An accessible fishing pier at Hazel Hill Lake, two fishing lakes of different sizes in the J. N. Turkey Kearn Memorial Wildlife Area, and the 1870 Old Drum trial give visitors several specific ways to explore Johnson County. Art and museum exhibitions add to these themes, while seasonal events provide further dates to plan around. When choosing a base for your stay, it is worth first deciding whether nature, county history or a particular event date will shape your trip.
Lakes, Waterways and Landscapes
Hazel Hill Lake is in Johnson County and covers 71 acres. The lake has an accessible fishing pier, a parking lot and a restroom building. These features make it especially interesting for travelers who want to factor a lake and specific shoreline facilities into their plans.
The J. N. Turkey Kearn Memorial Wildlife Area extends across Johnson and Pettis counties. It includes two fishing lakes covering 9 and 25 acres, respectively. The landscape encompasses wooded hills, floodplains, cropland and areas of native grasses. Compared with Hazel Hill Lake, the focus here is on two smaller lakes and a more varied landscape; the two areas therefore differ in both the number and size of their bodies of water and their described surroundings.
Knob Noster State Park lies in the wider region around Johnson County. Open oak woodlands, patches of prairie on either side of meandering Clearfork Creek, and the oxbow designated as the Pin Oak Slough Natural Area give the park a different landscape. While the descriptions of Hazel Hill Lake and the Turkey Kearn Memorial Wildlife Area highlight their lakes, here the focus is on oak woodland, prairie and oxbow.
Art and County History
The McClure Archives and University Museum is the University of Central Missouri’s official repository for ethnographic, historical and textile artifacts from around the world. The museum offers up to six exhibitions per year. The UCM Gallery of Art & Design presents between 12 and 20 visual art exhibitions per academic year, featuring local, national and international artists. The figures describe different programs: the archives museum gives a maximum number per year, while the gallery gives a range per academic year. The gallery’s individual exhibition schedules vary, so check the current program before visiting.
The main county history museum shares a two-story building with the Mary Miller Smiser Heritage Library. The Museum Complex also includes exhibitions about Pertle Springs. The 1838 Courthouse houses a special exhibition about Civil War events in Johnson County; check before visiting to see whether it is on display. The original Johnson County Courthouse, built in 1842, was the site of the 1870 Old Drum trial. The ground floor of the 1838 Courthouse in Warrensburg is arranged to show how it is believed to have looked during the trial. County history and its historical interpretation are thus presented alongside other exhibition topics.
Seasonal Events
The Warrensburg Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon in downtown Warrensburg, from May through September. Since dates and opening hours can change, it is worth checking before your trip. Its regular seasonal schedule makes planning easy: you can set aside a Saturday during this period for a visit to the market.
The Johnson County Fair is an annual county event held in July. If the fair is a reason for your trip, check the specific event days in advance. The market offers a weekly time slot over several months, while the fair takes place annually in July. This distinction helps with choosing when to visit without suggesting a specific date.
Discover more destinations: Warrensburg, Knob Noster, Jasper, Lawrence County, Saline County, Oregon County, Lafayette, Buchanan County.
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