Release Date
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAY 17, 2025 – Summer is almost here and central Missouri’s state parks and historic sites are full of fun activities to fill your days.
- Saturday, May 31, at 9 a.m. – Morning Storytime at Arrow Rock State Historic Site.
Join the site team for a picture book reading in the campground. This event is free, and there is no need to register. Attendees of all ages are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to sit on. Arrow Rock State Historic Site is located at 39521 Visitor Center Drive in Arrow Rock.
- Saturday, May 31, at 3 p.m. – Public Meeting at Arrow Rock State Historic Site.
The public is invited to a combined open house-style meeting for Arrow Rock, Boone’s Lick, Sappington African American Cemetery and Sappington Cemetery state historic sites. The meeting will take place at the J. Huston Tavern, located at 305 Main St. in Arrow Rock. Representatives from Missouri State Parks will be on hand to provide information about these historic sites and to answer questions. The public is encouraged to share comments about them and their operations. The open house is held in conjunction with a living history event presented by Arrow Rock Stock and Trade.
- Wednesday, June 5, at 7 p.m. – Landing After Hours: Forgotten Trunk in the Attic at Lohman Building, Jefferson Landing State Historic Site.
Missouri, like most states in the center of the U.S., doesn’t have extant tribes or tribal lands. Therefore, the knowledge of both the history of the Indigenous people and the experience of contemporary Native Americans is one step further removed from people’s consciousness. Using startling facts as stepping stones to fascinating and forgotten stories, presenter Glenn Gritts will start to remedy this phenomenon. A registered member of the Cherokee Nation, Gritts was born and reared in Missouri, and has a degree in history from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the Lohman Building has convenient parking in the lot adjacent to it at 100 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City.
Saturday, June 21, at 7 p.m. – Backyard Concert: John Williams and Robert Mackey at Jefferson Landing State Historic Site.
- Backyard concerts are back for 2025 with live music on the Lohman lawn.
These are free, family-friendly, bring-your-own-chair events, so grab your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic suppers for an evening of music that captures Missouri’s musical traditions past and present. John Williams and Robert Mackey performed on the Lohman lawn in 2023 and are back to play more traditional Missouri fiddle and guitar music. The concerts will be held at the Lohman Building Lawn, 100 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City. In the event of rain, the concert will be inside the Lohman Building.
- Tuesday, June 24, from 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m. – Tuesdays on the Trail: St. Charles to Machens on the Katy Trail State Park.
Missouri State Parks invites senior citizens to experience Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail state parks from the comfort of an open-air tram during Tuesdays on the Trail tram tours. The annual tram tour series consists of eight tours at various locations along the trails. The tours are round trip, last approximately two hours and accommodate approximately 50 people. This tram tour takes visitors from St. Charles to Machens and back on the Katy Trail. An interpretive guide will give a presentation on the Katy Trail’s history and will provide commentary on natural and cultural features along the way. Tours are free, but registration is required. Please visit our reservation page at icampmo1.usedirect.com/MSPWeb/Activities/Search.aspx?search_text=tuesdays%20on%20the%20trail and choose the time you’d like to attend. Registered guests should meet at the St. Charles trailhead (GPS coordinates are 38° 46' 23.0952" N, 90° 29' 2.436" W).
For detailed information, please visit Missouri State Parks Upcoming Events. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
