Beyond the Banquet Hall

Special Places for Special Events

A newly married couple at their wedding lean in for a kiss, surrounded by a group of family and friends. In the background is a large lodge.

For a romantic wedding in a historic setting, consider the beautiful Mount Vernon Church at Watkins Mill State Historic Site, built in 1871 and complete with original pews and pulpit. The Bee Creek Shelter, a converted tobacco barn at Weston Bend State Park, offers a farm-style vibe for those wanting a more rustic location for their gathering.

Family gatherings and company picnics are more memorable when hosted in one of the many shelters throughout the state park system. From the stone Civilian Conservation Corps shelters at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial, Montauk and Roaring River state parks, to Huck Hall, an expansive enclosed shelter at Mark Twain State Park, we have the accommodations you are looking for!

For an extended family reunion with overnight stays, seven state parks offer 12 group camps that include a central dining hall with a kitchen, sleeping cabins or barracks, and modern restrooms and showers. Meeting rooms are also available at several state parks and historic sites, such as the Rosebud Café at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, which was built to replicate an early 20th century club in the area. 

Let us make your event special at one of these beautiful and iconic locations. Information about making a reservation can be found by visiting mostateparks.com or the Missouri State Parks reservation webpage.

  • A portrait of a woman.

    Dawn Scott is the director of the grants, recreation and interpretation program with Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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