Main Menu

Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site

Activities

Choose Activity »

Park Information

Thomas Hart Benton's life is present in both his home and his paintings, and both are preserved at Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site. A trip to the home and studio of the renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer and writer offers a glimpse into how the talented Benton lived and worked. Benton converted half of the carriage house into his art studio, which remains as he left it. Visitors can still see coffee cans full of paintbrushes, numerous paints, and a stretched canvas waiting to be transformed into another of his masterpieces. Thomas Hart Benton died in his studio in 1975. 

Park Hours

April through October:

  • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday and Thursday through Saturday
  • 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday
  • The site is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

November through March:

  • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday and Thursday through Saturday
  • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday
  • The site is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days.

Related Content

Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites
May 23, 2013
Fifty years ago, if you had arrived at the natural tunnel in Bennett Spring State Park, you would have seen a lake. Around 1964, a dam created from gravel and silt and reinforced with rebar and concrete blocked the upstream entrance of the natural tunnel. There is no record of how long the resulting lake lasted, but historical accounts state the dam failed after heavy rains, leaving only the portion of the structure seen today at the end of the trail. Walk the Natural Tunnel Trail today and imagine what it would have been like 50 years ago. For more information about this trail, other trails at the park, and all the other things you can do at Bennett Spring State Park, visit mostateparks.com.