30 Best Things to Do in Missouri

Missouri is found in the middle of the United States and is known for pastoral landscapes, limestone caves, world-class bar-b-q, and many other things. In this article we’ll discuss the best and most fun things to do in Missouri, and we’ll conclude with our honest assessment for potential visitors.

We discovered that Missouri is home to a tremendous variety of attractions. There are two wonderful cities in Kansas City and St. Louis, each with a lengthy list first-rate experiences.

Spread across the state you’ll find an abundance of museums, state parks, caves, canyons, and smaller towns that round out the experience with natural beauty, regional history, delicious restaurants, musical performances, and more.

20 Seconds of Facts and History

The state of Missouri is historically significant because until the Louisiana Purchase it was the western border of the United States. It was here in Missouri that Lewis and Clark began their long journey to the Pacific Ocean in 1803. Once upon a time this region collected some of the most ambitious and nefarious men the United States has ever known.

Missouri has collected an assortment of nicknames over the years, most notably The Show Me State. There are several explanations to where that originated, yet the phrase “show me” has undoubtedly come to indicate the conservative, non-credulous character of Missourians. Other nicknames include: The Cave State; the Ozark State; the Lead State; and Mother of the West.

Missouri is the home to authors Mark Twain and T.S. Eliot, and the inimitable George Washington Carver, of peanut fame. It is the 18th largest state, 18th most populated state, and 13th most affordable state.

If you’re looking to embark on a tour of Missouri, you can safely ignore the top third. There you’ll find farmland and towns without significant reputation. Everything beneath the line that extends from Kansas City to St. Louis is where you’ll want to be.

Both Kansas City and Saint Louis are worth at least a week of your time. Branson deserves three or four days, and Springfield does, as well. Finally, a week or more could be spent traipsing through the middle of the state, taking in the abundance of caves and state parks.

The following are what we found the be the 30 best things to do in Missouri. We hope you enjoy the article. When you’re done, be sure to check out the 20 best things to do in Kansas!

Must Do: Things to Do in Missouri

Must-Do attractions are typically the reason we’ve decided to visit.

1. City Museum, St. Louis

City Museum looks like a condemned department store met a junkyard and built a life together. Created in 1997 and housed in the former International Shoe Company building, this inimitable museum is a one-of-a-kind experience for the whole family. 

The building is five floors of industrial relics organized into the world’s most interesting playground. Hidy-holes, ladders, and slides enter and exit rooms through the walls, ceilings, and floors. Dragons, whales, and dinosaurs mingle with skateboard ramps, pianos, and pinball machines to form a demented wonderland that invites every man, woman, and child to get on their knees and crawl into some dark opening leading to who-knows-where.

There is nothing like it on earth and it might be the coolest thing you’ve ever done.

2. Kansas City BBQ

KC is known for BBQ as much as any other US city — which is why we made it our mission to eat all of it. We visited 15 highly-rated Kansas City BBQ restaurants. I reckon we spent the better part of $1200 on KC BBQ when all’s said and done. As you can imagine, it was a glorious, life-changing event.

The BBQ in Kansas City prevails over anywhere else we’ve traveled, except maybe Austin, Texas. We recommend you eat all of it after reading up on the 12 Best BBQ Restaurants in Kansas City.

3. World War I Museum, Kansas City

Kansas City’s top-rated museum is the worlds’ most comprehensive WWI collection. The exterior of the museum is visible from all over town — the tower stands over the city like a sentinel. The interior of the museum is sleek, tasteful, and loaded with artifacts and information.  If you are coming to KC you don’t want to miss the WWI Museum.

4. Gateway Arch National Park, Saint Louis

Gateway Arch National Park is one of the most prominent features of any US city, akin to the Statue of Liberty, Space Needle, or Golden Gate Bridge. The Arch is exactly as tall as it is wide at 630′, and stands as the tallest man-made monument in the United States.

This massive structure is comprised of 5,200 tons of steel and 38,000 tons of concrete, and it can sway as much as 18″ in winds of 150 mph. It took about two years to complete the project (1965) and cost about $15,000,000.

The arch houses two elevator-type devices, one on each side of the arch. It takes about four minutes to get to the top in a barrel-like compartment.

Under the monument is a fantastic museum that chronicles the Gateway Arch project as well as St. Louis history. The museum is equal parts impressive, interesting, and saddening. The tribute to the Native Americans is excellent.

5. Arabia Steamboat Museum, Kansas City

This is our personal favorite thing to do in Kansas City because it is so unusual. Over 400 river boats sank in US rivers. While many were recovered, many were forgotten by time when they disappeared. 

The Steamboat Arabia Museum tells the story of one such boat that lay in hiding for 130 years; a boat that would eventually yield the the largest single collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world.  The story of its discovery and excavation borders on miraculous.

