Find out what there is to do in Springfield, MO

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What's in a town

If you have ever thought that there is nothing to do in Springfield, Missouri, then this page is for you. Whether you are coming to the area for one of the seven (yes, seven) colleges and universities, have grown up locally or are just passing through on your way to Branson, you will find all Springfield has to offer right here.

Of course, when I say "all" I do not include restaurants, bars and clubs, or stores unless there is another reason other than food/drink/shopping for listing them. Generally I will also not be covering what is available on the college campuses.

Coming soon 

As you can see, there is a lot to do in Springfield and I don't even have it all updated yet. Here is a list of some more stuff that I will be adding in the future:
Parks
Wonders of Wildlife museum
Assemblies of God National Headquarters tour
Springfield Art Museum
Wilsons Creek National Battlefield
Ice Skating
Performing Arts theaters
The Discovery Center
Caves

Incredible Pizza Company 

"Where nothing tops our pizza but the fun"

The Incredible Pizza Company is one of the places exempt from my "no restaurant" rule for this site. That's because they are so much more than a 50's themed pizza establishment. Sure, you can eat from their salad/pasta/pizza buffet (ok, health regulations won't actually allow you to eat directly from the buffet, but you know what I mean). With four eating areas, you'll have plenty of fun atmosphere to chose from. The eating areas include:

The "drive-in" - yes, there is a movie playing
Gymnasium - I think it is modeled after my elementary school lunch area with long tables lined up in rows and school banners on the wall
Family Room - complete with fireplace
Diner - straight from the 50's era Route 66...only it's still new

Here is what makes it exempt from my no dining establishments clause: the fairgrounds. This indoor area is smoke and alcohol free, kids safe, fun area with over 100 games. While games do include such things as skeet ball and modern arcade games, it also includes bowling, mini-golf, bumper cars, and go carts. You can even win tickets and trade them in for prizes.

The games operate off a card system instead of tokens. Put money on the card you are given when you enter and swipe the card to play the games. If you want to save up your tickets to get a bigger prize, you don't have to find someplace to store them. They can be saved on your card as well!

This is a fun place for families, but adults can definitely enjoy it without kids. Check out their website for more information.

Dickerson Park Zoo 

Lions and tigers and bears (and more)

The Dickerson Park Zoo has more than 500 animals representing 170 different species. It is divided into five geographical sections (Africa, Australia, South America, Tropical Asia, and Missouri) and a Diversity of Life area.

Once inside you may also ride the train, feed the giraffes, feed the animals in the petting zoo and get ZooKeys (that play educational and entertaining messages through audio boxes located throughout the zoo) for nominal fees.

The zoo is open daily, year-round, with the exception of three national holidays (New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) and when the paths are unsafe due to ice.

Get more information, including their blog, podcast, and how to follow them on twitter, YouTube, and flickr, on their official website.

1984 Arcade 

Vintage arcade games

This 1980's vintage arcade is $5 for all you can play (pinball is a quarter per game). But more than restored arcade games, the entire place is a time warp back to the 80's (including music videos of ZZ Top!). It's even available for private parties. What more could you want?

Okay, okay, their website is right here.

The video below is from when 1984 was featured in an episode of Hack5 (season 3, episode 3).
powered by Youtube

Movie Theaters 

From big picture to independent to cheap

Springfield is home to five movie theaters, including one exclusive to independent films. Let's start there, shall we.

The Moxie Cinema (independent films)
Campbell 16 (Wehrenberg theaters)
College Station Stadium 14 (Hollywood theaters)
Springfield 8 (Dickinson theaters)
The Palace ($2.50 tickets)

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame 

Conveniently located in southeast Springfield, (just off Highway 60, one mile east of Highway 65) the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame celebrates all of Missouri sports history. Watch a video tour or see About the Hall of Fame.

Tickets are only $5 for adults with discounts for children, seniors, families, and groups.

Visit their website for more information.

