Popular Filming Locations
The Missouri Valley Trust Building
This building was constructed in 1859 to house the St. Joseph branch of the Bank of the State of Missouri at a cost of $25,000. Joseph Pfeiffer, a young German immigrant, was awarded the contract to build the bank after constructing a small plaster-of-Paris model of the building. The elaborate arched doorway on the curved northwest corner proved Pfeiffer’s ability to work with stone. Building used in Academy Award winning, "Paper Moon."
Wholesale Row
These four buildings were built in the early 1880s and comprise one of the only entire blocks of this vintage still standing in Missouri. The two center Queen Anne style buildings were used by the Englehart Davison Mercantile. There is beautiful stained glass above the bay window and hand-painted tiles. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings and was used as a backdrop for a music video by the band, Sawyer Brown.
German-American Bank
Designed by eccentric architect, Harvey Ellis in 1889 while an employee of E. J. Eckel Architect Co, this building has been a cornerstone of downtown. It was originally built as the German-American Bank, with the eagle shields of Germany and America on either side of the entrance. St. Joseph had quite a large population of German people at the turn of the century. However, during World War I, when anything German was unpopular, the name was changed to the American National Bank. The two shields in front were plastered over and remained so until the building was restored in the 1970s. The upper stories are offices. The top floor included an open arcade around two sides of the building. Note the animal caryatids and the fountain that once graced the east side of the building.
The boom years of the post Civil War period, known as St. Joseph’s “Golden Age,” gave rise to the building of some of the finest residential architecture in the Midwest, and to some of the finest tomb architecture as well. Established in 1851, this is the oldest operating cemetery and the burial site of many prominent citizens.
Formerly known as the Pikes Peak Stables, this building was built in 1858. The original building was abandoned in 1933 and left vacant for 13 years. It was refurbished in the early 90's to it's original state and size after going through a time of major deterioration. It now houses the Pony Express National Museum, a major tourism destination in St. Joseph. Recently used in an HGTV special, "Celebrating Autumn."
Rural America
Outside of the city of St. Joseph, rural America is only minutes away. Rolling hills, crops of corn or soybeans, country farms, and winding rivers grace the landscape of Buchanan County. Quaint hilltop cemeteries, aged railroad tracks, and the Missouri River bluffs are only a sample of the landscapes and locations you can find in this area of northwest Missouri.