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Vienna Missouri - Area Info

The history of Vienna is varied and colorful. Vienna and Maries county were both organized in 1855. Vienna lies in a greatly diversified settings of ridges and prairies and river carved bluffs of Gasconade Dolomite.

As the county seat, Vienna has such state and federal offices as are located within individual counties. We have numerous churches and civic organizations, as well as many businesses providing services for your everyday needs.

You'll find find a pace of life that leaves you plenty of time to make new friends and to discover new places. The hospitality that will greet you is genuine. There is a wholesomeness and informallity in Vienna that will instantly make you feel at home.

The mild climate of the Ozarks, the relaxation and peace of mind that only a small town can bring, and the convenience of being close to some larger cities, in Vienna you'll find all this and more. Located in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks, Vienna is just a short drive away from Rolla, St. James, or even Lake of the Ozarks. This means your never too far away from a fun and relaxing day. Enjoy a day at the lake, tour the St. James Winery, or enjoy yourself in the peaceful surroundings of Vienna.

VIENNA AREA ATTRACTIONS

Yearly events help you to join with the locals in their celebrations. The Maries county fair gives the town a festive air during the Labor Day weekend.

Vienna is accessible from anywhere. We're only 24 miles north of Rolla, 37 miles south of Jefferson City, 42 miles east of Lake of the Ozarks and 38 miles from Ft. Leonard Wood.

Vienna is historical, rich in its Ozark heritage. Three structures dating from the towns founding in 1855 have been preserved and open to the public.

Latham Log House: Built in 1885 and one of the oldest surviving structures in Vienna, this log building has served as a home, a polling place, an ice house and a barn. It is faithfully restored as it appeared in the mid 1800's, and stands on the Old Jail museum block.

Old Jail Museum: Discover time travel in this 1856 county jail. Its old limestone wall hold an eerie silence heavy with the sounds of iron cell doors closing and voices from years gone by. The echo of footsteps of the giant mastadon who once roamed this area can also be heard, and 10,000 year old bones of these creatures are here to remind you.

Hear the voices of the prisoners in the dungeon cells, whose walls were filled with their poignant carvings over a period of 85 years.

This historic structure has been filled with exhibits and collections relating to the early days of Vienna and Maries county. There are pictures and scrapbooks, dishes and documents, furniture and fencing, guns and Civil War memorabilia. You name it, we kept it.

Felker Log Home: Go back in time to the way it was...in this log house which dates from 1855. Located behind the Old Jail museum, its old log walls tell stories of a cattle drive to California and an early day saloon in the new town of Vienna.

Vienna Area Attractions & Links

Vienna Chamber

Scenic 63 Motel and RV Park

Maries County Bank

1st. Community National Bank

Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks Guide

Missouri Tourism

St. James Links

St. James Winery

Peaceful Bend Vineyards

Heinrichshaus Winery

Meramec Vineyards Winery

Maramec Spring Park

Rolla Links

Ozark Actors Theatre

SplashZone Water Park and The Centre

Ozark Heritage Region

Meramec Region

QUALITY OF LIFE. Top-notch schools and educational institutions here include the University of Missouri-Rolla, recognized worldwide for its engineers. Other amenities include quality health care, well-built homes at below-city prices, competitive utility rates and a host of genuine people who are committed to making you feel right at home. People here enjoy small town charm, but with all the convenience of the big city without the traffic!

RICH CULTURE. The 7-county Meramec Region is home to 138,207 people and 29 communities, and all still possess a flavor of their ancestors.

The northern portion shows a strong Germanic influence. In the southern reaches of the region - primarily Dent, Crawford and part of Phelps counties - one still sees the heavy influence of English immigrants, who first called Kentucky and Tennessee home but then moved to the Ozarks when Kentucky and Tennessee became "too crowded." The areas in between possess a mixture of Italian heritage in the wine-growing area around St. James and Rosati and a French connection in Washington County. Due in part to this rich cultural blend, the region is steadily growing.

ECONOMIC FACTORS. Wal-Mart Distribution Center opened recently in St. James with over 750 jobs. This is also the site of Boys and Girls Town of Missouri and the Missouri Veterans Home.

Other major employers in the region are the University of Missouri-Rolla with 1,500 employees followed closely by Phelps County Regional Medical Center with 1,114 employees plus several state and federal institutions including the United States Geological Survey and several highly technical businesses. The region's two major private manufacturing employers are Von Hoffman Graphics in Owensville with 600 employees and Briggs & Stratton with an estimated 750 employees.

Over the years, the region has diversified its economy. Service is a large sector but manufacturing is increasing. The 2001 Missouri Directory of Manufacturers listed 273 manufacturing firms in the region.

EDUCATION. Committed to excellence, many area schools have achieved awards and recognition, such as Blue Ribbon schools, A+ schools and accelerated schools. Students earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, largely from local efforts. Higher education in the region is heads above the rest and still growing with many new facilities under construction.

The University of Missouri-Rolla plus other four-year and post-graduate programs are available in the region thanks to outreach efforts. Such schools as Columbia College, Drury College, Southwest Baptist University, East Central College and Webster University have established education centers here.

Vocational training is varied and abundant at Linn State Technical College, Rolla Technical Institute and Rolla Technical Center.

QUALITY HEALTH CARE. Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC) recently underwent a $12-million, 7,200 sq ft expansion. Level III trauma center. A progressive hospital with 232 beds and more than 100 doctors, it continually adds new services and state-of-the-art equipment to meet the needs of the region.

Four other local hospitals, located in Sullivan, Salem, Hermann and Potosi, also provide top-notch health care. Plus more and more specialists and hospitals are establishing outreach practices in the region. Fort Leonard Wood Army Hospital serves retired military personnel. Numerous doctors, dentists, chiropractors and psychologists can be found throughout the region as well, and urgent care facilities are becoming commonplace here.

RECREATION. Opportunities to play abound in the Meramec Region! There are plenty of clear, meandering streams, including the Meramec, Gasconade, Courtois and Huzzah rivers, perfect for boating, floating, swimming and fishing for trout, bass, catfish & crappie. Maramec Spring Park has a trout hatchery and fishing and a wonderful historical agricultural museum. Onondaga Cave and Jesse James Hideout are more special attractions. Missouri is known as "The Cave State" for good reason! Campgrounds galore & wooded areas filled with deer and turkey are other attractions among nature's wonders.

The region is filled with parks that offer an array of sights and sounds. Places like Maramec Spring, a former late 1800s iron works operation, and Dillard Mill, a restored grist mill, allow one to relive olden days, learn about history and picnic amid beautiful surroundings.

Antique and craft shops located in "every" community in the region, and almost all communities offer local recreational opportunities in the form of parks, trails, swimming pools, summer ball leagues, country clubs, libraries and golf courses as well as annual fairs, festivals and celebrations that often feature nationally known entertainers.

Setting the Meramec Region apart from its neighbors are most definitely its wineries. Both St. James and Hermann have their share of wineries. Hermann is also well known for its German heritage, its Maifests and Octoberfests.

Many area communities have theatre groups that produce plays throughout the year. The University of Missouri-Rolla, with its Leach Theatre, hosts many quality plays, inspiring lectures and symphonies.

HOUSING. The Meramec Region has 63,105 total housing units with 53,541 occupied, according to the 2000 Census. The average population per unit in the region is 2.51 people, which is very close to the state average of 2.48 people. Of the 53,541 occupied units, 40,141 are owner occupied while 13,400 are renter occupied.