Fun and education found at Missouri's state parks and historic sites in December

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV 16, 2023 – Fun and education go hand in hand, so check out these events planned at Missouri state parks and historic sites.

• Friday, Dec. 1: Downtown Living Windows at Jefferson Landing State Historic Site
  Are you visiting downtown Jefferson City for the annual Living Windows event? Stop inside Jefferson Landing State Historic Site for some holiday cheer! Enjoy making crafts, creating your own “Nutcracker” puppet theater production, or just warming up on a chilly evening. There will also be a pop-up store selling Capitol- and Missouri-themed Christmas ornaments and other gifts. Activities take place from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Lohman Building of the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site located at 100 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City.
   
• Wednesday, Dec. 6: Landing After Hours: What our Rocks Carry – How Fossils Inform our Past, Present and Future at Jefferson Landing State Historic Site
  Did you know that Missouri’s rocks record a crinoid-littered sea that once covered central North America in the Carboniferous Period, around 350 million years ago? Almost 300 million years later, our state dinosaur, Hypsibema missouriensis, roamed the Earth after the sea dried up. About 12,000 years ago, mastodons grazed in the forests near what is now St. Louis alongside Clovis people. Missouri’s rich natural history helps us understand modern animals, plants and people through what it tells us of our past. Join Delaney Ryan, curator of exhibits at the Missouri State Museum, to learn about what is within our reach – and under our feet! The Missouri State Museum’s “Landing After Hours” program is located at the Lohman Building at 100 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City, starting at 7 p.m. Parking is available in the lot next to the Lohman Building. In addition to being held in person, this program will also be livestreamed on the Missouri State Museum’s Facebook page.   
   
• Saturday, Dec. 9: Old-Fashioned Christmas in the Village at Arrow Rock State Historic Site
  Join the state historic site team, friends and family as they open up the site buildings for a Christmas from long ago. You are invited to tour the buildings, which will be decorated for the holidays, and visit with interpreters. As guests wander through the site, they may stumble upon the judge and lawyer in the Old Courthouse as they prepare to end the year. Stopping by the tavern’s tap room, visitors can visit with travelers from the trail and in the academy, they will see the young ladies preparing for Christmas while the schoolmarm takes a break. Up the hill, a family will be preparing for Christmas dinner at the George Caleb Bingham home. At the very end of the tour, visitors can reflect on the holiday season. The event begins at 5 p.m. and while the pathway will be lit, guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight. That night there will be music and dance as well, starting at 4 p.m., and guests are invited to the Yuletide Dance presented by Mid-Missouri Traditional Dancers at 6:30 p.m. Arrow Rock State Historic Site is located at 39521 Visitor Center Drive in Arrow Rock.

For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit mostateparks.com/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.