6. Saint Louis Zoo

The Saint Louis Zoo is widely considered one of the ten best Zoos in the United States. Because our family has visited a handful of zoos around the country, including some of the best ones, we can vouch that this is accurate. Even more impressive is it’s free to enter for all ages.

With over 500 animal species, the Saint Louis Zoo has most every beast you could hope to see. Some of their facilities are quite amazing compared to other zoos. The penguin facility was the best we’ve seen, as was the red panda enclosure, giraffe enclosure, and perhaps the elephants, too. The layout of the zoo is whimsical as well, which gives the sensation of exploration rather than being led down the assembly line of critters.

Related Article: Best things to do in Saint Louis

7. Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is a National Historic Landmark featuring 79 acres of horticultural displays. Some consider this to be one of the top three botanical gardens in the world.  While we can’t vouch for that level of accolade, we can say with certainty that this is one of the best we’ve visited in our USA travels.

Should Do: Things to Do in Missouri

Should-Do attractions receive a strong recommend.

8. Branson Shows

According to most, the Haygoods put-on the best show in Branson. The act consists of six siblings with preternatural musical ability, each of them playing multiple instruments, collectively possessing a lovely range of voices. Their music is familiar and upbeat, and their unpredictable humor helps everything blend into a pleasing, well-rounded experience.

The Dolly Parton Stampede is probably the most popular show in Branson (certainly the best marketed), and the evening comes with a chicken dinner. Equal parts music, humor, and horseplay, you can expect to be moderately entertained and have you belly filled.

In addition to these two shows, Branson hosts about 80 others.

9. Silver Dollar City, Branson

Silver Dollar City is 20% thrill park, 20% children’s rides, 20% frontier trade education (blacksmiths, etc.), 20% musical performances, and 90% food stands. We haven’t found a fun park like this anywhere else.

There are a few good rollercoasters (Time Traveler, Powder Keg, Wildfire), and one great one (Outlaw Run). The inclination might be to treat SDC like a rollercoaster park, but that’s the wrong approach. You’ll want to slow down and immerse yourself in the ambiance to extract maximum joy from the experience.

Related Article: An Honest Review of Branson, Missouri

10. Elephant Rocks State Park, Pilot Knob

After the Steamboat Arabia Museum, this was the most surprising experience I had in Missouri. Found southwest of Saint Louis about an hour, Elephant Rocks State Park is one of many interesting Missouri state parks.

The site is inside of an ancient caldera (volcano) where a central granite mass was unearthed millions of years ago. After eons of erosion we are left with a strange and massive rock formation in a beautiful, isolated setting.

Bring your camera and be prepared to walk all over creation. You’ll find one surprising reveal after another as you circumnavigate the park, which culminates in a scale to the top of the rocky mound. If you’re a geology nut, don’t miss Elephant Rocks State Park.

11. River City Farmer Market, Kansas City

People love public markets because they are awesome, and we love the River Market in KC more than most! This is a true farmer market with stall after stall of gorgeous produce, some of which is very unusual. There are dozens of permanent stores and restaurants, as well as a large Asian Market across the street. The Arabia Steamboat is also found next door!

12. Titanic Museum, Branson

If you want to have an amazing day, go to the Titanic Museum and learn then go to your hotel and watch Titanic. We never noticed how much information was woven into the Titanic movie until after we learned all the facts in the museum.

The Titanic Museum is one of the better museums we’ve visited around the country. Each component of the Titanic story is viscerally shared, from the ship’s construction, to the class differences among the travelers, to the musicians, to the sinking of the ship, and more. Not only is it profoundly educational, but fun and touching, as well.

13. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art is the preeminent Art Museum in KC. Self-proclaimed, “Kansas City’s Art Museum”, the Nelson Atkins houses a broad collection of artwork, which includes: African American, Ancient Egyptian, Asian, European, Contemporary, and Photography. They also offer rotating feature exhibits, workshops and art classes, and an awesome exterior sculpture garden.

14. LDS Church History

A significant chapter in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) took place here in Missouri. Before settling in Salt Lake, there was a time when the LDS church advanced west to the Kansas City area. The locals became hostile towards the Saints as they increased in numbers, and forced them to flee from their lands at gunpoint.

The LDS church maintains ownership of a land plot in Independence, which is where the Visitor Center resides. Further north in the small town of Liberty is another visitor center featuring the Liberty Jail where the prophet Joseph Smith was jailed four months. In these two places you can learn about the early history of the church, including this dark and interesting chapter.

15. Dogwood Canyon, Branson

Imagine a 3 mile canyon with a river running through it, dotted with trees and patches of grass. Now picture waterfall after waterfall cascading down the ancient canyon walls into vibrant blue-green pools, some of them filled with bright yellow fish. If mobility is an issue they offer a tram tour, but we recommend walking. This is one of the most beautiful pieces of private property you will ever see.

