St Louis
One of the world's largest beer plants, the historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery gives marketing-driven tours. View the bottling plant and Clydesdale horses…
Must-see attractions in The Great Plains
Oklahoma
Route 66 took many different roads through Oklahoma City over the five decades when it was the transcontinental highway. For many years it passed by this…
Kansas City
Learn about different jazz styles, rhythms, instruments and musicians – including Kansas City native Charlie Parker – at this interactive museum, at the…
Oklahoma
The highlight of this attraction in the ballpark complex is the museum dedicated to the athletic exploits of Jim Thorpe (Olympic gold medals plus…
St Louis
A small-time theme park on the beer-brewing Busch family's rural retreat, Grant's Farm thrills kids with its Clydesdale horses and 1000 other animals from…
Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters
Nebraska
From 1846 to 1890, thousands of Mormons migrated to Utah from the eastern US. For the first two decades they went by wagon trains. Omaha was a major stop…
Kansas
Guarded by Wichita artist Blackbear Bosin's 44ft statue Keeper of the Plains, this museum has exhibits of Native American art and artifacts, as well as a…
Ninety Nines Museum Of Women Pilots
Oklahoma
Ninety nine female American pilots formed their own group in 1929, which is now based in Oklahoma City. This museum celebrates the contributions of women…
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nebraska
The university has its main campus in the middle of town. The complex is as practical as a farmer and lacks highlights, but is an interesting stroll. When…
Skeletons: Museum of Osteology
Oklahoma
An army of flesh-eating beetles helps this touristy museum's curators prepare the bones of dead animals (many from zoos) for a new life on display. There…
Oklahoma
Tulsa's Philbrook museum has two locations and this secondary site is in the Brady Arts District. It displays contemporary art alongside a large…
Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
Nebraska
Preserves the first US military fort built west of the Missouri River. It was erected in 1820 on a recommendation of Lewis and Clark, who, besides being…
South Dakota
At a bend on the Missouri River, Framboise Island has several hiking trails and plentiful wildlife. It's across from where the Lewis and Clark expedition…
Iowa
The cute gold-domed building at the heart of the University of Iowa campus is the Old Capitol. Built in 1840, it was the seat of government until 1857…
Missouri
The first Pony Express set out – carrying mail from 'St Jo' to California, 2000 miles west – in 1860. This museum, from which the horses once departed, is…
National Museum of Toys & Miniatures
Kansas City
Over 100 years of toys spread over 38 rooms, including the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection. There are 51,000 toys, 3320 dolls and 1600…
North Dakota
Bismarck's stark 1930s State Capitol is often referred to as the 'skyscraper of the prairie.' It looks something like a Stalinist school of dentistry from…
Oklahoma
Built in 1917 (though it only got its dome in 2002), this Greco-Roman building has large murals, beautiful stained-glass windows, a tribal flag plaza and…
Kansas
This studio-backlot-like attraction includes a cemetery, jail and saloon, where gunslingers reenact (blood-free) shootouts while Miss Kitty and her…
Nebraska
Get a feel for the tough lives led by early settlers at this idiosyncratic museum. The best part is the reconstructed sod-roofed trading post where pelts…
Trial of Jack McCall Reenactment
Black Hills
The trial of Jack McCall, shooter of Wild Bill Hickok, is reenacted with audience participation at 8pm. In this trial he's found innocent, though he later…
South Dakota
Small-town Victorian homes overlook the imposing 1910 State Capitol with its black copper dome. Be sure to check out the floor mosaics and marbled columns…
Iowa
A worthy focal point for Madison County, this soaring structure was completed in 1876 and has been used ever since. The silver-colored dome tops out at…
Missouri
The family-mobbed Meramec Caverns is as interesting for the Civil War history and hokey charm as for the stalactites. There's a seasonal motel (rooms $65,…
National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians
Oklahoma
A short outdoor walk leads past 41 bronze busts of well-known Native Americans including Pocahontas, Geronimo and Sitting Bull. The nearby visitor center…
Chase County Historical Society
Kansas
In a historic corner brick commercial building, this small museum has engaging displays about the county's history including the nearby 1931 plane crash…
International Quilt Study Center & Museum
Nebraska
This special-interest museum's motto says it all: 'celebrate the cultural and artistic significance of quilts'. Inside you'll be amazed at all the…
Black Hills
Actors reenact famous shootouts on Main St, including the 1877 saloon fight between Tom Smith and David Lunt (who lived for 67 days relatively unbothered…
Black Hills
Oodles of bears big and small in this drive-through park live off the land and hope you'll do something forbidden like offering them a Big Mac, or your…
Kansas
Two miles west of town, this open-air museum details the vital route linking the US and Mexico for much of the 19th century. Other exhibits include…
Kansas
Encompassing works by American Old West artist Frederic Remington, Plains painter Thomas Hart Benton and others, this museum on the University of Kansas…
Kansas
Under the huge copper dome, don't miss the fiery John Steuart Curry mural of abolitionist John Brown. Climb 296 steps for great views outside. Enter via…
Oklahoma
A beloved roadside attraction built in 1972, this whale was once the centerpiece of a swimming park. Now, it's largely used as a fishing dock. Bring a…
Oklahoma
A who's who of famous Oklahomans (including several famous country music stars), this three-story museum gets new inductees each year. Download coupons…
Black Hills
Part of the Black Hills National Forest, this beloved swimming hole, 11 miles south of Hot Springs, is great for a picnic or afternoon dip. Beware of the…
Black Hills
This small hall-of-fame-style museum packs in a surprising number of bikes, including vintage and rare models. Its Hall of Fame honors luminaries in the…
Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge
Nebraska
The Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge is home to hundreds of bison and elk, plus scenic waterfalls. There's a 3.5-mile wildlife drive from the…
Economy Museum at the St Louis Fed
St Louis
A surprisingly flashy and ultimately rewarding look at the economy and how you as an individual fit into it. Located within the Federal Reserve Bank of St…
John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum
Iowa
Close to downtown Waterloo, this museum celebrates all things John Deere and is a fantasy come true for tractor-heads. It's part of the Deere research…
Oklahoma
Beat the summer heat at this water park with over 30 features and rides. Splash away in the wave pool, on the flume rides and plunging down the huge…
