I love this Springfield park perhaps most of all. I love to trot down here for a good run, and…read moreevery time I do, I feel like I see something new. I see birthday parties; I see families, couples, people walking their dogs; I see LARPers (look it up); I see potlucks; I see high school science projects; I see track teams; I see lone runners. This is a great place to see the Springfield community at their happiest and most relaxed. Not to mention it offers an impressive amount of amenities: a few tennis courts, a full playground, BBQ pits, a sprinking of permament art installations, and a very nice, covered communal area. This is a very old park, and the practicality of it paired with all the old stone work and giant Oak trees makes for a unique place to stop and unwind alone or with your favorite people/pets. A few other reasons why Phelps rocks: it's in a gorgeous, well-established neighborhood full of interesting and well-maintaned forever homes and it's right next to the beloved art museum. It also has a righteously awesome butterfly garden (you'll see it if you look in the direction of the museum from the park itself), and walking through it in the summer is legitimately like walking in a dream. It's quite lovely. One word of advice I can provide is that this park is also historically a not-so-good place to visit after nightfall, as most Springfield parks are. Get your recreational fix in before sunset and call it a day, unless you're with a group.

Phelp's Grove Park is always a winning park to hang out at, and I was most recently there for Yoga…read morein the Park. How perfect is Phelp's for that kind of thing? There is a concrete pad that fits dozens of people for the event. It was really perfect and I absolutely enjoyed myself and the Yoga. As for the rest of the park, there's a lot of room to run around and have fun for both kids and dogs, there are tennis courts and picnic spots, and you just really can't go wrong with an art museum bordering one side.

The pricing is like a bad carnival. Tickets for every attraction and random ticket count per each…read moreone. Nothing special and overpriced.

We're in in Springfield to visit family and saw opportunities to get the kids out and active when…read morewe came across Rutledge Wilson Farms and the activities they have in the fall. When you have three little girls anything that is themed as a fall carnival option is a win. The farm has ample parking, a shuttle service for people who have difficulties waking and during the holiday season have events set up that are ticket based. One tip get your tickets early the lines get long. Free: a fun play structure for kids that is awesome. A pond you can walk around and animals to pet and stables and farm equipment to look at play around and take pictures. For tickets : Corn Maze, rides, bounce houses, face painting and arts and crafts. They also have a gift store and just a lot of beautiful scenery, our kids loved it !

Fun little park with rocks to climb. Sadly the cave was closed but we were still able to climb…read morearound above it. It looked like there were some small trails too but we did not follow them

A nice, quiet neighborhood park. Walking, running, and limited cycling (watch out for the…read morechildren!). Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy!

Looooved this place. We had a family member in the ICU at the local hospital and we needed to find…read morea place for the kids to run around. This place was PERFECT!!!!!!!! There was so much to do, we stayed for 3 hours and my kids probably could have kept playing. This place was everything we needed.

Prices have upped way too much. No play area should be $40 for two kids, one being not even two…read more Clear the owner doesn't understand how kids get bored quickly or only do one thing and doesn't believe kids des to have fun if they're not banking big on it. Ridiculous pricing.

The community center is closed but you can play at the playground and they also have frisbee golf 9…read morehole. But no bathroom. So go before you come.

This is such a great hidden gem in Springfield. My children love going to the butterfly house and…read moreall the different playgrounds and children's areas. It's also a great place to see people with their dogs are flying kites. Such a wonderful nature area and the people working there are always so kind.

We were there the other day and ran into a situation with an individual following my boyfriend and…read moreI. We walked over to someone for help and an amazing individual named John Bush assisted us and let us hang with him until the individual following us was gone. He was lazering signs for the plants. Thank you so much John!

This is a great play area for kids, and a favorite location for parents too. The food court is…read moreright around the corner, so this is an easy stop right after a meal. Eat lunch and then make your way here to let your kids burn off some energy. You can relax in the comfortable seating that surrounds/secures the area (and write Yelp reviews while your spouse shops). The flooring is soft and cushioned. Most of the equipment is soft too. Lots of fun.

This is an excellent spot to sit back and relax while your kids get a chance to play and blow off…read moresome energy. It's located in an area where you won't have tons of people around you while you relax. Any time I'm at the mall with my kids, we stop by so that they get a chance to play. Even if I'm not tired we'll stop by, because the enjoy it so much. The floor is padded, and slightly springy, so that alone is a fun thing for them. It's not crowded with equipment, so they can run around and have fun. Enough things to play and climb around on so that if there are many kids there, you won't have to wait around for a chance to play.

Small but super nice Japanese garden. Normally $6/adult but they accepted our reciprocal Missouri…read moreBotanical Garden membership which is a nice perk. A lot of the paths seem to have a drainage problem from the heavy overnight rains, but a small issue considering how nice the garden is. Very relaxing and pretty empty for a nice Saturday midday visit!

I love the Japanese culture and enjoy the landscape and architecture they create. I believe they…read morehave a special ability to work with the environment and create spaces that are so aesthetically appealing and unique. This stroll garden is true to form. Developed by a talented and professional Japanese landscaper, this is a place that invites calm and peaceful reflection. You must experience it. Take your time and stroll through. Sit down and take in the view.

For our family reunion picnic my mom selected Doling Park family center which was pretty brilliant…read more We were inside a large air conditioned facility with a kitchen, nice clean bathrooms, attendants on duty who happily pitched in to help with group photos. The park is really big with plenty of outdoor activities. Doling Park is a Springfield gem. I would definitely keep Doling Park Family Center in mind for future activities.

Love this gym! Not only the great equipment "way better than the one on Republic", but also a few…read moreof the girls in child care. Some of the girls there go above, and beyond. Playing, and entertaining the children, and it's free! There's never usually a wait for machines, place is clean, and no "muscle head's." Awesome court to play anything you like from basketball, volleyball even badminton!.. They have a lot of free aerobic classes, and a fantastic pool area. I would give this place 5 star's, but what's holding me back , is they use paper towels for cleaning instead of cloth, and their vending machine doesn't have lot's of healthy options. Other than that. I love this place!