Oklahoma
Part museum, part souvenir store, part bookstore, part candyland, this multifaceted place should be your first stop in downtown Tulsa. All things art deco…
Must-see attractions in The Great Plains
Oklahoma
Woody Guthrie gained fame for his 1930s folk ballads that told stories of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His life and music are recalled in this…
Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
Missouri
This museum presents eight buildings, including two homes Twain lived in and that of Laura Hawkins, the real-life inspiration for Becky Thatcher in The…
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Iowa
Learn about life (of all sorts) along the length of the Mississippi at this impressive museum, part of a vast riverfront development. Exhibits span…
Black Hills
The best water you'll drink in the Black Hills flows freely from this spring right in the center of town. It's not cold, but it's also not so hot you'll…
Oklahoma
So named for the 38 'pony' trusses that comprise it, this landmark Route 66 bridge is 3944ft long and crosses the Canadian River and its flood plains…
North Dakota
Behind a statue of Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who guided Lewis and Clark on their expedition in 1804, the state's history museum has details on…
Kansas
In 1907 Samuel Dinsmoor began filling his yard with enormous concrete sculptures reflecting his eccentric philosophies relating to contemporary life and…
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Oklahoma
Only the smells are missing. Vibrant historic displays are complemented by a mock frontier village and an excellent collection of Western painting and…
Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center
South Dakota
This engaging museum and cultural center at St Joseph's Indian School has Lakota cultural displays and contemporary art from numerous tribes. Check the…
Kansas
An open-air museum that re-creates the Wild West (as seen on TV…). Over 50 pioneer-era buildings, staged gunfights (April to October) and guides in cowboy…
Black Hills
Calamity Jane (born Martha Jane Burke; 1852–1903) and Wild Bill Hickok (1837–76) rest side by side up on Boot Hill at this very steep cemetery. Pick up…
Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
Nebraska
A remarkable combination of indoor exhibits and a vast outdoor living museum. Note how conditions dramatically improved in the homes in 1860 to 1890…
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Iowa
Hundreds of mysterious Native American burial mounds sit in the bluffs above the Mississippi River in this gorgeous corner of far northeast Iowa. Listen…
Iowa
The best state park locally is on the west side of West Okoboji Lake. It has a beach, lovely lakeside picnic areas and an excellent 1.3-mile long nature…
Washita Battlefield National Historic Site
Oklahoma
On November 27, 1868, George Custer’s troops launched a dawn attack on the peaceful village of Chief Black Kettle. It was a slaughter of men, women,…
South Dakota
The portion of the Badlands west of Hwy 240 along this gravel road is much less visited than the sights of the Badlands Loop Rd. There are scenic…
Iowa
The original portion of Iowa State's main library was completed in 1925. In the 1930s it was decided to add some murals designed by none other than Iowa's…
Ozark National Scenic Riverways
Missouri
Two wild rivers, the Current and the Jacks Fork, wind through 80,000 acres of raw Ozark beauty in this area managed by the National Park Service. There…
Nebraska
Entering into this three-story arts center (a former mattress warehouse) is like diving down the rabbit hole into an alternative universe ruled by…
Missouri
The number is incomprehensible: 286 million gallons a day flows from this aptly named spring. The resulting pool feels more like a mysterious Game of…
Iowa
This 1883 bridge is in a lovely quiet spot as there is no parallel modern bridge or road. Take your time and watch the water lazily flow under the well…
Iowa
This historic old village is now part of West Des Moines. The five-block-long commercial strip on Fifth St is the most interesting in the region. Over 60…
Oklahoma
Four dozen huge bronze sculptures, spread across several hundred feet of open land near Bricktown, capture the chaos and drama of the 1889 land rush that…
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
Sioux City
On August 20, 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd became the only person to die on the Lewis and Clark expedition team, probably from appendicitis. You can learn…
Nebraska
This sinuously graceful 3000ft-long bridge links walkways on both sides of the Missouri River. The views are spectacular; at night it's lights are…
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church
Oklahoma
This 1930 church, rising at the end of downtown, is an exceptional example of the city's art deco architecture. It's 15 stories tall and was designed by…
Missouri
A Branson original, this huge amusement park west of town has thrilling roller-coasters, water rides, a firefighter-themed area and lots of musical shows.
Oklahoma
With its Spanish Revival architecture, lively bars and over 20 funky art galleries, this is Oklahoma City's most bohemian corner.
Iowa
Beautiful bluff-top park with views of the Mississippi and elaborate stone details built in the 1930s (including a castle!).
Oklahoma
Several museums in one, including old cars and photos, a re-created pioneer town and a farm museum.
Custer City
The world's largest monument is this 563ft-tall work-in-progress (with a lot of work to go). When finished it will depict the Sioux leader astride his…
St Louis
Facing the Gateway Arch across the new plaza, this 1845 courthouse is where the notorious Dred Scott slavery case was first tried in 1857. Considered one…
Kansas City
Opened in 1914, KC's Union Station is a sublime example of the magnificent architecture that once was the hallmark of American train stations. Today it…
Kansas City
A hidden-in-plain-sight park with an important history: Kaw Point is where the Kansas River flows into the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark stopped here in…
Kansas City
Built in the 1920s, this posh commercial district (centered on Broadway and 47th St) boasts finely detailed, sumptuous Spanish architecture. It’s rich…
Nebraska
Pay homage to the auto at this Stonehenge replica assembled from 39 discarded cars. The faithful reproduction, along with other car-part art, rises out of…
Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park
Nebraska
Once the home of Bill Cody (the father of rodeo and the famed Wild West show), this park includes a fun museum in Cody's house that reflects his colorful…
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
South Dakota
In the 1960s and '70s, a thousand Minutemen II intercontinental ballistic missiles, always at the ready in underground silos spread across the Plains,…
Black Hills
This park, protecting 44 sq miles of grassland and forest, sits just south of Custer State Park. The central draw is, of course, the cave, which contains…
