Number of visitors to the Truman Birthplace increases

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today that Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site in Lamar saw a 94 percent increase in visitors in 2009. The announcement follows an earlier announcement by Gov. Jay Nixon that Missouri's system of state parks saw an overall increase in visitors of 6 percent last year.

"Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site is just one of the many gems to be found in Missouri's state park system," Gov. Jay Nixon said. "With the opportunities for inexpensive recreation and family activity that Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site provides for folks in the southwest Missouri area and beyond, it's no wonder that people flocked to the site last year in growing numbers."

The Division of State Parks reports that 19,280 visits were made to Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site in 2009. The previous year, the division recorded 9,931 visits to Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site. The 94 percent increase in visitors over the previous year at this park is reflective of a larger trend that shows the number of visitors to Missouri state parks on the upswing for the first time in a decade.

Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site preserves the home where Harry S Truman, the only Missourian ever elected president, was born on May 8, 1884. His family stayed in the six-room frame home until he was almost 1 year old. F

urnishings from the period of the Trumans' occupation fill the house.

On Friday, Gov. Jay Nixon noted in his remarks at the initial meeting of the Children in Nature Challenge initiative, which he created via Executive Order 10-18 on Feb. 26, that total attendance at Missouri state parks in 2009 had risen to more than 15,890,785 visitors. This is an increase of nearly 1 million visitors from the 2008 attendance figure of 14,937,471.

Governor Nixon has implemented several initiatives encouraging awareness and use of Missouri's tremendous system of State Parks and Historic Sites. In addition to the Children in Nature initiative, Nixon has created the State Parks Youth Corps, which will put 1,000 young Missourians to work this summer on projects beautifying and maintaining state parks and historic sites.

He also has worked with the Missouri Division of Tourism to encourage people from Missouri and neighboring states to vacation at or near state parks.

Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site is located at 1009 Truman in Lamar. People requiring special services or accommodations may call the site at (417) 682-2279 or the Department of Natural Resources toll free at (800)-334-6946 (voice) or (800) 379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).

For information about state parks and historic sites, visit the Web at mostateparks.com.

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