Journey Museum & Learning Center
Black Hills
This impressive downtown facility is four museums in one, looking at the history of the region from prehistoric times until today. Collections come from…
Must-see attractions in The Great Plains
St Louis
This grand beaux-arts palace (with a striking modern wing) was originally built for the World's Fair. Now housing this storied institution, its collection…
Nebraska
Over a dozen elaborate gardens and greenhouses comprise this elegant botanical garden. The wildflower and formal English garden areas are favorites. The…
Arrow Rock State Historic Site
Missouri
Some 30 miles west of Columbia and 10 miles north of I-70, Arrow Rock State Historic Site is a small preserved town that feels little changed since the…
Oklahoma
The hilltop Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 30 miles northeast of Tulsa off Route 66, is an engaging tribute to a hugely popular local entertainer from the…
Western Historic Trails Center
Nebraska
The long entry drive through open land sets the mood for this museum about the migration west. The modern interactive exhibits give an engaging and…
Kansas
Right on the river confluence, this architecturally striking children's museum has no end of cool exhibits, including a tornado chamber where you can feel…
Oklahoma
All that driving over the long distances of the Great Plains means you're probably ready to stretch your legs. This sprawling nature center on the…
Missouri
Housed in the former 'State Lunatic Asylum No 2,' this museum gives a frightening and fascinating look at lobotomies, the 'bath of surprise' and other…
Missouri
This popular state park has enormous billion-year-old rocks – most far larger than any pachyderm. Some stand end-to-end like circus elephants and are good…
Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society
South Dakota
Right in town, the fussy and frilly complex that's home to the society paying homage to the Little House on the Prairie author runs tours. They include…
Oklahoma
South of town, this oil magnate's converted Italianate villa, ringed by fabulous foliage, houses fine Native American works and classic international art…
Black Hills
Tells the story of the Days of '76 celebration, an annual tradition honoring the town's inception in 1876. There's Native American artifacts, gun displays…
Nebraska
Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark landed here in 1804 on their legendary US expedition looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean…
Mines of Spain Recreation Area
Iowa
This vast expanse of Mississippi River Bluffland just south of Dubuque offers 12 miles of hiking trails with scenic overlooks, picnic facilities and even…
Iowa
The glass-walled Figge Art Museum sparkles above the River Road. The museum’s Midwest Regionalist Collection includes many works by Iowa native (and…
South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center
South Dakota
Exhibits at this ecologically groundbreaking museum (it's completely underground) include a bloody Ghost Dance shirt from Wounded Knee. Exhibits trace the…
St Louis
Divided into themed zones, this vast park includes a fascinating River's Edge area with African critters. Don't leave without saying hello to the zoo's…
St Louis
Dating to 1859, these gardens hold a 14-acre Japanese garden, a carnivorous plant bog, a Victorian-style hedge maze and the oldest continuously operating…
St Louis
This elegant new park seamlessly connects the Gateway Arch with the Old Courthouse by covering up traffic-choked I-44. Previously the road formed a…
Kansas
This restored fort near the Missouri border dates to 1842. While the parade grounds and buildings in the heart of its namesake city are interesting, the…
Kansas City
Really a gussied-up basketball hall of fame, this interactive (and entirely overstimulating) exhibition lets you try free throws or pretend you're an…
Oklahoma
This museum is inside an 1875 Union Indian Agency house. It recalls the cultures of the Native Americans – the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek …
Iowa
Historic and modern quilts are the stars at this small museum. Visitors learn that there is a lot more to quilting than sewing a few rags together with…
Oklahoma
Engaging displays about the Mother Road organized by decade from its inception to its closure and eventual rebirth. The museum also highlights some of the…
National Frontier Trails Museum
Missouri
Brings the tough life for the pioneers along the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails to life – many began their journey in Independence. You'll learn…
Iowa
This simple park embodies the ethos of Big Spirit Lake: low-key serenity. It has big trees offering shady spots on the lake for picnics and simple…
St Louis
The interactive exhibits at this three-story museum are geared toward kids (and the young at heart). Expect live demonstrations, dinosaurs, a planetarium…
Oklahoma
You'll brush up against real cowboys in Stockyards City, southwest of downtown, either in the shops and restaurants that cater to them or at the Oklahoma…
Nebraska
Enjoy sweeping views of Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, the world's largest railroad classification yard, from this eight-story observation tower with indoor…
Oklahoma
Right in the city center, these 15 acres of gardens are home to thousands of plants and many elaborate landscapes. Water features abound and there are…
Missouri
At lush and sprawling Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, the swift Black River swirls through canyon-like gorges (shut-ins). The swimming is some of the most…
South Dakota
This huge and restored pink quartzite 1890s courthouse has three floors of changing exhibits on the region. It's part of the Siouxland Heritage Museums,…
Oklahoma
The Philcade Building – with its glorious T-shaped lobby – is an exceptional example of the city's art deco architecture. Inside, beneath gilt-encrusted…
Nebraska
Three floors of excitement keep kids of all ages breathing fast with anticipation at this downtown museum. Fire engines, a moon lander, a prairie dog town…
Iowa
This museum does a swell job of interpreting Grant Wood's iconic American Gothic (1930) – the pitchfork painting – which has been parodied a million times…
St Louis
Presents the story of St Louis, starring such worthies as the World's Fair; a replica of Charles Lindbergh's plane, Spirit of St Louis; and a host of…
Oklahoma
Science was never this much fun in school. Galleries filled with fascinating displays and gizmos engage visitors in the secrets of aviation, farming,…
Iowa
In a serene setting, the bridge makes a dramatic statement as it parallels the charmless modern bridge over the river. The ubiquitous graffiti is…
Black Hills
Right near the center, this is the country's largest left-as-found mammoth fossil display. Hundreds of animals perished in a sinkhole here about 26,000…
