Sedalia Chamber and Visitors Bureau

Whatever you or your family’s interests, you are sure to find plenty to do in Sedalia. From arts to sports, catching a movie, or volunteering in the community, there is an organization or activity to fill your leisure time. 

The Chamber's Convention & Visitors Bureau offers complete details about planning a trip to Sedalia, visit their website at www.visitsedaliamo.com or call at (800) 827-5295 for up-to-date information about attractions, accommodations, and recreation in the Sedalia area.

Located just blocks from downtown businesses is the Historic Katy Depot.  Built in 1896, this beautifully restored building is currently occupied by the Sedalia Area Chamber, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Railroad Heritage Exhibit, and the Depot Store.   The unique exhibit space tells the story of Sedalia and how it came to be via the coming of the railroad.  Period buildings serve as exhibit cases that put a face on Sedalia's heart and history.  Each building contains graphic panels and artifact windows telling the story of the railroads.  Included in the exhibit is a working telegraph, theatre, and youth activity room.

A small but well-stocked gift shop includes works by local artists and artisans, books and recordings connected to exhibits and programs, and books on local history and the railroad. Whether it is taking in a fashion show from the bygone era of rail riding in its hey day, viewing the model train display, or enjoying an authentic Victorian tea at Christmas, you are sure to have a great time spending a day at the Depot. Free guided tours are offered to school groups K-12, Scouts, home school students and other young people's groups by reservation. Please call 660-826-2932 x18 to arrange for a tour. The Historic Katy Depot is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds located at 2503 West 16th Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts and is the home of 2,200 campsites and excellent facilities and the most modern convention and agricultural facilities in the state.  From the Varied Industries Building, built in 1903, to the Missouri Department of Conservation building finished in 2005, the nationally recognized architecture on the Fairgrounds is unduplicated.  The Women’s’ Building, built in 1910, houses the State Fair Museum.  The museum is free to the public by appointment.  Group tours require advance notice, please call 660-827-8120.  For additional information about the State Fair Museum please visit www.mostatefairfoundation.org.

The Fairgrounds hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including livestock shows, camping rallies, sporting events, and races. The Katy Trail State Park runs along the south side of the Fairgrounds and is within biking distance of the campsites.

For eleven days each August, thousands of Missourians show off their talents in agriculture, horticulture, and livestock husbandry. Thousands more flock to the Missouri State Fair to be entertained by nationally known performers and the opportunity to share in a celebration unique to Sedalia.

The Missouri State Fair is more FUN than ever! Celebrate the traditions of our family farms and experience the magic of new millennium entertainment! Join us in Sedalia each August as the Fairgrounds opens its gates for eleven days of showcasing the best of the best in the state of Missouri!  The Missouri State Fair is proud to continue a winning tradition of presenting big name entertainment along with a magnificent mile of midway fun, competitive livestock shows, and hundreds of fascinating exhibits. Make plans now to join the more than 345,000 patrons who visit us each year.

New, free, and fun entertainment can be seen throughout the Fairgrounds on a daily basis. Shows for the entire family are proudly featured free on our entertainment stages each and every day. Gospel, country, musical variety shows, and much more have been scheduled for your enjoyment!

Our Grandstand concerts feature the nation’s top musical talents. The superstars can be seen at 7:30 each evening. Look for a complete schedule of performers to be published in June or visit www.mostatefair.com. For additional information please call 660-827-8150 or 1-800-422-FAIR.

State Fair Community College's art, music and theater programs continue to flourish, providing the community with excellent arts entertainment. The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art on campus has attracted art lovers from throughout the state and nation. The museum features an outstanding permanent collection plus rotating exhibitions by regional and national artists. Admission is free. For more information, call (660) 530-5888 or visit the Web site at www.daummuseum.org.

The Stauffacher Center for Fine Arts on the State Fair Community College campus features an artist and lecturer series in the Goddard Gallery and several theater and musical productions throughout the year in the Stauffacher Theater.

The lodge, built by Sedalia benefactor John H. Bothwell, stands atop a 120-foot bluff. Mr. Bothwell was a nature lover and built the lodge from stone quarried at the site. He named the lodge Stoneyridge. Rising three levels, Stoneyridge is majestic from all views. When the lodge was acquired by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the grounds were expanded to 247 acres and designated a state park. Today, the lodge is open for tours, and the park features shelter and playground facilities, as well as a hiking trail. An annual Victorian garden party is held each June at the lodge. For a complete listing of their activities throughout the year, visit www.mostateparks.com/bothwell.htm.

With seven parks collectively containing 300 acres, there is plenty of room to roam and relax in Sedalia. Our parks feature baseball fields, soccer fields, basketball courts, swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds and picnic areas, sand volleyball courts, recreational fishing, flower gardens, walking trails, an historic foot bridge, and even a miniature train for the kids to ride. Our latest attraction is our new skate park located at Katy Park.

The Parks & Recreation Office is the center of many activities and offers an abundance of sports, lessons, classes, special programs and events. Contact the Parks Department at (660) 826-4930 for more information or visit www.sedaliaparks.com

Centennial Park
Clover Dell Park
Housel Park
Hubbard Park
Katy Park
Liberty Park
Skate Park
Vermont Park
Public Pools

The Pettis County Museum, located at 228 Dundee Avenue, was founded by the Pettis County  Historical Society to preserve the rich and vast history of Pettis County. The  Pettis County Museum was opened to the public in 2006 as a place to display historic items previously displayed at the Pettis County Courthouse.  From March 1st through October 31st the Museum is open Wednesday through  Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and other times by appointment.  Admission  is free, but donations are requested to maintain the facility.  Group  tours require advance notice.  Programs and fundraisers are held throughout the year.   For more information call (660) 829-3102.

Hike it or bike it. Don’t miss the Katy Trail, a lineal state park stretching 234 miles across the state – from beyond St. Charles on the east, through Sedalia, and on west to Clinton. The Katy Trail trailhead is located in the heart of downtown Sedalia at the recently restored Katy Depot at 600 E. 3rd Street. The hiking and biking trail showcases beautiful views of nature at its best. www.katydepotsedalia.com