Missouri State Parks hosts many activities in Central Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, APRIL 11, 2025 – Be sure to check out the many activities planned at Central Missouri’s state parks and historic sites.

• Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m. – Record Preservation Workshop at Arrow Rock State Historic Site.
  The team at Arrow Rock State Historic Site will host a free record preservation workshop at the site’s visitor center. This workshop will focus on preserving personal records and will cover topics such as: basic preservation; the physical and chemical nature of record materials; creating a stable environment; collection maintenance; record storage, handling and use; basic repair and conservation methods; and reformatting. The event is expected to last two to four hours. Space is limited and registration is required and can be completed by calling 660-837-3330. Arrow Rock State Historic Site is located at 39521 Visitor Center Drive in Arrow Rock.
   
• Thursday, May 1, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. – 2nd Annual Missouri Historic Preservation Symposium.
  The Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, the city of Jefferson and The Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation will host the second annual Missouri Historic Preservation Symposium Thursday, May 1. The symposium will take place in Jefferson City from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The theme of the symposium is Historic Preservation as a Tool for Economic Development, with a focus on federal and state historic tax credits. The keynote speaker will be St. Louis real estate developer and historic preservation advocate Steven Stogel, talking about “Funding Your Preservation Project,” with additional financial analysis from Kandi Jackson, managing director at the National Trust’s Community Investment Corporation, and Sean McKessy, a tax credit specialist at Rubin Brown. Additional speakers will include historic preservation consultant Deb Sheals and representatives from SHPO, the Department of Economic Development, MoDNR's brownfields program and the nonprofit organizations Missouri Preservation and Missouri Main Street. Space is limited for this event and advance registration is required. Registration can be completed online at icampmo.com before April 15. There is a $25 registration fee which covers admission to the symposium and a catered lunch. American Institute of Architects continuing education credits will be available for a small fee, payable on-site, through Missouri Preservation. For more information, contact Bob Wheeler at 573-751-7860 or robert.wheeler@dnr.mo.gov. The event will be in the Lewis and Clark State Office Building, 1101 Riverside Drive in Jefferson City. 
   
• Saturday, May 3 at 1 p.m. – Mother’s Day Card Making at Arrow Rock State Historic Site.
  Join the park team at the open picnic shelter to make a card for your mother or a mother figure in your life. You will get to decorate your card with markers, colored pencils, crayons, custom stamps and more. You will also learn about the history of cards, card-making and Mother’s Day. Head to 39521 Visitor Center Drive in Arrow Rock to participate in this free program.
   
• Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. – Landing After Hours: “These Honored Dead” program at Jefferson Landing State Historic Site.
  Join Nancy Arnold Thompson and Michelle Brooks as they combine their talents of genealogy and storytelling to bring to life the individuals buried under the uniform white markers at Jefferson City National Cemetery. More than 1,200 service members are buried in the eastern quarter of the 1000 block of East McCarty Street, which shares a matching outer wall of limestone and wrought iron with Woodland-Old City Cemetery next door. One of the smallest remaining national cemeteries, it holds generations of local history and preserves sacrifices of those far from home. The program is located at 100 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City. Doors to the site’s Lohman Building open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m. Convenient parking is available in the lot next to the Lohman Building. In addition to being held in person, the program will also be livestreamed on the Missouri State Museum’s Facebook page.
   
• Friday, May 9 at 5:30 p.m. – Wildlife Photography with Smartphones at Arrow Rock State Historic Site.
  Learn how to take better wildlife photos with a smartphone. Participants should meet in the front of the visitor center at 39521 Visitor Center Drive in Arrow Rock for a brief overview of smartphone photography tips and tricks. Then, they will set out on a short hike to put these skills to use. The free program is open to the public and registration is not required. There will not be access to electrical outlets, so please be sure your phone is charged ahead of time or bring a portable charging device.
   
• Saturday, May 10 at 10 a.m. – Youth Fishing Day at Finger Lakes State Park. 
  Finger Lakes State Park’s annual Youth Fishing Day is set for May 10 on the banks of Peabody Lake. Prizes will be awarded to participants under the age of 15 for the biggest fish caught, the most fish caught and the first fish caught. Fishing poles and bait will be provided for the first 30 people to arrive. This event is free and open to all ages, but a fishing permit is required for anglers aged 16-64. This event is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and Tombstone Tackle. Finger Lakes State Park is located at 1505 E. Peabody Road in Columbia.
   
• Tuesday, May 13 at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – Tuesdays on the Trail: Windsor to Green Ridge at Katy Trail State Park.
  Senior citizens are invited to experience Katy Trail State Park from the comfort of an open-air tram during the Tuesdays on the Trail tours. These tours are round trip and last approximately two hours. The May 13 tours will take visitors from Windsor to Green Ridge and back on the Katy Trail. There will be a morning tour and an afternoon tour, each hosting approximately 50 people. An interpretive guide will give a presentation on the history of the Katy Trail and will provide commentary on natural and cultural features along the way. Snacks and bottled water will be offered to each participant. Tours are free, but space is limited and registration is required. Registration for the May 13 tours opens on April 1. To reserve your seat, contact the park office at 573-449-7402 or visit our reservation page at icampmo.com.

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.