In 2002, the state hosted about 35.6 million domestic travelers, with 69% of all visitors coming from out-of-state. About 42% of all visitors came to visit family or friends. Of those traveling strictly for leisure activities, shopping was the major attraction. Total travel revenues were at about $5.5 billion dollars and the industry supported over 192,159 jobs. The most popular vacation areas are the St. Louis region (40% of all visits) and the Kansas City area (23%).
The principal attraction in St. Louis is the Gateway Arch, at 630 feet (192 meters) the tallest man-made national monument in the US. Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1948 but not constructed until 1964, three years after his death, the arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion form part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial on the western shore of the Mississippi River.
In the Kansas City area are the modern Crown Center hotels and shopping plaza, Country Club Plaza, the Truman Sports Complex, Ft. Osage near Sibley, Jesse James's birthplace near Excelsior Springs, and Harry Truman's hometown of Independence. Memorabilia of Mark Twain are housed in and around Hannibal, in the northeast, and the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver, a national monument, is in Diamond.
The Lake of the Ozarks, with 1,375 mi (2,213 km) of shoreline, is one of the most popular vacation spots in mid-America. Other attractions are the Silver Dollar City handicrafts center near Branson; the Pony Express Stables and Museum at St. Joseph; Wilson's Creek National Battlefield at Republic, site of a Confederate victory in the Civil War; and the "Big Springs Country" of the Ozarks, in the southeast. The state fair is held in Sedalia each August.
Missouri has 27 state parks. Operated by the Department of Natural Resources, they offer camping, picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking facilities. Lake of the Ozarks State Park is the largest, covering 16,872 acres (6,828 hectares). There are also 27 historic sites; state parks and historic sites cover 105,000 acres (43,050 hectares). Hunting and fishing are popular recreational activities in state parks.