This place has something for the whole family, museums, shopping, restaurants and nature to be seen.read more

I can't wait to come back here. I took my kids on a mini vacation here and we had a really great…read moretime. There's a lot to see and everything is beautiful and well maintained. My kids really enjoyed themselves and we got lots of great pictures!

This hodge-podge of exhibits has a slim theme of being a collection of items donated by folks…read moreassociated with or having an Ozarks interest. The museum is named after a Missouri radio and TV pioneer who operated out of nearby Springfield. So, there's a room dedicated to Ralph Foster and his broadcast achievements. Adjacent is a room covering his most popular Grand Ol' Opry style show and the country music stars who visited it. The TV Clampett's 1921 Oldsmobile truck from the Beverly Hillbillies has central placement on the first floor; the series creator was from the area. Famous Missourian and artist Thomas Hart Benton has an exhibit space of his landscapes. The second floor largely contains guns and taxidermic works of animals from around the world--both donated collections. Famed entertainer Andy Williams has a small exhibit of his Christmas sweaters due to his long-time residency in Branson. There's also space devoted to the history of College of the Ozarks. And so it goes. While some exhibits are exhaustively detailed, others--particularly the animals--have cursory descriptions. A beautiful exhibit of hundreds of mounted birds includes only the name of each, with some names so jumbled together it's confusing which bird is which. The animal descriptions are lightly proofread Encarta notes--a digital encyclopedia discontinued before 2010. The museum, however, offers a good diversion and you can easily spend a couple of hours here. It's well worth the low light entry expense, which will particularly appeal to families and seniors.

This was such an incredibly cool hidden gem! This museum has it all, including the Beverly…read moreHillbillies car, thousands of amazing old artifacts from the Ozarks and around the world (some from Biblical times), the biggest collection of weapons I've ever seen, incredible animal exhibits, and many other items. The staff were also wonderful: they are college students who work during the summer to pay for their room and board. During the school year, students work 15 hours per week to pay their tuition, so it's called Hard Work U. It's a must-see place; you won't be disappointed.

Nice museum with great people working there! I would highly recommend seeing when you are in the…read morearea!

Went to the museum during operating hours and the door was locked. No answer when I called and no…read morereturn phone call when I left a voicemail. Thats very disappointing for my children that I tried to take there.

Great museum covering Spring Missouri history and Route 66 history. The docents at the museum are…read moregreat on their knowledge of the city and its history it played in 20th century westward expansion. First class museum all the way

This is a really interesting and well-displayed view of Springfield's past. Multiple floors…read more Excellent docents to whom you can ask endless questions.

I adore hands-on museums and STEM/STEAM centers. I've worked at one and hope to get back into the…read morefield after finishing my degree. If it wasn't so far from home, I would absolutely wok at the Discovery Center! The place is amazing. There are so many engaging exhibits that put STEM principles right into your hands. I found myself interacting with an exhibit and going, "Oh! This is just like this idea we went over in physics/chemistry/engineering/science class!" Rather than being put together like a giant playplace, like some museums, the STEM learning areas were thoughtfully constructed with specific leaning outcomes in mind. The place does a LOT with its budget. (which, judging by the catalogue of posters taped up to fill blank wall space, needs some more $$$! Get these guys a grant!) I don't remember the name, but the community role play area was very cute, too. One of the people I visited with works in news and she got a kick out of it. During our visit, this was the area most populated by kids. There were interactives and objects all over the place, from doctor tools to puppets, that were very neatly stored when not in use. But the highlight of our visit had to be the staff. One staff member in particular, a young man named Hunter, noticed my group's interest in the exhibits, and took the time to show us particularly cool uses. He showed us the Tesla coil and told us about the man it was named after; I got to hold a hissing cockroach while my friends made faces; he turned on the Van der Graaf and explained how it worked; and informed us of the amazing grape project growing on the roof. His customer service was OUTSTANDING, all because of our enthusiasm towards learning. If you have a kid who's interested in science, or you're an adult who remembers how to have fun, visit the Discovery Center. At $12 per person, you absolutely will not regret it.

