JEFFERSON CITY, MO, May 27, 2026 – Families can find summer fun for the whole family at St. Louis area state parks and historic sites.

• Thursdays, June 4, 11, 18 and 25, at 5:30 p.m. – Get Healthy through Gardening at Felix Vallé House State Historic Site.
  This 8-week hands-on gardening program includes a series of classes presented by the University of Missouri’s MU Extension program. Throughout the series, participants will discover the various health benefits of gardening, while learning how to create and maintain a fruit or vegetable garden of their own. Each class takes place in the backyard of the Felix Vallé House at 198 Merchant St. in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Participants who attend at least six classes will have the option to take home a free small appliance of their choice during the July 2 class. Each class is limited to 15 people ages 17 and up. Registration can be done through the Camping Reservations website at the Camping Reservations webpage.
  • June 4 – Preparing to Plant. This lesson will cover methods of seed-starting and transplanting to minimize stress and plant loss. Amendments that may be helpful for boosting seedling growth will be discussed.
  • June 11 – Nutrients for Plants and You. This lesson will discuss the importance of nutritional balance in our daily lives. It will also explore the roles that soil nutrition and composting play in garden health.
  • June 18 – Pests and Problems. Learn to identify and remedy the pests and diseases that are most likely to strike your garden.
  • June 25 – Food Preparation: Then and Now. The instructor will explain the food safety basics for harvested vegetables and fruits. In addition, a team member will present historic food safety tactics, featuring a tour of an 1840s kitchen.
     
• Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Rock Swap at Missouri Mines State Historic Site.
  Missouri Mines State Historic Site welcomes the public for the 2026 Rock Swap! This annual event features free tours of the site's Powerhouse Museum and Interpretive Trail, as well as opportunities to buy, sell, swap and admire rocks, mineral specimens, fossils, rock jewelry and rock art. The event is open to the public, and admission is free.

  Saturday, June 6:

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Vendor booths in the parking lot.
• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Free self-guided museum tours.
• 10 a.m. – Free guided Interpretive Trail tour.
• Noon – Free guided Interpretive Trail tour.
• 2 p.m. – Free guided museum tour – same-day registration required on-site.

  Sunday, June 7:

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Vendor booths in the parking lot.
• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Free self-guided museum tours.
• 10 a.m. – Free guided Interpretive Trail tour.
• Noon – Free guided museum tour – same-day registration required on-site.

  The free guided museum tours are limited to 20 participants and require registration. Those who want to take part must sign up at the Missouri State Parks booth beginning at 9 a.m. on the day of the tour. No reservations will be accepted prior to the tour date or by phone. Missouri Mines State Historic Site is located at 4000 State Highway 32 in Park Hills, Missouri.
   

• Thursday, July 25, at 10 a.m. – Toddler Thursday: Fireflies at Mastodon State Historic Site.
  This program offers toddlers and their grown-ups the chance to learn about fireflies. This will be held outside the visitor center, weather permitting. Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Mastodon State Historic Site is located at 1050 Charles J. Becker Drive in Imperial, Missouri.
   
• Friday, May 22, at 2 p.m. – Outdoor Classroom: Nature Dyes at Washington State Park.
  Learn about traditional ways of dying clothing and discover the natural dyes that might be hiding in your backyard! Plus, dye your own tea towel using vibrant natural hues. Meet at the campground amphitheater at 13041 State Highway 104, De Soto, Missouri.

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 the Upcoming Events webpage. For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit the Missouri State Parks website. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.