SMITHVILLE, Mo. -- On October 16, 2023, Smithville Lake, along with the Litton Foundation, held a rededication ceremony for the visitor center named after the late Jerry L. Litton, congressman from Chillicothe, Missouri.
Congress authorized the Smithville Lake visitor center to incorporate the Jerry L. Litton Museum following Litton’s death in 1976. Prior to the rededication ceremony, the visitor center housed the Jerry L. Litton Museum, was home to several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informational exhibits and served as USACE administrative offices. In 2022, USACE notified the Litton Foundation of its intent to remodel the building.
Following the completion of the remodel, the visitor center is home to all Jerry L. Litton Museum displays, which reside in the building’s central “Litton Hall,” ensuring they are highly visible to all visitors. Previous USACE informational exhibits have been relocated to other USACE lake project offices and displays commemorating local history were given to the Smithville Historical Society.
In addition to the Jerry L. Litton Museum displays, the remodeled visitor center now has two open spaces, which can be used by the local community. USACE and the Litton Foundation hope that the visitor center remodel will ensure all Jerry L. Litton Museum displays are accessible to the public and the open spaces can better serve the recreational needs of the community.
For more information about the Jerry L. Litton Visitor Center, contact the Smithville Lake Project Office at 816-532-0174 or Smithville@usace.army.mil.
Release no. 23-032