Bass Pro Shops 

National Headquarters

You can't visit the Ozarks, let alone Springfield, without thinking of Bass Pro Shops. This is where it all started for them. Their place is so much more than a store. It contains freshwater and salt water aquariums, waterfalls, a live alligator snapping turtle exhibit, and all kinds of mounted animals.

Watch a diver feed the fish, make use of the bow and pistol ranges, visit the arcade, eat at Hemingways, and more...all under one roof. This place really is amazing.

Visit the Springfield Bass Pro website for more information (including some great pictures of the place).

First Friday Art Walk 

On the first Friday of every month, downtown Springfield hosts an art walk. Hundreds of people come to experience the galleries, live music, performers, and most downtown businesses during this self-guided walking tour (shuttles are also available).

This is a great way to experience everything downtown has to offer. From original works of art to shops and local restaurants, downtown has it all.

First Fridays was organized by downtown's art galleries and is supported by participating venues and sponsoring businesses.

For specific information (including the newsletter) visit the First Friday Art Walk website.

Double-A Baseball 

St. Louis Cardinals affiliate

Even though the team didn't start playing in Springfield until 2005, by the end of the 2008 season at least 15 former Springfield Cardinals players have made their Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The season is played April through September. Ticket prices range from $5.50 to $23 depending on your seat selection. More information about tickets, games, players, merchandise, etc. can be found at the Springfield Cardinals website.

Hammons Field was voted ballpark of the year in 2005. In 2008 it was named Double-A field of the year, beating 29 other teams. Yes, it really is a beautiful ballpark.

Wikipedia 

Here is an overview of the town as a whole. It gives some of the history, climate and geography, demographics, historic places, and recent, important ballet issues.

Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Greene County. On July 1, 2008, the estimated population was 156,206.United States Census Estimates 2006 The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 426,144, is ranked 114th in the U.S., includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk and Webster. The estimated population inside a 50-mile radius of Springfield was 565,245 as of the 2000 census.http://www.business4springfield.com/data-profile/population/ Springfield is near the population center of the United States, about to the east.

Springfield's nickname is The Queen City of the Ozarks. It is also known as The Cultural Center of the Ozarks, The Gateway to the Ozarks, and The Birthplace of Route 66, due to its connection with the designation of U.S. Route 66.

In 2008, America's Promise Alliance ranked Springfield among its "100 Best Communities for Young People" for the third year in a row,http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Community-Action/100-Best-Communities/Past-Winners.aspx and on June 11, 2009 Next Generation Consulting ranked Springfield 17th on its "Next Cities" list.http://nextgenerationconsulting.com/about-us/press-release/next-generation-consulting-ranks-hotspots-for-young-professionals-to-live-a

In 2007, The Milken Institute ranked Springfield as a "Best Performing City" for creating and sustaining jobs,http://bestcities.milkeninstitute.org/bestcities2007.taf?rankyear=2007&type=rank200&year=&ID=1247 and Expansion Management magazine listed Springfield among "Top 20 Mid-Sized Metros for Recruitment and Attraction."http://www.expansionmanagement.com/SMO/DOCRESERVE/DOCRESERVE_CONTENT/1B-TOP%20MEDIUM%20METROS.PDF

Also that year, Worldwide ERC named Springfield among "The Best Cities for Relocating Families,"http://www.business4springfield.com/demographics/recognition/erc.pdf and the World Health Organization designated Springfield as a "Safe Community."http://www.phs.ki.se/csp/safecom/springfield.htm

According to Forbes magazine's list of "America's Wildest Weather Cities," Springfield has the most varied weather in the nation.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

YouTube vids 

While not explicitly dealing with what there is to do in Springfield, this video does hit on some of those items while focusing on the broader appeal of living in Springfield. The video was created by a real estate company.

Springfield Missouri , Welcome to

A brief overview of Springfield, MO and what it offers its familys and residents!

curated content from YouTube

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