If you're traveling South to Branson, Arkansas, or on the way to visit family... you may spend some time in Springfield, Missouri. Springfield boasts many great family-fun activities your kids will love!
Day Trip Diary:
Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World:
Details: Bass Pro Shops® Outdoor World® (1935 S. Campbell Ave.) 417.887.7334 Why I recommend it: It is known as the "Grandaddy of all outdoor stores," and while we have Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's in Kansas City... when it comes to size, this one takes the cake. The 300,000 square foot facility includes waterfalls and aquariums, children love watching the fish feeding, and you'll see animal displays and exhibits throughout. For a delicious fish dinner, try Hemingway's, a nice sit-down family restaurant.
Butterfly House at Close Memorial Park:
Details: Butterfly House at Close Memorial Park (2400 S. Scenic) 417.683.3733 Hours: Tues - Wed 5pm - dusk, Sat - Sun 10am - 6pm, other hours by appt. Free Admission.Why I recommend it: If your children love butterflies as much as my girls do, they'll enjoy a stop at the Missouri Native Butterfly House. The facility is open May 15 - Sept 30. Enjoy a lush gardens, walking trails, and lake surrounding the butterfly house. Learn about the life cycle of butterflies and take photos of the native insects in their natural habitat.
Crystal Cave:
Details: Crystal Cave (7225 E. Crystal Cave Ln.) 417.833.9599Why I recommend it: Crystal Cave is one of Missouri's most beautiful caves. Enjoy a 90-minuted guided tour (there are handrails). Features include the Upside Down Well, Rainbow Falls, and the Cathedral. Children love the beauty of the rock formations, learning about bats, insects, and other cave-dwellers, and the history of the cave as a Native American habitat.
Dickerson Park Zoo:
Details: Dickerson Park Zoo (1401 W. Norton Rd.) 417.864.1800 Admission: $8 Adults and teenagers, $5 Children (3-12) $5 Seniors, Group discount available for groups with 15 or more paying admission. 50% off for Kansas City Zoo FOTZ Members.
Why I recommend it: This zoo is great for an afternoon outing. You can comfortably tour the whole zoo in a few hours. At the zoo, you can purchase wafers at the giraffe viewing and feeding deck where the magnificent animals eat right from the palm of your hand. As a mom, I was thankful for hand sanitizer conveniently located all around the zoo. If you have young children (preschool and elementary) the $3 Zoo Key is worth it. The Zoo Key is a token you plug into audio boxes around the zoo. Each box plays two recordings: one explanation of the animal and another “Jungle Jingle” with a children’s song about the animals. You only need one key per family and children love it.
Discovery Center:
Details: Discovery Center (438 E. Saint Louis St.) 417.862.9910 Admission: $9 Adults, $8 Seniors 60+, $7 Children (3-15), FREE Admission ASTC reciprocal members (Kansas City Science City Membership) and children 2 & under.Why I recommend it: The Discovery Center is an interactive hands-on science center. Kids learn about to "go green" at the Energy Exchange, ride a high wire bike, learn about the human body at Body Works, and explore the sciences including physics, chemistry, energy, health and culture.
Fantastic Caverns:
Details: Fantastic Caverns (I-44 & Hwy 13N at 4872 N. FR 125) 417.833.2010. Admission charged.Why I recommend it: If you're traveling with young children, this is the cave to see. Known as, "America's Only Ride-Through Cave," the tour is perfect for little ones who may be apt to trip or require carrying on long tours. The hour long tour follows an underground riverbed filled with massive formations. The views are breath-taking and the tour is manageable for children of all ages.
Springfield Conservation Center:
Details: 4601 S. Nature Center Way. Springfield, MO. 417.888.4237. FREE Admission.
Why I recommend it: Enjoy 80 acres of forests, fields and creeks, along with frontage on Lake Springfield, where your family can view wildlife, including deer, foxes, mink, muskrat, raccoons, squirrels, birds, turtles, frogs, bugs and just about everything else that lives in the Ozarks. The nature center includes classrooms and exhibits on native animals, conservation, and the environment with great hands-on activities for children.
Family-Friendly Dining in Springfield:
- Aunt Martha's Pancake House: 1700 E Cherokee St, Springfield, MO 417.881.3505. This restaurant is located in a small house (converted into local diner) and the atmosphere is that of a small family owned restaurant...but the food is delish! They serve every flavor and style of pancakes imaginable (including Gingerbread Pancakes pictured left), as well as traditional home-cookin'. The prices are affordable and you won't leave hungry.
- Braum's Ice Cream: Multiple locations in Springfield, see www.braums.com to find one en route. Braum's is known for their delicious Ice Cream, but they also make terrific hamburgers, fries, and old-fashioned diner favorites.
- America's Incredible Pizza: (2850 S. Campbell) This isn't just a pizza place... America's Incredible Pizza offers the best in indoor family fun with go-karts, miniature golf, bumper cars, and arcade and more!
More MoKan Day Trips & Vacations!
- Missouri
- 20-30 Min. East: Independence: Log Cabins & Trails West
- 45 Min. Northeast: Sibley: Lewis & Clark Country
- 45-60 Min. North: Weston: Autumn Splendor
- 1 Hour North: St. Joseph: Wild West in our Backyard
- 1 Hour Northeast: Lexington: Civil War in Missouri
- 1-2 Hours North: Jamesport: Amish Country
- 2- 3 Hours South: Carthage: Classic Rt. 66 Road Trip
- 4-5 Hours South: Branson: Vacation Capital of the Midwest
- 4-5 Hours East: St. Louis: Gateway to the West Kansas
- 20-30 Min. West: Bonner Springs: Be a Kid for a Day
- 30-45 Min. South: Louisburg: Apples, Autumn, and Astronomy
- 30-45 Min. West: Lawrence: Eclectic College Town & Family Fun
- 45-60 Min. Northwest: Atchison: History & Mystery
- 60-90 Min. West: Topeka: More than a Capital City
- 60-90 Min. South: Fort Scott: National Historic Site
- 3 1/2-4 Hours Southwest: Hutchinson: Soar to Outer Space