Everyone now has the opportunity to have a tour of the historic Anheuser Estate in Kimmswick. The estate’s home and museum will be open for walk in tours once a week. The 23-acre estate will be open every Thursday from noon to 4:00pm for walk-ins, including groups and individuals. Admission is $5 per person all proceeds from the tours are placed in the Anheuser trust fund and used for the upkeep of the property.

The home was built in 1867, sits at the south end of the town by the Mississippi River at Water’s Point north of Hoppies Marina.

The Anheuser family bought the estate in 1916 and used it as a summerhouse until 1945 when Mabel-Ruth and her husband, the late Frederick Straub Anheuser, moved there and named it Fredmar Farms.

Frederick was the great-grandson of Eberhard Anheuser (1805-1860), the original owner of the brewing company that later became Anheuser-Busch.

Before her death in October 2000, Mabel-Ruth Anheuser bequeathed the home and grounds to the city of Kimmswick. In addition, she donated $1.5 million to the city for the upkeep of the estate.

The estate includes many of the Anheusers’ belongings; such as furniture, dinnerware, clothing and the family’s book collection. A portion of the property is designated as a park.

There are also stables and riding area on about 6 acres of the Anheuser property, which is used by Ride On St. Louis. The organization houses four horses at the facility. Find out more about Ride On St. Louis below.

Ride On St. Louis (ROSL) Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy Program is a nonprofit charitable organization in Kimmswick that impacts the lives of children and adults who are challenged with disabilities in our community.

Riding horses strengthens muscles, improves respiration, increases balance so walking, talking, sitting, and eating, along with other daily needs are made easier. Improvements are also seen with communication abilities and cognitive learning skills. The outstanding emotional benefits lend themselves to the overall rapid results that the program experiences.

ROSL began in 1998 in Oakville, MO. In 2002, ROSL was invited to relocate the program to the Estate of the late Fred and Mabel-Ruth Anheuser, heirs of the family that founded the Anheuser-Busch Company. The use of this facility is through courtesy of the Anheuser Permanent Fund in cooperation with the City of Kimmswick.

Five major fundraisers help the center maintain its operating cost: Nags Head Trivia scheduled in April, The Walk/Trot in May, The Summer Music Fest in August, The American Competitive Trail Ride in Sept, and The Dinner Auction in November. ROSL has over 300 volunteers needed each year in many areas of service.

To learn more about this exciting local charity or be a part of it visit the website or call 636-464-3408. www.rideonstl.org

Archaeological history was made at the site in 1979 when scientists excavated a stone spear point made by hunters of the Clovis culture (14,000 - 10,000 years ago) in direct association with mastodon bones. This was the first solid evidence of the coexistence of people and these giant prehistoric beasts.

Mastodon State Historic Site contains an important archaeological and paleontological site - the Kimmswick Bone Bed. Bones of mastodons and other now-extinct animals were first found here in the early 1800s. The area gained fame as one of the most extensive Pleistocene ice age deposits in the country.

Today, the 425-acre property preserves this National Register of Historic Places site and provides recreational opportunities. A museum tells the natural and cultural story of the oldest American Indian site one can visit in the state's park system. A full-size replica of a mastodon skeleton highlights the exhibits. A picnic area, several trails and a special-use campground offer chances to explore the land where the lives of Native Americans and mastodons once intertwined.

In the late 1700s the Spanish used the inland trails of the Native Americans. The route from New Madrid and Ste. Genevieve to St. Louis was called the route El Camino Real (The Royal Road.) This oldest road in Missouri passed near what would become Kimmswick. The Missouri Daughters of the American Revolution erected a red granite boulder in 1917 to mark the route. On Sunday October 19th, 2008 a ceremony was be held to commemorate the move of the El Camino Real Marker to the Jefferson Square Park location.

The oldest known wrought iron bridge in Missouri spans the Rock Creek. Built in 1874, the Keystone Bridge Company constructed this bridge to be placed across the River des Peres at Ivory Avenue. It remained there until 1928 when it was replaced by a new bridge. The bridge was moved to Kimmswick and put in place in 1930. The bridge is only open to pedestrian traffic.