🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Missouri History — 1800s water-powered grist mill with adjacent Burfordville Covered Bridge — the oldest covered bridge in Missouri (1858) and one of only four remaining covered bridges in the state!
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Missouri |
| Entry Fee | Free admission! |
About Bollinger Mill
Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Cape Girardeau County preserves a four-story stone grist mill (1867) and the adjacent Burfordville Covered Bridge (1858) — Missouri’s oldest surviving covered bridge. The Whitewater River powered the mill, which ground wheat and corn for the region. The covered bridge — one of only four surviving in Missouri — uses the Howe truss design and spans 140 feet. Together they form one of Missouri’s most photographed historic scenes.
Things to Do
Photographing the iconic mill-and-covered-bridge combination, touring the four-story stone mill, walking through the 1858 covered bridge, picnicking, and visiting this quintessential Americana scene.
Visiting Today
The four-story stone mill and 1858 covered bridge form one of Missouri’s most iconic photographic scenes. The mill pond is popular for fishing. The site hosts a popular annual Heritage Day festival. Located near Cape Girardeau on the Mississippi River, it combines beautifully with a Southeast Missouri road trip.
Getting There
Located on Highway 34 near Burfordville in Cape Girardeau County. Open year-round; the covered bridge and mill are best photographed in autumn. The site is 15 miles north of Cape Girardeau, with easy access from I-55. Trail of Tears State Park is 20 miles east.
Insider Tips
Mill and covered bridge: Bollinger Mill (1867) sits beside the Burfordville Covered Bridge (1868) — one of only four remaining covered bridges in Missouri. Pro tip: The mill and bridge together are one of the most photographed scenes in Missouri — especially with fall foliage or fresh snow. Mill history: The original 1800 mill was destroyed in the Civil War — the current stone mill replaced it.
Best Time to Visit
Fall: Foliage with the mill and bridge — iconic Missouri. Winter: Snow on the covered bridge. Spring: High water and mill photography. Summer: Creek wading near the bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many covered bridges are in Missouri?
Only four covered bridges survive in Missouri — down from hundreds in the 1800s. The Burfordville Covered Bridge is the oldest (1868), built with a Howe truss design. Missouri’s bridges disappeared to floods, decay, and modernization. The four survivors — Burfordville, Sandy Creek, Locust Creek, and Union — are all state historic sites, preserved as irreplaceable examples of 19th-century engineering.
Make it a road trip: Pair a visit with Trails of Tears State Park (within about an hour’s drive) or Trail of Tears State Park (within about an hour’s drive).
Wildlife & Nature
Bollinger Mill SHS — preserves a four-story stone grist mill (1867) and the Burfordville Covered Bridge (1868) — the oldest covered bridge in Missouri. The Whitewater River powers the mill. Great blue herons fish below the dam. Kingfishers dive from branches.
Nearby Attractions
Burfordville — adjacent. Jackson — 10 miles east. Cape Girardeau — 15 miles east. Trail of Tears SP — 10 miles south.
