Discover a place where distractions of the world melt away. Here, you can connect with the Earth like you were always meant to. A Feature Documentary that tells a story about our very own Missouri at its most magnificent. Coming Soon.
The Trail State came about as an idea from Dan Burkhardt, co-founder of Magnificent Missouri, executive producer on the film, and longtime supporter of the Joneses’ work on the Katy Trail. A previous film about the project came out in 1998, but he felt there was more story to tell.
Burkhardt reached out to director Chris Ryan at Once Films, who was game to take on the project as part of Once Films and STL.org’s Filmanthropic initiative, which focuses on making long-form documentaries that explore the people, places, and ideas that make the region extraordinary, with an eye toward philanthropy and changing minds.
“After almost 30 years, we decided that it needed another look,” Burkhardt says. “I was a friend and partner of Ted Jones, who started the Katy Trail, and that’s been my passion for the last 15-20 years. I had the concept, I knew the spots along the trail I thought were interesting, and I gave Chris a little roadmap, and then he took it from there, and we worked on it together for the last year.”
FIND A SCREENING NEAR YOU!
There’s a handful of screening opportunities to see The Trail State:
- September 11th, 2026 – 6pm at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia, MO
- September 22nd, 2026 – 6pm at the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, MO
- October 2nd, 2026 – 7pm at Peoples Theater in Pleasant Hill, MO
- Stick around for the Jones Bridge Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on October 3, 2026. Details here.
- October 12th, 2026 – Broadcasting on Nine PBS
- October 17th, 2026 – 6pm at the Historic Walt Theatre in New Haven, MO
Read the St. Louis Magazine article here!