Spring break season is here. If a week on the beach is not in your budget or vacation schedule, there are plenty of destinations near Springfield where your family can have fun, get away for a day or two and connect.
Here are a few ideas, including some awesome deals:
Branson area
Big Cedar Lodge is a fun overnight or day trip. Fun Mountain, a family-friendly entertainment complex, is a blast. It has go-karts, an ocean-themed bowling alley, arcade, indoor slide and more. It can be pricey, so the good news is now through May 23 they have a “neighbor” discount for locals. Anyone living within a 60-mile radius can buy a $150 game card for $100 or a $75 game card for $50. One hour of bowling is discounted by 50%. You have to call ahead, mention this discount and then show proof of residency when you come to claim your tickets.
Also in March, Big Cedar Lodge is hosting Mad Hatter Tea Parties with finger foods, tea, desserts and apple juice. You also get to make a craft and take it home. They encourage you to dress up with hats or as the Mad Hatter. The price is $32 per person. Tea parties are at 10 a.m. Saturdays in March, excluding the 30th.
If you plan to stay at the Big Cedar Lodge property, they have a free family movie night on the lawn at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Weekday stays are less expensive.
Branson has a plethora of great museums and attractions. WonderWorks is a multi-story science museum with 100 interactive activities including a bed of nails, an outer space area and a popular bubble lab where kids can create massive bubbles. Order online for $2 off tickets which are normally $24 for ages 5-12 and $33 for 13-59.
The Titanic Branson museum is a classic, with interactive exhibits, artifacts from the ship, a replica of the grand staircase and so much more. Right now, they have a special exhibit honoring the 135 children who were onboard. Book in advance because it sells out most days. Don’t show up until you have a ticket. You can order tickets online through the Titanic Branson’s website. Tickets are $33 for adults and $15 for children ages 5-12. A family pass is $115 for two adults and up to four children.
Also, if you’re thinking of doing another attraction, like WonderWorks or Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, Titanic has bundled tickets for a better discount.
The Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks is always an excellent choice because of its affordability: Anyone younger than 18 is free. Adult tickets are $8, seniors $6 and veterans $5. This eclectic museum has everything from amazing taxidermy tigers and polar bears to the Beverly Hillbillies’ car, instruments, guns galore, old-fashioned toys and more. If it’s a nice day, take time to walk around the campus and treat yourself to a meal, or at least ice cream, in the Keeter Center.
There are some good deals available from the Branson/Lakes Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, such as two nights in a hotel and select show tickets for $200. No timeshare presentation is required, according to the website. There are also coupons for $10 off the popular Haygoods show and discounts to other performances.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Gathering Place in Tulsa redefines parks. It has been named the best park in the nation and last year TripAdvisor rated it in the Top 10% of attractions worldwide. The riverfront park is spread out over 100 acres and has everything from trails, a children’s museum, a skate park, a BMX track, free kayak and paddleboat rentals, a restaurant, art installations and a spectacular five-acre playground.
The main playground has a castle theme with towers, rope bridges, mega slides, boats, a sandlot, water features and more slides. The park was largely funded by George Kaiser, a prominent oilman, banker and philanthropist. It cost more than $460 million to build the Gathering Place and you can spend the entire day here.
The Discovery Lab is a cool children’s museum with tunnels, slides, science exhibits and more. If you’re a member of the Discovery Center in Springfield, they have reciprocity admission, so it is free for up to two adults named on the membership card and up to four children in the same household. Proof of residence is required as well as a membership card.
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium has a variety of aircraft on display as well as planes children can climb in and play with the controls. There are space shuttle simulators, interactive exhibits and a real American Airlines plane they can board. The museum teaches children about science and aerospace — great for an airplane enthusiast. Museum tickets for ages 13 and up are $11; ages 5-12 are $8. The planetarium is the same price, but a combo ticket will save $2 per ticket. The Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The Oklahoma Aquarium is located in Jenks, a suburb of Tulsa. It’s hard to recommend aquariums when Springfield is home to one of the nation’s finest, but this one has a unique claim to fame: It has the largest collection of bull sharks in the world. If your child is a shark enthusiast, they will learn a lot about the species as 10 bull sharks circle in aquariums around them. There are also octopuses, sea turtles, tropical fish and many other water creatures. Admission is $20 for children and $25 for adults.
