Things To Do

NATURE & WILDLIFE

Kennett and Dunklin County deliver a wide variety of venues for the nature lover. Opportunities for fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing are:

Little River Conservation Area: The 1,066 acres of this park provide a wide variety of opportunities for outdoor recreation. It's open to all statewide hunting seasons, except duck hunting. The wetlands attract many migratory birds, making it great for bird watching and outdoor photography.

Ben Cash Conservation Area: This 1,300-acre wildlife park located on the St. Francis River is one of the few remaining areas of virgin swamps and bottomland hardwood forests. It also features an extremely diverse collection of flowers and wildflowers. Similar conservation areas in Dunklin County include the Hornersville Swamp State Wildlife Area and Warbler Woods State Natural Area, as well as Cochran's Opening in Cardwell. These cypress-tupelo swamps and open marshes team with flooded timberlands and flooded rice fields in the region to attract a huge waterfowl population. In fact, they have turned the region into one of the nation's four major flyways during waterfowl migration seasons.

Missouri Waterfowl Festival Association: This association partners with dozens of businesses who cater to the growing waterfowl hunting industry in our area. That season begins on Thanksgiving Day each year, and runs for 60 days, into late January. Visit http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/waterfowl-hunting to learn more about this sport, as well as local opportunities and resources available. Coming soon, the Kennett Chamber will also be layering an interactive site onto our own website, promoting this sport and industry as a growing economic engine for our area. Click here for a preview.

Lake Jerry Paul: This is a 200-acre fishing lake stocked with largemouth bass, black crappie, red ear sunfish, green sunfish, channel catfish, bluegill and hybrids. It is located in the Little River Conservation Area, just east of Kennett. Amenities include a covered fishing dock, boat ramp, jetties, an overlook, restrooms and a picnic pavilion.

"Southeast Missouri is the most biologically diverse area in the state. There are all kinds of things to see." -- Missouri Department of Conservation Community Outreach Specialist Phil Helfrich

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Parks and Kennett Community Garden: Kennett has six city parks scattered throughout the community...Del-Mo, Indian, Jones Memorial, Mitchell, Oak Haven and Willoughby. Most feature playground equipment, picnic facilities and restrooms. Jones Memorial, Willoughby and Mitchell Parks also have walking trails, while Indian Park boasts a state-of-the-art complex of baseball and softball fields. Just down the block from Willoughby Park, the Kennett Community Garden is busy at work, offering fresh and locally-grown produce throughout the growing season.

Swimming: The Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center includes a junior Olympic-sized pool, a children's pool, splash pad, water slide and pool house, with a snack bar, showers and locker rooms. There is also a private pool at the Kennett Country Club, located on U.S. Highway 412 at Kennett's easternmost boundary.

Theatre: Located just across the street from the aquatic center is the Semo Little Theatre Performing Arts Center, home to frequent music concerts and jam sessions, as well as live theatrical productions.

Movie Theater: Kennett Palace Theater is open, refurbished and ready to entertain you and your family.

Museums: The Dunklin County Museum, established in 1986, is housed in Kennett's original City Hall, the only building in town listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum features hundreds of historic collections, thousands of individual items and a stunning Native American artifacts assortment, dating back to the earliest settlements in the area. The museum is open on Wednesday afternoons, 1:30-5 p.m. School and private tours are also available. Families will also enjoy a visit to the highly interactive Bootheel Youth Museum, located in Malden, 33 miles north of Kennett on MO Highway 25.