Park Information
State park and historic site day-use areas, lodging, campgrounds, boat ramps and trails continue to operate under normal off-season hours. Missouri State Parks has implemented a number of measures designed to maintain required social distancing and protect visitors, volunteers and staff, including the closure of visitor centers, nature centers, offices and museums. The latest information from Missouri State Parks on COVID-19 can be found here. A full list of temporary closures can be found here.
Thomas Hart Benton's life is present in both his home and his paintings, and both are preserved at Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site. A trip to the home and studio of the renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer and writer offers a glimpse into how the talented Benton lived and worked. Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, which remains as he left it. Visitors can still see coffee cans full of paintbrushes, numerous paints, and a stretched canvas waiting to be transformed into another of his masterpieces. Thomas Hart Benton died in his studio in 1975.
