Missouri with Kids

1. Get to know life on the American frontier at the Arabia Steamboat Museum

The Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City is a unique city attraction that serves as a sort of time capsule of what life was like during the middle of the nineteenth century on the American frontier.

Museum guests are offered a unique chance to experience the everyday objects pioneers used during the 1800’s that made life in the frontier possible.

Arabia Steamboat Museum is considered to be a hidden gem of Kansas City and contains the world’s largest single pre-Civil War artifact collection, which has been featured by the History Channel, CNN, Southern Living, the Smithsonian, and National Geographic.

Address:: Arabia Steamboat Museum, 400 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106, Phone: 816-471-1856

2. See a collection of historic cars at Auto World Museum

The Auto World Museum , located in the city of Fulton, is home to a wide array of automobiles within historic settings. The oldest of these vehicles in the museum collection is the Humbrette, which dates back to the year 1903, and the newest is the UMC solar race cary from 1997.

Around eighty automobiles are displayed at the Auto World Museum from its larger collection, with interactive kiosks providing visual and audio information about the various vehicles and their spot in history.

Unique historic settings include almost full-scale building facades and massive prints of a variety of historic scenes.

Address: Auto World Museum, 200 Peacock Dr, Fulton, MO 65251, Phone: 573-642-2080

3. Take a tour of the Bridal Cave and Thunder Mountain Park

Bridal Cave and Thunder Mountain Park are both unique and fun family attractions in Camdenton, Missouri. Guided tours of Bridal Cave depart nearly every few minutes, lasting around one hour. These tours take place on concrete pathways through a 60-degree cave environment with park interpreters leading the way from one room of amazing mineral deposits to the next. Facilities at the Thunder Mountain Park include an observation towers, lakeside viewing decks, a public boat dock, a snack center, picnic areas, nature trails, a unique mineral and rock shop, and the largest lakeside gift shop in The Ozarks.

Address: Bridal Cave and Thunder Mountain Park, 526 Bridal Cave Rd, Camdenton, MO 65020, Phone: 573-346-2676

4. Take small kids to the Children's Peace Pavilion

The Children's Peace Pavilion features over twenty-five interactive, hands-on exhibits designed to engage children in learning an assortment of life skills in a fun way, such as planetary stewardship, cultural appreciation, conflict resolution, cooperation, communication, appreciation, and self-acceptance. The mission of the Children’s Peace Pavilion is to approach the idea of peacemaking from a more holistic perspective, defining “peace” beyond its traditional meaning of an absence of war or conflict. It instead focuses on a comprehensive approach that includes four concepts, which are “Peace for The Planet, Peace for Everyone, Peace for Us, and Peace for Me.” Children's Peace Pavilion Map

5. Get up-close to animals at the Dickerson Park Zoo

The Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Missouri provides an adventure full of discovery for both kids and adults alike, making it a great attraction in the state for families. Visitors get an up-close adventure into nature and wildlife as they view and learn about hundreds of different animals from all over the world. The Tropical Asia exhibit features siamangs, tigers, and elephants, while the Missouri Habitats is home to black bears, river otters, mountain lions, and wolves. Guests can also see a wide variety of reptiles at the Dickerson Park Zoo in the Ambler Diversity of Life Building.

Address: Dickerson Park Zoo, 1401 W Norton Rd, Springfield, Missouri 65803, Phone: 417-864-1800

6. Admire the Toy Collection at the Field House Museum

The Field House Museum in bustling St. Louis, Missouri is the city’s first historic house museum, established in 1936. It didn’t become a National Historic Landmark, however, until 2007. The Field House Museum displays several different collections, including the Book Collection that spans two and a half centuries, the Toy Collection featuring items dating back to the 1790’s, and the Field Collection, which includes items owned by Roswell Field and Eugene Field, as well as their descendants.

Address: Field House Museum , 634 South Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102, Phone: 314-421-4689

7. Visit the Civil War-era Fort D Historic Site

The Fort D Historic Site is part of four forts designed by German-American engineers and constructed back in 1861 around Cape Cape Girardeau, a strategic city at the time. These forts were manned during the Civil War, but Fort D is the only one to still remain. Living History demonstrations take place at the Fort D Historic Site on Memorial Day weekend, the 4th of July, and Labor Day. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the grounds at any time, with no charge for admission. The fort’s original earthworks can be seen, along with display panels providing historical information.

Address: Fort D Historic Site, 920 Fort St, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, Phone: 573-335-1631

8. Check out the 1808 Fort Osage

The Fort Osage National Historic Landmark, located in what is now the historic village of Sibley, Missouri, provides visitors with a glimpse into the past to experience what life was like for the women and men who secured the frontier of America. Constructed in 1808 by William Clark, the fort acted as both a trade center and military garrison. Historical interpreters in authentic attire guide visitors on an interesting journey through the history of Fort Osage as they take in the amazing view of the reconstructed historical site overlooking the Missouri River and learn about the different groups that used the fort.

Address: Fort Osage, 107 Osage St, Sibley, MO 64088, Phone: 816-650-3278

9. Feed parakeets or goats at Grant’s Farm

Grant’s Farm is one of the most popular family attractions in the city of St. Louis, and has been since 1954. The 281-acre property is the ancestral home of the famous Busch family and is named after Ulysses S. Grant, who at one time worked a part of the land. Attractions at Grant’s Farm include Grant’s Cabin and Deer Park, which is home to a variety of different species of animals from all over the world. At the Tier Garten, visitors can feed parakeets or goats, take a ride on the carousel or a camel, or watch an animal show.

Address: Grant’s Farm, 10501 Gravois Rd, St. Louis, MO 63123, Phone: 314-577-2626

10. Get up-close to celebrities at the Hollywood Wax Museum Branson

The Hollywood Wax Museum Branson offers a chance for people to “come play with the stars.” This world famous tribute to a wide variety of celebrities lets visitors get up-close and personal with their favorite stars, taking “selfies” with the wax figures that bare an uncanny likeness to the actual people they portray. Guests can also learn fun facts for each celebrity about their accomplishments, pet peeves, pets, and much more. Along with visiting the Hollywood Wax Museum Branson, visitors can purchase the All Access Pass to also visit the Shoot for the Stars Mini Golf, Castle of Charos, and Maze of Mirrors.

Address: Hollywood Wax Museum Branson, 3030 West 76 Country Blvd, Branson, MO 65616, Phone: 417-337-8700