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Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site

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Park Information

Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site preserves a now-vanished part of Missouri: The stately Bootheel mansion. Filled with original pieces and furnished in the style it was in during its heydays of the 1860s-1880s, the ornate mansion provides a history lesson in every corner. In fact, most of the original furnishing purchased by Amanda Hunter, the house's first owner (with her husband William) are still in the house.

Park Hours

Tours:

  • March through November
    10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday
    12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday
  • December through February
    10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday

Park Office hours

  • March through November
    8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
    10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday
    12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday
    The historic site is closed Easter and Thanksgiving days.
  • December through February
    8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday
    10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday
    The historic site is closed Christmas and New Year's days.
Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites
May 23, 2013
Fifty years ago, if you had arrived at the natural tunnel in Bennett Spring State Park, you would have seen a lake. Around 1964, a dam created from gravel and silt and reinforced with rebar and concrete blocked the upstream entrance of the natural tunnel. There is no record of how long the resulting lake lasted, but historical accounts state the dam failed after heavy rains, leaving only the portion of the structure seen today at the end of the trail. Walk the Natural Tunnel Trail today and imagine what it would have been like 50 years ago. For more information about this trail, other trails at the park, and all the other things you can do at Bennett Spring State Park, visit mostateparks.com.