Discover your next adventure in a central Missouri state park or historic site

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 27, 2026 – Make the most of your summer with unforgettable experiences at Central Missouri’s state parks and historic sites. From campground events to fireside chats to concerts, here’s what’s coming up:

• Saturdays, Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, at 8 p.m. – Nights at the Campground at Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park. 
  Each Saturday night through Labor Day weekend, the park team will present an interpretive program in the campground with different topics each week. Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park is located at 32146 N. Highway 122 in Miami.
• Fridays, Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28, at 8 p.m. - Friday Night Fireside Chat at Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park. 
  Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park’s Friday Night Fireside Chats are back! Each Friday night to Labor Day weekend, visitors can meet the park team in an informal gathering around a campfire. Join them to hear stories and songs, make s’mores, and learn more about the park. Participation is free and open to registered campers and day-use visitors alike. Activities are subject to cancellation or change due to inclement weather. Annie and Abel Van Meter State Park is located at 32146 N. Highway 122 in Miami.
• Saturday, Aug. 8, at 9:30 a.m. – Storytime in the Campground at Arrow Rock State Historic Site. 
  Arrow Rock State Historic Site at 39521 Visitor Center Drive, Arrow Rock, is hosting a series of picture book readings on select Saturdays this spring and summer. Toddlers and their grownups are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket and join the site interpreter in the campground.
• Saturday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. – Backyard Concert: Cherry and Jerry at Jefferson Landing State Historic Site. 
  Celebrate 50 years of Jefferson Landing State Historic Site with another backyard concert on the Lohman Building lawn at 100 Jefferson St., in Jefferson City. Cherry and Jerry will perform pieces from several Missouri ragtime composers. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public. So, bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic suppers and join us for a toe-tappin' good time. Bugs are active this time of year, so be sure to bring some insect repellent too!
• Sunday, Aug. 16, from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. – Sweet Corn Sunday on the Katy Trail at the Ted and Pat Jones Welcome Center, Treloar. 
  Join Magnificent Missouri and the Missouri Division of State Parks for Sweet Corn Sunday in Treloar. Stop by the Ted and Pat Jones Welcome Center and the adjacent section of the Katy Trail State Park between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to enjoy live music and tram rides to the nearby community of Peers. There will also be bratwurst sales, with proceeds going to the Marthasville Volunteer Fire Department. Admission to this event is free and open to the public. GPS coordinates are 38.643544,-91.188044.

The primary source of funding for the state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax provides about three-fourths of the division's budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri's Division of State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds.

For detailed information on any of these activities, please visit Missouri State Parks Events For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit Missouri State Parks. The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.