Missouri Town 1855 Festivals, Daily Visits and Special Events

Missouri Town 1855 represents the era of simple life, cabins, small buildings, and farming. I have visited nearly every year since it opened in 1963. I remember when I was 3-5 years old, there was a white turkey that was like a pet. He loved greeting guests, getting attention and getting a few pats from kids like me. He made such an impression I never forgot him.

Like most people, the fall festival is my favorite , and I always take cash with me to enjoy the food, root beer, vendor products and kettle corn. The fall festival takes place the first weekend in October, annually. It is an opportunity to purchase fresh honey, salsa and canned pickles. I have purchased many wheat ornaments, jewelry, and handcrafted items. The gourds are intriguing Handcrafters transform them into birdhouse, home decor and ornaments. I picked up the "apple gourd" and display it in my home during the fall season.

It is a pleasure to engage in conversation with the artisans, ask questions , and they explain their craft. The wood carver is an phenomenal, gifted man, creating little wooden toys. I picked up a metal cookie cutter this year. I have purchased the scarf maker wooden dowel thing, but I forgot how to use it. They teach it to you while you are out there. (If I find it, I will add the picture)

Teaching people and answering questions. They dress in the era as well. Many of the volunteers seek vintage items to use as props in the various buildings inside the state park.

Fall Festival in Missouri Town is the first weekend in October annually. Buildings have been renovated , and they are opening more and more of them so you can explore and feel the inside of long past. They cook in the dutch ovens and quilt. The blacksmith creates metal tools and artists draw faces onto most wanted posters while people watch.

Tents, Indian things are on display near the TP's. Vendors selling Indian items like arrow heads are near the front of the park and next to the tents. All children enjoy the vendors in this area.

The food is a treat and worth eating out there. The aroma of the hot apple cider will attract your nose right to the pot over the open fire. Be careful in the summer feeling weather, the bees love it too. We enjoyed it this year without the usual bee chase.

Other festive events like rope making, kids play area with bow and arrows, stilts to walk on , and $1 crafts to make.

Civil era and often times will have a few officers with guns on the table.

Apple butter, sorghum like molasses and how the make it. They also sell candy, mini loaves of banana nut bread and a few other treats. Sorghum syrup is another example of farming. The stalks lay on the ground as they hack them with an old seath. They have a setup that the horse walks around with the squeezer in the center. People push the stalks through to collect the syrup. The video below, I found so you can see the squeezer up close.

Hay rides, which can take you right back to the entrance, or you can ride full circle and get a view from a seated position. It is a bit bumpy, but kids love it.

Wagon ride into the gold rush days. Now this is a little bit more of a cost. We did it one year when the kids were younger. He tells a story, a bad guy hides in the woods near the gold and you end up with a piece of fools gold as you travel back to the start of the trail.

Oxen and sheep. As you will see in the sheep video, they have a sheep shearing event annually as well. Farmers bring in the oxen to add them to this event. Guests can pat them too. There used to be pigs, and there maybe again, once the improve the pen during renovations.

Recommendations for going out there. If you plan to buy some things, I have found a backpack works perfect, otherwise your hands will be full of bags that are getting heavier. Most years, it feels like summer rather than fall, so check the local weather to see if shorts are necessary. Take some carrots or apples if you plan to visit the wildlife area afterwards.

Jackson County Parks and Recreation. Missouri Town 1855 creates special events, workshops and the fall festival.

• Pets in the Park
• Sheep Sheering
• Ghost Stories, called Spirits from the Past. By reservation only. Occurrs the last weekend in October, prior to Halloween.
• Fall Festival, first weekend in October. Annually and open to the public.
• A Christmas Celebration is the first weekend in December.
• Workshops for toothpaste rug making,

My personal video below is from October 2012, Fall Festival. I added a few images of prior year purchases so you can see the treasures found in prior years. One of my favorites was "the wheat lady". She created the most beautiful works of art and ornaments out of wheat. I purchased from her every year. She is no longer out there as a vendor, but she was a tremendous contributor to the event. A talented artist!

My hope is for anyone that visits Missouri, this is a lovely place to visit and learn a little history about our state, in that era. The most fun time to visit is the during the fall to capture the Ghost stories or the one weekend for the fall festival that always occurs during the first weekend in October. Parking is usually $10 per car. The price is higher for a bus or RV. So pile the family in the car and get a great entrance price!

Afterwards, stop by the Wildlife area to see the buffalo and elk. If you bring carrots or apples, you can feed them.