Wandering across western Kansas, I happened upon this incredible piece of machinery. Operated from…read more1963-1974, this is still the largest electric shovel in the world with a 90 cubic yard bucket. Pictures don't do the size of this any justice. They even let you climb inside, wander through, and sit in the operator's chair. There is a nice little museum with lots of great information. I had no idea there was (and still is) a very large coal field running under the middle of the country. A great piece of history, well preserved and worth a detour if you are in the area.

I knew this thing was going to be big but it wasn't until I spotted it soaring over the treeline…read morethat I understood. Oh, and it's a little below grade. Big brutus is a Bucyrus-Erie model 1850B electric shovel. Yes, electric. Massive powerlines would be fed into this monster so that it could clear "overburden" and make it possible for other, smaller devices to mine the coal. At 160 feet high and weighing 11 million pounds, the draw makes 15,000 horsepower and could lift 150 tons of coal. It is therefore the largest existing electric shovel on the planet. Open for climbing (the boom is since closed because of insurance limitations), you can go inside the operator's cabin, walk around the interior body and take selfies in the massive shovel or next to one of the huge crawler tracks. Look out over the lake in front of it - Big Brutus cleared all of that in its heyday before it finally shut down due to environmental concerns. The attached museum has other mementoes telling the story of local mining and there is a movie that shows the machine in action. [Review 19773 overall - 40 in Kansas - 745 of 2023.]

We LOVE little museums like this! Lots of great mineral displays. Really nice. Upstairs are some…read moremodels of mining history - what my daughter and I were completely enthralled with were vintage panoramic group photos of the miners. Literally could have spent hours here, though for the record we are super nerds. Then, there's another wing of the museum that is all about Joplin history. But as a bonus this also includes the National Cookie Cutter Museum! Who knew? Loved it here. Staff was super friendly and helpful. I think admission was $5, a great bargain!

What a fun little pit stop we made here! This museum isn't just about Minerals and Rocks. We did…read moreenjoy that part and even learned several new things. However it also has a cookie cutter museum inside which is adorable! Bonus you get to take a cookie cutter home for free! So many fun things to look at and it's only $5. You could stay for hours! Highly recommend!

Absolutely no pets. Have two small yorkies and a stroller. Got there and was only car in lot but…read moretwo which i assume work there. Was shocked to see no pets sign. My dogs are better behaved than most kids or adults. Oh well, their loss. Btw, been to many of these local type museums and this is first time we were not welcome

What an great museum. It is so far above what I'd expect from this size of a town. The staff was…read moreextremely helpful. We were given a map; which was needed to make sure we saw everything. It covers the history of Baxter Springs from the mid-1800s (founding) up to the present. There are a wide range of exhibits and various rooms throughout with both a lot of memorabilia and artifacts, yet also signs explaining what things are. There are 2 full floors; and a few small things outside. We saw everything; it took 2.5 hours. Great tour through the last 160 years of middle America.

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.

It's ok but do not make Spiva a destination or even drive out of your way to visit. 1 - usually…read moreclosed 2 - often in-between exhibits. 3 - Go to Arkansas and enjoy fun and Art! Glass church in Bella Vista IS AWESOME! Crystal Bridges in Bentonville always a TREAT! Skip Joplin and drive toward Bella Vista / Bentonville to look around. You will be much happier and fulfilled. Bentonville Arkansas has much to offer and 45 minutes away.

Always a fantastic place in Joplin to visit. Always something new to see or someone new to meet…read more I'm always greeted very kindly with the staff and volunteers. The whole facility is very clean and up-to-date. And the classes they offer are always changing and offering a pretty good variety for everyone.

Worth stopping in, not a whole lot on display. A few old swords, some bullets, a couple rifles and…read morea uniform that's about it. They tell quite a bit about the battle that broke out there, and the guy we talked to working the front is very knowledgeable. It's not a very big place; you might be able to spend 30 minutes in there if you read everything and watched the movie... But it's free, and a free history lesson is always worth a look "IMO."

Excellent history lesson. I loved the visuals and the historian dude at the front desk was great…read more Picked up some souvenirs and learned a lot. Great job.