If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!

16. Tour Busch Stadium, Saint Louis

The Cardinals’ history is undeniable, their fans are second to none, and the dedication this city has given to a single sports team is rivaled by only the Spurs, Jazz, and Packers. To date, the team has won 11 World Series championships, 19 National League pennants, and 12 division titles.  Their Hall of Fame includes some of the greatest players to ever grace the game: Musial, Hornsby, Pujols, Slaughter, Gibson, and more.

The tour guides were incredible at Busch Stadium. Clearly fans of the team and the game as well, they gave the A-Z rundown on everything you could want to know. Across the street is a fantastic museum that is included with the price of the tour ($20), and a bar/restaurant/shopping complex called Ballpark Village, as well.

17. Top of the Rock / Lost Canyon Cave, Branson

There are two excellent things happening at Top of the Rock / Lost Canyon Cave Nature Trail. First, you’ll take a motorized golf cart on a dramatic 2.5 mile path through the property. Along this path you’ll see myriad waterfalls, as well as enter a colorfully lit cave which serves alcoholic beverages.

After you’ve enjoyed some nature, check out the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum at Top of the Rock (a shuttle ride away from the Lost Canyon Cave Nature Trail). This is easily the finest Native American museum we’ve visited in the country. The story of indigenous Americans has never been more clear, and we’ve never seen so many artifacts.

18. Bridal Cave, Camdenton

One of Missouri’s many nicknames is The Cave State because because there are over 7,000 caves in total. The reason is, much of Missouri is a karst landscape of porous limestone and dolomite, where caves, springs, sinkholes, and natural bridges form.

Bridal cave is perhaps the most ornate cave we’ve visited across the country. It is not a particularly large cave, stretching one mile in length with only 1/4 of it accessible to the public. So those with mobility issues won’t be pushed too hard on a guided tour.

In that short tour you’ll see some of the most amazing cave rooms available in the United States. Having seen so many caves around the nation, it’s nice to be surprised with an abundance of beauty.

19. Powell Gardens, Pittsville

Powell Botanical Gardens is the premiere botanical garden in Kansas City, in-state-bested by only Missouri Botanical Garden in Saint Louis. This horticultural haven creates surprises as it sprawls from one garden to the next. Some highlights are: the Island Garden, the Chapel (last photo in article), the Fountain Garden, the Barn and Silo, and Fortopia, a collection of kids’ forts designed by children.

Related Article: Best things to do in Kansas City

20. Saint Louis Art Museum

Another free facility in the incredible Forest Park, the Saint Louis Art Museum is a terrific place to spend the afternoon if art is your thing. We have to say that there is very little difference between this museum and the Nelson Atkins in KC, or the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. We happen to prefer the other two by a smidge, but you can’t go wrong with any of these mid-west gems.

You can expect to find a variety of the usual suspects, from ancient Egypt to the Romantic Period, to American artwork, to modern art. And the museum itself is perfectly grand.

21. Kansas City Zoo

On 202 beautiful acres in Swope Park, the KC Zoo is home to more than 1,300 animals. Voted one of America’s best zoos, it’s also ranked number one in the nation for African Animals Exhibits. Be sure to ride the ski lift in the back — it costs a couple of bucks but it’s worth it. The Kansas City Zoo is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Parking is free. Oh, yeah, be prepared to walk!

22. Kaufmann / Arrowhead Stadium Complex, KC

Not all baseball stadiums are created equal and Kauffman Stadium is a good one. Despite being one of the older stadiums still in use (built in 1973), it’s held up well (with two renovations), and is quite beautiful considering the thing is made of concrete. There isn’t much to do in the area around the park because it is outside the city a ways. Rather than eating corn dogs, get some Harp BBQ before the game!

23. Glore Psychiatric Museum, St. Joseph

The Glore Psychiatric Museum in Saint Joseph, Missouri has been called “One of the 50 most unusual museums in the country”. It is the largest of its kind in the world. On your exploration of the museum you will see historic treatments, sustainability practices, patient art work, therapy options, and so much more! This is definitely one of the more interesting things to do in Missouri.

Could you swallow a nail? How about 453 of them? One patient in St. Joseph’s State Lunatic Asylum did just that. At the Glore Psychiatric Museum, you will not only learn about the history of this particular mental health hospital, but the ebbs and flows of mental health treatment over the past 150 years.

24. Negro Leagues Museum, Kansas City

In the late 1800s, black ballplayers were on professional teams with white players, however, racism and “Jim Crow” laws would force them out by 1900. In 1920, an organized league structure was formed that led to the creation of the Negro Leagues. Some of the greatest players to ever play the game came from the Negro Leagues. All baseball fans will find this to be a fun thing to do in Missouri.

