Watkins Mill State Park Picnic Shelter
Lawson, MO
| Venue type | State Park |
| Location | Lawson, MO |
| Published price | $75 |
| Capacity | Up to 80 guests |
| Setting | Outdoor |
| Event type | Ceremony and reception possible |
What the venue publishes
Reservations cost $75. Shelter accommodates up to 80 people and includes picnic tables, cooking grills, electricity, and a water hydrant.
The source publishes $75 as the fee for this space, not a starting point.
Included per the venue's site
- picnic tables
- cooking grills
- electricity
- water hydrant
Reservations recommended for weekends April through October. Missouri state park in Lawson, MO, near Kansas City.
Published on mostateparks.com, checked August 2026. Fee schedules change, so confirm before booking.
Where this price sits in Kansas City
$75 is the 3rd lowest published starting price of the 19 venues listed in the Kansas City metro. The metro median starting price is $200, and 16 of the 19 listings publish a higher starting price than this one.
Among the 3 state park listings in the metro it ranks 2nd lowest, against a median of $75 for that type.
What the capacity costs per guest
The source publishes a capacity of 80 guests. At $75, filling the space works out to $0.94 per guest for the site fee alone, before the license, an officiant, food, or rentals. The median published capacity across the 10 Kansas City listings that publish one is 111 guests, so this space is smaller than the metro median.
Cheaper published prices in Kansas City metro
These listings in Kansas City metro publish a starting price below $75.
| Venue | Published price | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Weston Bend State Park - Open ShelterWeston, MO · State Park | $50 | 50 guests |
| Shawnee Town 1929 - BandstandShawnee, KS · Other Venue | $40 to $100 | 150 guests |
Other state park listings in Kansas City
Same venue type, prices closest to this one.
| Venue | Published price | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Weston Bend State Park - Bee Creek ShelterWeston, MO · State Park | $1,000 | 125 guests |
Marriage license in Clay County, MO
The venue fee above does not include the license. Lawson sits in Clay County, MO, and these are the terms that county publishes. Checked September 2026.
| Issuing office | Clay County Recorder of Deeds1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, MO 64068 |
| License fee | $53$53.00 payable by cash or credit card only, with a processor fee on card transactions; no checks |
| Waiting period | None |
| License valid for | 30 days |
| Who must appear | Both parties, in person |
| ID required | valid driver's license or other government-issued photo ID, plus proof of age such as a certified birth certificate or passport |
| Appointment | Not required |
| Apply online | Application available online |
| Same-day issue | Issued the same visit |
| Ceremony at the office | Not offered by this office |
| Witnesses | 2 required by statute |
Source: claycountymo.gov, claycountymo.gov, revisor.mo.gov
Both parties must appear together to fill out the application; the online pre-application does not remove that. Walk-ins accepted 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. An application may sit on file up to six months before the license is picked up, but once issued the license is valid for 30 days. Watkins Mill State Park near Lawson sits in Clay County.
How the metro prices out
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