JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 18, 2018 – Van Meter State Park invites the public to two family friendly events Saturday, July 28. Hike to and through the historic Van Meter Family Cemetery, followed by a Magnifying Mars astronomy event later that evening. Both events are free and open to the public.
Beginning at 2 p.m., participants in the cemetery hike will have a unique opportunity to walk through the Van Meter family’s cemetery and gather information about one of the area’s early pioneer families. Cemeteries provide important clues about the lives of people who came before us. By studying headstones and grave markers, we can often piece together an image of what life was like for people in the past.
The Magnifying Mars program will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the Mound Field on Pinnacle Drive. The featured speaker will be Val Germann of the Central Missouri Amateur Astronomers. Germann will share fascinating facts about Mars, then help visitors locate and observe the planet through telescopes until the program concludes at 11 p.m. This event will be held weather permitting; if the skies are too cloudy to allow a clear view of Mars, the program will be canceled.
Van Meter State Park is located 12 miles North of Marshall on Highway 122. For more information about these events, call the park at 660-886-7537.
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.