Related Article: Best Things to do in Omaha, Nebraska

25. Saint Louis BBQ

Forgive us, y’all, but Missouri is BBQ country and we would be remiss if we failed to highlight a second national barbecue hotspot because it happens to be in the same state. We went on a little BBQ crawl around Saint Louis to see if they stack up comparably to Kansas City. We hit the three most popular restaurants: Pappy’s, Bogaerts, and Sugar Fire.

So which was best? Pappy’s was definitely the best. And who’s BBQ is better, Kansas City or Saint Louis? Let’s just say we would put Pappy’s in the 2nd tier of KC BBQ, (and that’s no slight at all).

Could Do: Fun Things to Do in Missouri

Could-Do attractions are worthwhile, but come without a strong recommend.

26. Downtown Springfield

Springfield is the third-largest city in Missouri at 170,000 souls. Famous people who call the Queen City of the Ozarks home include Harry S. Truman, John Legend, and Brad Pitt.

The Springfield downtown is full of personality with a college-town vibe. We really enjoyed strolling the area near Park Central Square. Black Sheep Burgers on Walnut is considered one of the best in Missouri and we fully recommend it.

27. Worlds of Fun / Oceans of Fun, Kansas City

If you’re looking for a thrill ride or waterpark, Worlds of Fun / Oceans of Fun in Kansas City has both. This is largest fun park in KC, home to more than 20 thrill rides, 8 roller coasters, countless water slides, a wave pool, Halloween Haunt, and more. Be sure to ride the Prowler, Mamba, Patriot, and Timberwolf. Here’s ticket information.

28. Lambert’s Cafe, Ozark

Lamberts is a destination restaurant that’s been serving comfort food in Srpingfield since 1942. Their claim to fame is two fold: One, meals come with “Pass Arounds”, which means a small army of servers walk around offering unlimited portions of five different side dishes. Two, they literally throw the rolls at you. If you see the guy with the rolls and he’s halfway across the room, just put your hand up and be prepared to catch a massive, delicious roll.

Lamberts provides a memorable experience. Expect tasty food, reasonable prices, large crowds, and a spectacular postprandial nap. Definitely one of the fun things to do in Missouri.

Related Article: Best things to do in Memphis, Tennessee

29. Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Camdenton

The oddly named, Ha Ha Tonka State Park features the ruins of a castle, as well as a spring-fed lake and miles of hiking trails. Ha Ha Tonka means “big laugh” or “smiling waters”. Robert Snyder purchased the incredible view property in 1903, and he and his sons built the mansion over a 17 year period.

Unfortunately, a chimney fire gutted the castle in 1942, leaving only the walls and foundation. In 1978 the state of Missouri purchased the property with the help of grants and donations. Now the castle ruins and surroundings are open to the public as part one of Missouri’s best State Parks.

30a. Nathanael Green/Close Memorial Park, Springfield

The Springfield Botanic at the Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park is a beautiful public setting. Here you can spend an hour or two walking through the different themed gardens with a wide variety of flora. Best of all, it is free to visit!

30b. Ted Drewes, Saint Louis

Stop by Ted Drewes! A local institution since 1929, Ted Drewes is known for its frozen custard. If you’ve ever had a Dairy Queen Blizzard, Ted Drewes invented the treat decades earlier. It’s called a concrete and it is delicious. There are so many flavor options you might want to review the menu ahead of time. Everyone in our family ordered something different and every one of us happily devoured it.

An Honest Conclusion: Things to Do in Missouri

Missouri looked good on paper when I researched it a few years ago. Having now spent over a month of my life touring the state I feel it’s fair to speak knowingly about what we’ve found. There are so many fun things to do in Missouri!

Sometimes excursions are intriguing in a description or fabulous in a snapshot, yet they fall short of expectations when experienced. Missouri as a whole delivered the goods I hoped to find, and there were some definite surprises in the mix.

First off, you have to eat the BBQ. Kansas City BBQ is only rivaled by Austin, Texas. Be sure to bookmark the 12 Best BBQ Restaurants in Kansas City. Saint Louis is good as well, but not on the same level.

The south and central part of the state is littered with Missouri State Parks like Elephant Rocks. If we to return to Missouri, this is where we’ll pick up the trail and continue our explorations. Saint Louis deserves a few more days of our time, as well.

We have no complaints about the state of Missouri.

Time’s been spent well here. The people are friendly enough and most places are clean. There’s a lot of farmland between the cities and sights, which makes for pleasant driving. Traffic isn’t too bad. Gas, hotels, and restaurants are more affordable than other places we’ve traveled.

If you’re thinking about coming to the area, be sure to familiarize yourself with the state of Kansas. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of great things to do in good old Kansas, and it’s right next door! Here is our recent article, The 20 Best Things to do in Kansas.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!

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