Where to start your walking tour: Leavenworth Landing Park and the historic wayside markers

Leavenworth's Historic Wayside Tour features interactive displays with artwork and local history tied to each spot. The brochure maps out 13 waysides in the riverfront downtown area designed as a walking tour - you move from marker to marker on foot without needing a full-day itinerary. There are also 7 waysides designated as a driving tour, which works well if walking time is limited or you want to explore beyond the downtown riverfront.

For the walking route, start where the tour tells you: marker #1 at Leavenworth Landing Park. The brochure places that first marker at the park next to the Missouri River. It's a simple starting point - especially if you want to fit in a quick downtown loop before getting back to whatever brought you to town.

• ✓ Go straight to marker #1 at Leavenworth Landing Park to begin the walking tour.
• ✓ Use the riverfront setting as your orientation point, then work your way into the downtown waysides from there.
• ✓ If you’re time-limited, pick a handful of nearby downtown markers to read now and save the rest for a return trip.
• ✓ Take a quick photo of marker #1 so you can remember where you started (and jump back in easily later).

Plan around how much time you actually have. Short break? Pick a small cluster of markers and read them slowly instead of rushing to "complete" the whole route. Wear comfortable shoes. Leave yourself extra minutes for stopping - these displays are meant to be read, and you'll probably want a few photos along the way.

For the full map and marker-by-marker descriptions, look for the Leavenworth Convention & Visitors Bureau's guide titled "Leavenworth CVB Travel Guide 2025." That's the easiest place to confirm what each wayside covers and how the walking and driving routes are laid out.