(Re)Discover COMO: Unbound Book Festival, Museum of Art and Archaeology, and Capen Park

(Re)Discover COMO is a monthly feature sponsored by the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau highlighting places, events, and historical connections that new residents and visitors can discover, and not-so-newcomers and long-time residents can … rediscover.

Unbound Book Festival  

Did someone say, “Book festival?” Even better? “FREE” book festival.  

The 10th Unbound Book Festival runs April 17-20 in downtown Columbia, bringing nationally and internationally acclaimed authors of world-class renown to talk about their books, their work, and their lives. And it’s FREE. But the festival relies heavily on volunteers, and anyone looking to join that busy team of bookworms and booklovers can find all the details on the Unbound website.  

Min Jin Lee is the keynote speaker for the 2025 festival. She authored “Pachinko,” which is No. 15 on the New York Times’ best books of the 21st century.  

Unbound was founded by British novelist-turned-Columbia resident Alex George, who later would launch Skylark Bookshop as an extension of the festival’s aims. He recently moved to Boston but maintains his connection to Unbound.  The festival’s keynote speakers included Salman Rushdie, Zadie Smith and George Saunders. In 2024, “Station Eleven” novelist Emily St. John Mandel owned the honor.  

To learn more about the 10th edition of Unbound, go to unboundbookfestival.com. 

Museum of Art and Archaeology   

In the late nineteenth century, two professors played a leading role in promoting the study of art and archaeology at the University of Missouri: Walter Miller (1864-1949) and John Pickard (1853-1937). They collected materials for teaching archaeology and art history, acquiring photographs, sculptures, reliefs, plaster casts that reproduce well-known (and mostly ancient Greek and Roman), and original works of art.  

The 1894-95 Mizzou catalog includes a description of the newly opened Academic Hall, later renamed Jesse Hall, as well as a mention of a museum. Today the museum’s collection includes more than one hundred works from those early years. Professors Miller and Pickard retired during the Great Depression, and in 1935 the department of classical archaeology and history of art was disbanded.  

 In 1961, the first gallery was opened in Ellis Library with fourteen newly donated Old Masters paintings, a gift from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. With that donation, the Museum of Art and Archaeology was formally named.  

In 1976, the museum moved to Pickard Hall. In its new quarters the museum began to play a significant role in the community which led to the establishment of Museum Associates.   

In 2013, the Museum of Art and Archaeology moved to Mizzou North, then in 2022 the museum moved again — this time back to campus, to the lower level of Ellis Library. After nearly four years of renovation work, the museum officially re-opened to the public on May 3, 2024.  

Today, the museum’s collection features 16,000 objects spanning six continents and 6,000 years, including contemporary works and ancient classics.  

Capen Park  

This 31.9-acre park is a cornucopia of outdoor wonder and recreation. For starters:  

• Rock climbers can enjoy the majestic bluffs and scenic overlooks.  

• The city of Columbia has a mulch site there where residents can drop off yard waste and pick up mulch.  

• The park has bridge connections to Grindstone Nature Area and the Hinkson Creek Trail.  

• Are you a dog lover? Be sure to bring your pup along. 

Operated by the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department, Capen Park has a one-half mile nature trail and is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The main parking area is at 1600 Capen Park Drive.  

For more than sixty years, the limestone crags of Capen Park have been a popular destination for mid-Missouri rock climbers and rappelers. Numerous routes, from slabby face climbs to overhanging roofs, provide a wide variety of experiences for local climbers. The bluff’s easy access, close proximity to town and scenic setting along Hinkson Creek make it a great resource for outdoor enthusiasts.  

The property was acquired in 1978 from James and Lucy Capen. Six of the original 21.5 acres were donated by the couple, with the remainder being purchased for $65,000. In 1983, an additional 10.34 acres were acquired.