The Tulsa Zoo is perfect this time of year, as summer in the city can be sweltering. Spread over 84 acres, the zoo is home to 2,000 animals from grizzlies, penguins and chimpanzees to a Malayan tiger. Tickets for ages 3-11 are $13; 12 and up is $16. If you are a member of the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, they have reciprocal admission because they are both members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums so you get in free. The fine print on these reciprocal agreements says to call ahead to confirm.
Bentonville, Arkansas
The Museum of Native American History is free, but donations are appreciated. This collection includes a wooly mammoth at the entrance, native American beads, clothes, pottery, moccasins, an expansive and impressive collection of arrowheads and more. Fake arrowheads are planted around the tipi outside and younger children are allowed to dig around the rocks and find one to keep. It’s a highlight for kids. Even the wristband audio guide is free.
The museum covers 14,000 years of history and is highly educational. It’s an excellent resource for families. The Museum of Native American History is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a spectacular museum surrounded by 120 acres of nature. General admission is free, which makes it highly appealing for families — though special exhibits come with a cost. They also have an art area inside so younger kids who may not be as enamored with the art can play or create.
Crystal Bridges has outdoor art installations and trails around the museum that are gorgeous to explore. There’s even a mini waterfall at Crystal Spring Trail. This is a good time of year, as summer in Arkansas can be miserable. You can find information about various trails on the museum’s website.
Younger children in particular adore the Scott Family Amazeum, a wonderful children’s museum. There is 50,000 square feet of space for creativity, science, imagination, art and pretend play. Kids can pick fake apples from trees, climb, meander through an indoor cave, shop in a pretend grocery store and then check out their spoils. There’s so much to enjoy.
Downton Bentonville is home to the Walmart Museum, which is free and worth a walk-through because it is the original 5 & 10 that became the Walmart empire. The original museum site is currently being renovated and is temporarily located in the Ledger building two blocks south of the Bentonville square. There’s a lot of history about Sam Walton.
Admission is $12 for ages 2 and older. The Amazeum is closed on Tuesdays. If you’re a member of the Discovery Center in Springfield, they have reciprocity admission for up to five people (one must be the named member on the card). Proof of residency is required. Bring your membership card.
Saint Louis area
While the drive on I-44 can be stressful, once you get to Saint Louis there is a plethora of amazing — and free — activities. You will need to pay for parking at many of the attractions unless you find parking nearby.
First, start at Forest Park. The 1,300-acre park has trails, picnic spots galore, lakes, gardens, gazebos and several museums. Be sure to stop at the St. Louis Art Museum, a world-class attraction. It houses more than 36,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of history. From classic European artists to African carvings and an Egypt section, it’s fabulous and free. Highly educational and beautiful. If you plan to picnic, the stretch of lawn in front of the museum is ideal.
Also, Forest Park is home to the free St. Louis Zoo. This impressive zoo houses 12,000 animals, like puffins, zebras, sea lions, a black rhino, vipers, red pandas and so much more. It’s been voted the No. 1 zoo by Zagat.
Saint Louis Science Center is another awesome free attraction at the park. General admission is free, but there are special exhibits and a planetarium that come at an extra cost. As soon as you walk into the museum, there is a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex that looks real and moves.
The “Build It. Dream It.” room is fun and kids can learn about architecture and make their own creations. This is also a reciprocal museum if you are a Discovery Center member, but since it is already free you get $1 off parking, Discovery Room tickets, planetarium tickets and Omnimax theater tickets.
Union Station is home to several attractions. The St. Louis Wheel is one of them. It’s way better than a Ferris wheel because you have climate-controlled gondolas but still reach 200 feet in the air, so the views of the city are spectacular. A ride costs $15-$17 for adults and $10-$12 for children. For a better deal, you can buy an unlimited day pass to the wheel, carousel and unlimited rounds of mini golf at Union Station for $30 per person.
There’s also a mirror maze, ropes course and aquarium at the station. You can bundle prices, but the aquarium is not really worth it compared to Wonders of Wildlife and some others. Be sure to pop into the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton because the historic building is stunning. From 5-10 p.m. in the grand hall, every night on the hour, there’s a 3D light show on the ceiling. It’s free, but sometimes canceled if there is a big event at the hotel.
The City Museum is amazing. There are abundant climbing opportunities, tunnels, bridges, slides and outdoor exhibits like an airplane and towers. Kids love it, but it can be hard to keep up as it’s a very physical experience. The creativity and architecture are mind-boggling. That said, the environment can be extremely loud and individuals prone to claustrophobia may find certain areas challenging. Tickets are $20 for ages 3 and older.
