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.

This library is fantastic. The place is clean, neat and well-organized and the staff I have…read moreencountered are helpful and kind. We are new to town and they made us feel right at home! We were quickly able to find the series that we were looking for and, they got a hard to find book sent over from a sister library with ease. I also notice lots of kids, teens and adult programs that look like lots of fun.

Hard to find what you're looking for and the librarians do not like to assist anyone. If you want…read moreto go somewhere and get dirty looks, attitude and be treated as if you are purposely trying to ruin their day-go to the Grove Library. If you want nice, friendly, courteous librarians-go to the Jay library. You can use your same card there, it's the same library system and better people.

This library offers so many services to the community, beyond books & knowledge. They offer notary…read moreservice for $5 and printing and copy services. Black and white copies are 10¢ and color copies are 25¢. Big clean building. Plenty of parking.

Is there such a thing as a great DMV when you're there to pay the state and county fees and taxes…read morethat don't really ever make sense most of the time? So setting aside that most people would rather go see a dentist than go to the DMV let's just say this is one of the better ones. And it's all about the staff. I've lived in a bunch of states, so I've experienced a lot of mostly horribly run DMVs with angry, miserable, zombie workers. There is nothing fancy here, in fact, it's a rather plain office in a somewhat rundown area. But what makes it good is the great staff. Since I have to come in here every year, the 6-8 times I've been in have all been, well pleasant. The staff is patient, friendly, and fast. They up, look you in the face, smile, and treat you like a person. I guess that's all most of us want. Now could someone explain why MO requires you to pay property taxes on top of all the fees every year? Most states only charge a sales tax once and registration fees every year after that. No property taxes, its not a house!

Amanda with the Joplin license office has helped me navigate through some troubles giving a…read morepersonal touch that you don't see anymore in businesses she was a godsend and thank you very much

My wife knew that Bonnie and Clyde spent time here in Joplin. What she didn't know was that the…read moreactual place is still standing. So we stopped by to check it out! They were here for nearly two weeks in 1933, resting and planning. It ended in a violent shootout where two police officers were killed. In the quick escape, the crime due left behind personal belongings, including a camera with undeveloped film that later provided iconic images of Bonnie and Clyde. The apartment was built around 1927 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Yes, it's a real place and real people live here so be respectful of the private property. Still, you can walk around the front of the exterior. [Review 370 of 2025 - 429 in Missouri - 23932 overall]

We found the apartment was a little hard to find but a great place to find a part of our history…read moreand was nice to have the house on the National Register, we didn't go in but the building looks to be in good shape .

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!

Judge Lanardo could not be any more professional and easy to talk to. Very fair and a wonderful…read moreasset to the city.

The Officer Jake Reed Memorial Bridge carries 20th Street over the rail lines in the center of…read moreJoplin. It's was closed for repair and updates, funded by a DOT grant of $5,500,000. It reopened in 2016 and has been carrying hundreds of vehicles ever since. Simple enough with two lanes in each direction with a raised sidewalk for pedestrians on each side. There is also a tall railing to prevent people from falling (or jumping) onto the train tracks below. Quite the hero: https://www.newstalkkzrg.com/2023/09/12/joplin-dedicates-20th-street-bridge-to-honor-fallen-officer-jake-reed/ [Review 296 of 2025 - 419 in Missouri - 23858 overall]