My friend and I were visiting the Neosho area this past weekend and took the time to drive out to…read morethe George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, MO. We are SO glad that we did! It is an amazing place, and we had a magical experience. I thought I knew about George Washington Carver, but there was so much that I learned during our time at the National Monument. Special thanks to the park rangers who were on duty during our visit: Matthew, who greeted us as we entered and answered our many questions about what to see and do (and gave excellent directions and recommendations!); Emily, a devoted entomologist who gave us a deep appreciation for jumping spiders (including one we encountered later in our visit!); and Katie, who led us in the activity in the laboratory (thank you for your infinite patience with all of us as we worked with the materials!). We took the walking trail out to the pond on the property and were enchanted by the stone markers with quotes from Carver placed strategically along the path. He was quite the sage, with so many wise observations of his time and fellow humans. The walking path winds through beautiful woods, and there are bridges crossing the two branches of the stream that flows through the area. There are also interpretive plaques placed along the path with vignettes from Carver's boyhood (these are echoed in the Visitor Center). The path is largely accessible, but there are areas around the pond that are dirt trails through the brush, so those with limited mobility may wish to talk with the National Park Rangers on-site for their recommendations. The Visitor Center is open and welcoming, with the main exhibits on the first floor; laboratory, young people's exploration areas, and the schoolroom replica on the second floor; and further exhibits on the lower level. We participated in an activity in the laboratory making peanut milk, and (even though we were probably the oldest people in the room) it was really fun! There is a picnic area adjacent to the parking lot, shaded by trees and surrounded by open grass. We saw several families enjoying a picnic lunch as the kids romped through the open areas. By the time we'd hiked the walking trail, browsed the exhibits in the Visitor Center, participated in the laboratory activity, and shared a picnic lunch, we were surprised to discover that we'd spent almost three hours at the monument. It was such an enchanting place that we honestly didn't notice the time passing! If a visitor is pressed for time, the area could be toured in about an hour and a half, but we recommend setting aside the time to experience everything the National Monument has to offer. It is exceptionally well-designed, and we left with a deep appreciation of George Washington Carver as a scientist, educator, and humanitarian. Many, many thanks to the National Park Service for providing such a lovely place to visit, at no cost, and for the wonderful park rangers who made it such a great experience!

Very interesting national park site! I didn't know that much about George Washington Carver going…read morein and feel like I learned a lot, well done. Great layout and easy to hit all the exhibits. There's a lovely 3/4 trail as well but due to the weather we weren't able to complete that. The ranger was super nice!! Lots of interactive activities for kids, too. It's free to get in, with a small gift shop, Well worth a stop if you're in the area.

If you happen to be in the area, this is a great stop to see a pocket of the past…read more The museum is donation only, and their funding is based on the number of annual visitors - so stop in! There are a number of intriguing items, foremost is the two headed calf. There's also a room full of old cars, wagons, typewriters, and a jail cell from an old jail. They also have fashions and mailboxes from the past. It's a time capsule of sorts. The descriptions are thorough so if you're a history buff you could likely spend a couple hours wandering though the rooms. It also has a schoolhouse and old-time store outside, but those parts aren't air conditioned so they might not be as welcome of a respite in the Kansas summers. We had a couple of toddlers with us so the full museum was approximately 45 minutes. They enjoyed it, but were sad they couldn't climb in all the vehicles.

This museum is well worth a stop when you are in the Pittsburg, KS area. For those interested in…read moreAmerican and/or Kansas history, I think it would be a nice stop on a longer trip when visiting (relatively nearby) Fort Scott, too. The museum was closed for a couple of years but has reopened as of my 2017 writing. It seems clean and relatively up to date considering this period of closure. The volunteers were very nice and forthcoming with a lot of extra information, which we appreciated. The two outdoor buildings (schoolhouse and general store) were especially of interest, as were the vehicles and fire truck in the cavernous back room of the museum. There were a few surprising and/or especially interesting items here that I've not seen in other museums. While the labels are not particularly fancy, they convey pertinent info.

If you are in the Coffeyville area stop by for a self walking tour visit. It gives you a great…read moreinsight to how Laura Ingalls Wilder lived. Very nice and helpful lady at the front desk!

Cool little roadside America stop. Inexpensive and quick education on what it was like to live in…read morethe late 1800s. Loved the the show and the museum!

We were early getting into Chanute today so I searched for something to see. Not much in this…read morelittle town but did see a Museum so I decided to take the boys here. They were a little apprehensive to go but said that was fine. Free parking when we arrived and I guess on Saturday it's free to enter. The lady at the desk took us in to watch a short video. Although I wasn't sure I wanted to watch it, it really is a must see. You understand so much as you walk through the museum with that short 10 min video. It's really a must see if you are not familiar with what the museum is all about. The best part of this was my boys really enjoyed it. From the interactive musical instruments you are allowed to play with and the gong which they hit multiple times, they really had a good time.

Small museum with an amazing story of love and adventure!…read moreMartin and Osa Johnson's story from the small towns of Chanute & Independence, Kansas to Hollywood and New York on the big screens is one truly amazing adventure. But their adventures in remote locations of the world is just as incredible. If you've ever seen a Tarzan movie then you've seen wild animal and tribe footage of Martin and Osa's work. They're story is given , along with wonderful artifacts and personal items. Take your time in here and be sure to watch the long version film they offer. ALSO, don't miss making a visit to their gravesite (just ask for directions from the folks at the museum). A hidden story in a small town well worth making a drive to.