They are not family friendly or community friendly . We came in from St Louis to see our daughter…read more. We parked in an open parking lot adjacent to the discovery center. All visual indications it looks like open public parking . We were told the lot was open for community engagement parking . There is no sign indicating any pay per hr parking or no signs stating no parking after 5 pm . There are no signs indicating anything which are visible at night . Our car was towed within minutes . No one in the adjacent businesses could provide any information . Springfield is a very dangerous city with homeless population abound at night . We felt very unsafe and felt our safety was at risk standing helpless on the street . Do not patronize this establishment. No one answered any of our calls . There was no telephone numbers listed any where for emergencies or questions . Safety is there least priority and taking advantage of out of town visitors.

This is a small natural science museum that offers free admission and a scavenger hunt activity and…read morea small play area for little ones. It was a nice addition to a weekday afternoon with my granddaughter while she's enjoying her summer vacation. The museum is small but interesting and you can be as quick or leisurely as you like. They have an open museum gift shop with books, t shirts, toys, beautiful stones, crystals from the cave and other items. And there's "Henry". Go see.

Staff was very welcoming upon arrival. Was able to walk the exhibits and learn a few things…read more Shopped the gift area with out feeling pressured to purchase a thing. Then we took a short walk to the rock formations to look for fossils this was fun for both my husband and I. We came home and were more than happy to tell our friends and family about our experience.

On the way to an Army reunion being held in Nashville. I stopped at the FLW museum to see it as it…read morehas always been a desire of mine. I loved the place and the people who put this together. It was nice to see recent graduates and their families visiting as well. I graduated from Ft McClellan in 1987 and assigned to the 615th MP Co in Illesheim Germany. I can't thank the Army enough for what it provided for me in life.

I am fascinated by museums large or small. The Fort Leonard Museum did NOT disappoint. I was…read moreimpressed by the thoughtfulness of the historical displays and the information they provided. Going through the museum I was overwhelmed by the history our nation has experienced in the past century and this century. Part of me wanted to read every display and look at every detail. Time was brief though. This was my second visit to this museum. There are three different areas in this museum: The military police, chemical, and engineer museum. There are three gift stores inside, and they were full of items I could not get outside of the base in most stores except online. I got post cards of the crossing pistols, a giant hoodie jacket, and tee with the crossing pistols.

Was in this area visiting family when I found out about this place. Grew up watching the show! You…read morestart at the museum, with a lovely video to watch and gift shop and then move to two houses that the author had and or wrote in. Lovely story as I didn't know the author didn't start writing until she was over 60 years old.

We were passing through and thought it would be worth checking out. It's Laura's…read morehouse where she wrote the books is not to be confused with the house from the TV series, which was in Minnesota. Put it this way, the Ingalls and eventually Ingalls Wilder family moved a lot: Wisconsin; Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota, and finally, Missouri. We arrived after 4, and they closed at 5; so we checked out the gift shop and walked over to the big white house. Also, we noticed some ticks after we returned to our vehicle. They appeared to be deer ticks, which are known to carry Lyme disease. On a side note, all of the merchandise is moderately priced. Definitely worth the stop.

Very cool place! The entry fee is $15 per person and $13 for seniors which seems like a lot but…read moregood for a one time visit. Super cool vintage cars, gas pumps, and a jukebox (nothing can be touched). We took about an hour to read through it all - photos and videos are also allowed. Lots of parking spaces and the outside sign is cool. Friendly staff and an okay size gift shop too. Decently built overall.

Thank you so much for letting us stay there. Great harvest…read morehost stay. Enjoyed the diner, The food was great. The car museum amazing Love love those old cars!!!

Xuehua Jin is a Master's degree student at Missouri State but his biography is already quite…read moreimpressive. Having founded a private art school in China and co-authoring three collections there, based on what I saw here, I'd sign up for an art class from this young master right now. 'The Truth of the Great Wall - 1' is a two-sided ink and charcoal drawing on cotton that stood in the center of a gallery and I came back to it again and again during my visit. 'Silent Excruciating' is a landscape featuring actual grass. 'The Lonely Road of Self-Redemption' is another landscape that employs tree bark. 'Masters from China' is a black and white landscape of acrylic, ash, and ink upon which a blood red section of a shirt hovers over it. His style is a mashup of Anselm Kiefer and free-wheeling calligraphic elements. I guess I should mention that there's more here. It's a small museum to be sure but there are some surprises in the permanent collection including an early Jackson Pollock and a deck of large playing cards by Jean DuBuffet. Manage your expectations and you may be glad you visited.

Really nice variety of pieces, the facility is beautiful. There's an outdoor area that would be…read morenice when it's sunny out. Everyone working there was really nice and helpful