Interpretive Programs

Missouri’s interesting history and its outstanding natural landscapes are two aspects that make the Missouri state park system a great place to visit. If you want to learn more about either, you can attend programs that interpret history and nature at many state parks and historic sites. Programs are offered both within the parks and sites and off-site, at locations such as schools.

For those wanting to learn more about the natural world, naturalists will help you explore what makes a landscape different, whether it is prairie, glade or forest, and the plants and animals that call each home. You can enjoy a spring wildflower walk or attend a program to identify different birds that live in Missouri. If you want to learn more about how to enjoy the outdoors, programs are available on ways you can “get out and play.”

If you are interested in history, programs are offered that explain the significance of a site, such as a Civil War battlefield, a gristmill or a covered bridge. Programs as you tour historic homes give you insight into the lives of famous Missourians like Harry S Truman and Scott Joplin.

You can learn a lot on your own as well. Many parks and sites have exhibits both inside and outside that explain the site’s history and its natural features. Special self-guiding trails have been developed with brochures or exhibits along the way that explain more about the area and what you are seeing.