There’s a little site northeast of Springfield that’s got history wrapped in green ivy, iced coffee a short walk away — and a pretty spot to snap pictures with your family. And it happens to come alive in late September for a massive, family-friendly festival.
In Fair Grove, Wommack Mill sits just off Highway 65 on a quiet plot on Main Street, about 20 minutes from Springfield. Built in 1883, the wooden mill and its steam-powered machinery have been painstakingly restored to working order. The mill itself is typically open only during scheduled tours, but visitors are welcome to walk the grounds anytime.
With little bridges, dusty picnic tables, ivy-wrapped silos and wooden buildings that creak when you peek through their windows, it’s a pretty spot worth a stroll, with much to offer even on a slow weekday morning.
And later this month, thousands of people will gather here for an early autumn festival to see the old machinery of the mill rumble to life again.
I send a “things to do” email every Sunday night to tons of parents and caregivers in the Springfield, Mo. area. It’s full of free ideas that always match the season we’re in.
The Fair Grove Heritage Reunion is Sept. 26–27
I first visited this spot when I toured Wommack Mill a few weeks ago, as part of an Ozarks Alive member field trip. I learned all about the massive steam engine that powers the mill, which can still grind corn!
They run the mill during special events, including the Fair Grove Heritage Reunion, when visitors can watch it grind corn.
The 2026 Fair Grove Heritage Reunion takes place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26–27, in downtown Fair Grove, with Wommack Mill at the heart of it all.
And when I say this event gets big, I mean big.
The Fair Grove Historical and Preservation Society says tens of thousands of people attend the two-day event. Several hundred craft booths feature handmade, original and antique goods, with food booths scattered throughout the festival. Plus, continuous live music and demonstrations of old Ozarks skills and machinery.
Admission is free. Parking generally costs a few dollars, with shuttles running from many of the parking areas.
It is also genuinely fun for kids. In recent years, the reunion has included a parade, animals, antique farm equipment, a working sawmill, blacksmithing and hands-on activities. I’m told children especially love making homemade butter on site. The historical society’s festival guide has also listed corn shelling and other activities designed to let children get close to the history instead of only looking at it.
The festival hours are currently listed as 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
Mom Tip: The Historical Society says many food booths and parking lots don’t take cards.
Don’t want to wait for the festival? Here’s a quick outing to Wommack Mill for traipsing, coffee and antiques
If you want an easy weekday outing with the kids, here’s what to do:
- Navigate to 38 S. Main St., Fair Grove, MO and park at the mill.
- Walk around the grounds, explore the exterior of historic cabins, and take a photo in front of the picturesque two 32-foot silos covered in dark green ivy. I think it could look especially beautiful here in the autumn, as it was listed as a fall destination by local author Kaitlyn McConnell in this Springfield Daily Citizen story.
- Walk across the street to Monroe Coffee Co., where they have a large menu of delicious-looking drinks (I loved their sugar-free hazelnut iced latte), a comfy couch, and a basket of toys for your little ones to stay entertained.
- Walk up Main Street to check out the antique stores, but check hours ahead of time. Some operate on limited schedules.
Want a whole tour instead? You can call 417-380-7479 to request one.
Little gems at Wommack Mill
After the tour, I just sort of meandered around the property, peeking into the old buildings and barns. I happened upon Mary Terry, the board president of the Fair Grove Historical and Preservation Society, who walked me around and showed me inside a very old cabin that brought Laura Ingalls Wilder to mind. The cabins were cool, but I really nerded out when she walked me past a big, old, green wagon in the barn.
“Is that a real wagon from Springfield Wagon Company?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, it is! We’ve got all kinds of stuff here,” Terry said.
I wished I could take that thing home with me. I became enamored with Springfield Wagon Co. in 2025 after reading an in-depth history piece by local reporter Mike O’Brien headlined “Springfield’s lost industrial giant: The rise and fall of a wagon empire.”
O’Brien reported that this wagon maker was a huge contributor to Springfield’s growth in the early days. He described the company this way:
Although mostly forgotten in its namesake town today, for decades it was the largest local manufacturing employer here, and churned out more than 200,000 horse- or mule-drawn wooden work wagons, all built with Ozarks materials and skills and ingenuity.
Seeing that piece of Springfield’s origin — a vestige of a once-booming past — sitting amidst cobwebs and dust in that old Fair Grove barn was a little thread that connected me to the past.
If you schedule a tour of Wommack Mill, ask if you can see inside the cabins and barn while you’re there. Terry was happy to oblige, and seemed to have a real heart for preserving and sharing history.
Whether you tour, go to the festival, or just wander around the grounds on a random Tuesday with a coffee in hand, I hope your family enjoys the history as much as we did!
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