Downtown Columbia is the central business, government, and social core of

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

and the Columbia Metropolitan Area. Three colleges — the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

Stephens College Stephens College is a private women's college in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second-oldest women's educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833, as the Columbia Female Acade ...

, and Columbia College — all border the area. Downtown Columbia is an area of approximately one square mile surrounded by the University of Missouri on the south, Stephens College to the east, and Columbia College on the north. The area serves as Columbia's financial and business district and is the topic of a large initiative to draw tourism, which includes plans to capitalize on the area's historic architecture and Bohemian characteristics. The downtown skyline is relatively low and is dominated by the 10-story

Tiger Hotel The Tiger Hotel is a 4-diamond hotel in Columbia, Missouri. Built in 1928, it was converted to a retirement home and banquet center, before being restored and converted back to a boutique hotel in 2012. It was listed on the National Register of ...

, built in 1928, and the 15-story Paquin Tower. an
Accompanying map
/ref> Downtown Columbia Historic District, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, covers much of the downtown area. This

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

was created in 2006, following the removal of concrete awnings. It was expanded in 2008. On the northeast side of Downtown is the

North Village Arts District The North Village Arts District is a neighborhood and arts district in Columbia, Missouri. It is located on the northeast side of Downtown Columbia, and is the city's main art gallery district and center for the visual arts. The neighborhood is a ...

. The Flat Branch of

Hinkson Creek Hinkson Creek is a stream in Boone County in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its middle section runs through the city of Columbia, Missouri It was named after Robert Hinkson, a pioneer citizen who lived along its banks. Several trails, conservation ar ...

runs through downtown.

Peace Park A transboundary protected area (TBPA) is an ecological protected area that spans boundaries of more than one country or sub-national entity. Such areas are also known as transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) or peace parks. TBPAs exist in many ...

is located on Elm Street.

Gallery

File:Mizzou Jesse Thumb.jpg,

Jesse Hall Jesse Hall is the main administration building for the University of Missouri. Its dome has towered 180 feet above the south end of David R. Francis Quadrangle since its completion in 1895. In the lawn in front of Jesse Hall are The Columns, all ...

and the columns on

Francis Quadrangle David R. Francis Quadrangle is the historical center of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Known as The Quad it is the oldest part of Red Campus and adjacent to Downtown Columbia at the south end of the Avenue of the Columns. At ...

File:CoMoSkyline3.jpg, The Downtown Skyline in 2007 File:CoMo city hall front.jpg, Columbia City Hall File:CoMoCityHallJPG.JPG, Columbia City Hall before renovation File:CoMo Daniel Boone tavern.jpg, The 1917 structure of the Columbia City Hall restored File:Tiger Hotel - 2013.jpg,

File:Tiger hotel.jpg, Downtown Columbia File:Boone County Courthouse in Columbia, Missouri.jpg, Boone County Courthouse File:AvenueOfTheColumns.JPG, Jesse Hall seen from the Avenue of the Columns File:The blue note.jpg, The Blue Note File:Columbia MO District Sign.JPG, Directions sign in Downtown Columbia, known as The District File:Another Columbia MO District Sign.JPG, Directions sign in Columbia's downtown area known as The District. This one shows the three local Colleges. File:Columbia Missourian headquarters.JPG, Headquarters of the ''

Columbia Missourian The ''Columbia Missourian'' is a digital-first newspaper based in Columbia, Missouri, published online seven days a week and in print five days a week. The newspaper is affiliated with the Missouri School of Journalism, and is owned as a 501c3 no ...

'' File:800-810EastBroadway.JPG, Eighth and Broadway Historic District File:CoMo Cherry and Eighth.JPG, Ballenger Building at Cherry and 9th Streets File:VirginiaBuilding.JPG, Virginia Building File:Ragtag cinema.jpg, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Building on Hitt Street. Now houses the

Ragtag Cinema Ragtag Cinema is a non-profit independent movie theater located on Hitt Street in Columbia, Missouri. The theater was founded by a group including Paul Sturtz and David Wilson in May 2000.

File:The blue note front CoMo.jpg, The Blue Note as seen from the front File:View of Missouri Theatre interior from the balcony.jpg, Missouri Theatre File:McCainBuilding.jpg,

McCain Furniture Store The McCain Furniture Store Building is a historic commercial building located in downtown Columbia, Missouri. It was built about 1930 for the S. H. Kress & Co., and remodeled in 1951. It is a two-story, brick building with a simple stepped par ...

File:CentralDairy.jpg, Central Dairy Building File:First baptist church broadway side Columbia, Missouri 2.jpg, First Baptist Church

References

External links

Downtown Special Business District
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri

Neoclassical architecture in Missouri Beaux-Arts architecture in Missouri Neighborhoods in Columbia, Missouri Buildings and structures in Columbia, Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Boone County, Missouri {{BooneCountyMO-NRHP-stub