When I was "getting my kicks" on 66 a few years ago, I went by this museum and it was closed due to…read moreCovid. But I was recently back in town for an event and they gave everyone a free admission on one day - so of course I took advantage of it. It is somewhat divided into three parts, plus there is a large conference/meeting room. And they have a gift shop with some collectibles stuff. You can go into the mineral museum which celebrates the regional mining industry. There is also the part where all things Joplin are paid tribute upon. Within that part is the National Cookie Cutter Museum, which is small but sure to bring a smile to anyone's face. A long hallway celebrates Joplin's status as the "Crossroads of America" (one of several cities that has that title) with the meeting of Route 66 and Jefferson Highway.

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!

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!

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.

Unbelievable Artwork and History. Amazing Route 66 Destination. Don't forget to toot the Train…read moreHorn! My Family Group All Enjoyed the Visit.

Reviewed November 18, 2018…read more A very nice and unusual Museum on Old Route 66 It is a little different than most Route 66 museums in the fact that it focuses more on the local history relating to the mining and the railroad that played a major role in the economy of the area. It is in the old railroad depot that has been beautifully restored. You will see displays of minerals, mining tools, railroad related items and lots of photographs illustrating the life and times through the history of the town. It has friendly knowledgeable staff! A must do stop on old Route 66.Note: This review was originally posted on Tripadvisor by Spike S.

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.

Just adding a few more photos from our trip to use ber village. Was an outstanding time. The…read morerestaurant had a fire right before our visit and it still looks like it's closed. We were trying to get back for the holiday lights but just not in the cards this year. Great value, excellent people.

We made a trip from CA to visit our long time friends who recently moved to the area…read more The food was freshly prepared. And very good. We had fried zucchini and calamari as an appetizer, the Ruben sandwich and fish and chips then the banana dessert with walnut ice cream. The waitress Tealy (sp?) was awesome. Very personable and attentive. We will definitely come back again.

Wow! If you are interested in seeing a huge collection of small electrical appliances - well THIS…read moreIS IT! I'm talking about toasters and electric razors and toasters and electric kettles and did I say TOASTERS?!? Holy moly. Everything is displayed really nicely on shelves behind glass - this has obviously been a labor of love. Most are unlabeled but...you can tell what they are (if in doubt, it's probably a TOASTER). It's part of JR's country store...you will probably have to ask a staff member to open the door and turn on the lights, Totally awesome, though I suppose if you don't like small appliances you might be bored. My only wish is that they would have some bread and butter available because man that place made me hungry for toast!

Richard is literally the sweetest old man to grace gods green earth. He showed us around for a good…read more45 minutes. I will never forget my experience at this random stop off the highway! 10/10

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.]

Great free tours! I love the cool after hour events that are FREE! Events for the entire family!read more

Had fun! Free guided and self guided tours. The grounds are beautiful. I really enjoyed my time.read more

One of the most incredible roadside attractions you will ever visit. A truly beautiful experience…read more The chapel is positively gorgeous. This truly made my weekend. If you are ever in the area PLEASE VISIT!!!

If you adore Precious Moments figurines, this is the place for you! Lots of opportunities to see…read morethe figurines in different sizes, situations and media. From statues to stained glass to paintings to figurines all with the big heads and tear drop eyes that are what Precious Moments is identified by. Visiting was a reasonable admission fee. The staff were helpful.