JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 20, 2018 – Missouri State Parks will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at Arrow Rock State Historic Site’s J. Huston Tavern to officially transfer operations to the Friends of Arrow Rock, Inc., 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28. An agreement between Missouri State Parks and the Friends of Arrow Rock, Inc. has been made for the Friends of Arrow Rock to manage the Arrow Rock Tavern starting Jan. 1, 2019. This ceremony will officially transfer the operations of the tavern to the Friends of Arrow Rock.
"Missouri State Parks has been running this historic tavern since 2013. We wanted to keep it operating so it would remain the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi," Ben Ellis, director of the Department of Natural Resources' Division of State Parks, said. "This partnership will benefit all, as the Friends of Arrow Rock will operate the tavern and Missouri State Parks will continue to assist with utilities, equipment and maintenance."
The Friends of Arrow Rock anticipates opening the restaurant for the 2019 season in March.
The J. Huston Tavern was established in 1834 to provide food and lodging for travelers along the Santa Fe Trail and has continued to operate ever since. It is the first building in Missouri purchased with public funds for the purpose of historic preservation, and remains a centerpiece of the Arrow Rock State Historic Site.
Arrow Rock State Historic Site is located north of I-70 and west of Columbia at 39521 Visitor Center Drive, in Arrow Rock. For more information about the event, call the site at 660-837-3330.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit https://mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.