit the Precious Moments complex everyday for the photo ops with the convention centres and huge collection of dead children with big eyes and halos. But nobody really cares – they’re the cutest thing ever. There can also be a long stretch of gift shops where collectible items are sold at hefty prices of course, but tourists with tight budgets can have their visits worthy of every cent they spent after they marvel at the life-sized homage centrepiece of the chapel with cartoon murals that depict many Bible stories starring the adorable Precious Moments characters.

And just when visitors of the state start screaming for more of the cutesy stuff, they can surely be startled with Leila’s Hair Museum which do not in any way displays the icky hair balls people usually find in the shower drain. The museum features pieces of art with the human hair as the medium – watercolour painted cherubs with real curly black hairs, pictures of Victorian homes made with hair, the replica of Queens’ crows and gemmed accessories made with hair and many more.
Missouri may sound like misery but only because the feeling does not really exist in the state.