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Located in Missouri's River Heritage Region, Perry County beckons outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds.  Hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, hunting, backpacking, golf, and tennis top the list for many of those who make the County their home.  The crystal clear creeks, streams and lakes of the St. Francois Mountains are only an hour's drive away.

The rippling waters of a nine-acre lake await visitors to Perry County's 60-acre American Legion Park, located in southern Perryville.  Offering picnic areas, and a hiking and nature trail through acres of native Missouri vegetation, the park provides an excellent opportunity for birdwatching or fishing for pan-sized game fish.

Offering a close-in glimpse of Missouri's rich wildlife heritage, Perry County Community Lake, located about one mile west of Perryville, is maintained and operated by the Missouri Department of Conservation.  The 310-acre fishing and outing facility features a 103-acre lake stocked with popular game fish including crappie, bass, bluegill, carp, and channel catfish.  Picnic facilities, restrooms and boat ramps are located at each end of the lake.

Seventy-six Conservation Area is located in extreme eastern Perry County at the end of Route D.  The area covers 818-acres of forest and borders a  two-mile section of the Mississippi River. A cross-section of fishing and hunting opportunities abound.  Bank fishing and wing-dike fishing yield catfish and carp.  Frogging also is popular during the summer season along wet areas near the river.  Most game animals associated with forest and fields are found here, but only walk-in hunting is permitted.  Deer, squirrel and wild turkey populations are very healthy.  Camping is allowed in designated areas and hiking is encouraged anywhere in the park.

Apple Creek Conservation Area,, located in northeastern Cape Girardeau County, borders southeastern Perry County along Apple Creek, a tributary to the Mississippi River.  Hunting, hiking and target shooting are available.  The shooting range offers pistol and rifle targets ranging from 25 to 275 yards.  The shooting range is closed every Tuesday for maintenance, but open the remainder of the week during daylight hours.

Red Rock Conservation Area contains approximately 500 acres and is located at the end of County Road 350 east of the Crosstown community.  It is the newest public use area in Perry County.  Walk-in hunting, fishing in the Mississippi River, and primitive camping are allowed.

Ball Mill Resurgence Pit,, located along County Road 914 in the northern portion of Perry County is a large sinkhole resurgence pit.  The area sits on approximately 20 acres and is owned by the LAD Foundation and leased to the Missouri Department of Conservation.  A resurgence pit is a geologic feature that allows surface water to drain into the ground, while at the same time it allows excess water from Perry County's intricate cave system to vent through the opening.  Resurgence pits such as Ball Mill are very rare and spectacular.  The pit is located a quarter mile off the roadway, but the trail is very well maintained and marked.

Beautifully landscaped fairways roll on to carefully manicured greens at the Perryville Country Club, located adjacent to the American Legion Park.  The 2,977 yard, nine-hole course challenges golfers with a variety of natural hazards, including sinkholes.  The club offers play on a greens-fee or membership basis.

In Perryville, a competition level "Z" shaped swimming pool complex highlights the 100 acre Perryville City Park.  The pool complex offers a separate diving area and a children's pool.  Swimming lessons are available, and the City Parks and Recreation Department fields a swimming team.  Special pool events such as pool parties are also scheduled.  The City Park also offers four lighted tennis courts, six lighted ball fields, five soccer fields, three children's play areas, picnic tables, shelters and restrooms.  In addition, the City's Parks and Recreation Department maintains four neighborhood parks which are equipped with playground equipment.

Residents and visitors can enjoy the Perry Park Center.  The Center, located in City Park, provides new cultural opportunities through use of the 400 seat performing arts theater, library facilities, plus year-round recreational facilities with a covered pool and gymnasium/fitness center.

The Knights of Columbus Bowling Center in Perryville offers fun and exercise to young and old alike and is complimented by several local private fitness centers.  The Perryville Parks and Recreation Department offers a host of organized fun and fitness programs including volleyball, basketball, baseball and aerobics.  The Perryville Community Center serves a variety of functions and comes alive with organized activities during the winter.  The newly completed Community Track and Fitness Trail, located on the campus of Perry County District 32 schools, is open to the public.

Quiet activities await the Perry County visitor, too.  Tree lined county roads meander through quaint German villages nestled in the County's rolling hills.  The towns of Frohna, Wittenberg and Altenburg invite visitors to explore the colorful people and places of Perry County's past.  Sites of interest in east Perry County include the Saxon Lutheran Memorial and Die Kleine Schule in Frohna, and Concordia Log Cabin College and Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg.

Thrusting itself 85 feet above the mighty Mississippi River, Tower Rock conjures visions of steamboats and river pirates.  This geological "tower" in the Mississippi River near Wittenberg,  was designated a national landmark by President Ulysses S. Grant.

The beautiful Lady of St. Joseph Shrine at Apple Creek, created around a natural spring and two caves, was completed in 1973.  Nearby is the early 1800s settlement of Old Appleton.

Perhaps the crown jewel of the local area in terms of beauty and architectural interest is Saint Mary's of the Barrens Historic District.  The district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.  St. Mary's of the Barrens Church, located on the beautifully kept grounds of the old 560-acre Vincentian Seminary, houses the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.  Modeled on the Church of Monte Citorio in Rome, the cornerstone of St. Mary's Church was laid in 1827.

The Faherty House, located at 11 S. Spring Street, was originally constructed by Henry Burns in 1825 as a two-room stone house with a basement.  It is thought to be the oldest remaining residence in the City.  A brick, two-room addition to the house was built in the 1850's.  The house also stands on one of the original town lots of Perryville.  The restored house features a circa 1830-1890 exterior and interior and is owned and maintained by the Perry County Historical Society.

The Perry County Museum, a joint venture with the City of Perryville and the Perry County Historical Society, opened in May 1990.  The Museum is located at the entrance of the City Park in a two-story brick house that was built in 1881 by the town's butcher, Joseph Duerr, and his wife, Mary Broeker Duerr.

The Perry County Historical Society maintains a library housed in the office behind the Faherty House.  It is open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of each month (except January and February) from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.  Society volunteers are also available to allow access to County Probate records for research.