Great little park for free. Spent many a day at this park when my kids were younger and it was…read moretheir favorite park. Lots of trails and a cute pond. Several play areas. This park is connected to the Greenway Trail system

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.

Cute little gardens. Not sure worth the entry fee. We usually go for Christmas light viewing in…read moreDecember. The nathaniel Greene Park attached to it is free and full of walking trails and green spaces for picnics and a few playgrounds.

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!

A concrete jungle, with etched pictures in some of the artworks that tell some of the tale of the…read morecity of Springfield. A lot of boxy shapes here and things to climb on but that doesn't mean that you should have your kids doing so. Concrete is hard, yo. It's interesting to see some of the old photographs and learn a bit about this wonderful city. They apparently have outdoor concerts here which would be interesting. [Review 643 of 2024 - 335 in Missouri - 21674 overall]

This park was Nice and clean! Went here for National Night Out! Parking was not a problem and it…read morewas easy to get in and out.

It's a lovely park outside of the city, where you can walk/jog/bike/ect. It's calm and not usually…read moretoo busy.

Cute little farm park. Fun little playground for kids approx 5-10 yoa. You can pet goats and cows…read moreand pigs (if they are cooperative in their pens). They have space to rent for parties (ac provided) but be prepared for barnyard smells. Lots of festivals thru the year hut Halloween is the big one where you can pick a pumpkin from the patch. Fishing available only for kids at a certain age so check their website. Free to get into park. Plenty of parking.

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

A nice atmosphere with peaceful landscaping in the community for true bliss portrayed smarter to…read moreattend animal maintenance

This is a small but enjoyable zoo. If you'd like to take a few hours to walk around and see a nice…read morevariety of wildlife, I recommend this zoo. Most of the zoo is easily walkable, pretty flat. There are also many benches scattered about for rest. Thus, it's very friendly to people of all ages and abilities.  A section leading to the elephant and bears has some hills and requires effort to walk, so if you'd like to avoid that, just skip those animals. The zoo has many peacocks that roam the grounds. You will have many opportunities to see them on buildings, fences or simply reading or walking, frequently with their feathers in full display. The train is best for children, as it simply goes in a circle around some water--it's not a tour of the zoo.

A Valuable Park with Welcoming Staff, good exhibits…read more - - - - - - - - August, 2024 Visit My wonderful wife and I enjoyed a fantastic getaway weekend to Springfield and Branson... 47 hours of fun! We stayed the first night in Springfield; in the morning I proposed visiting Wilson's Creek. We visited Branson with family friends back in 2010, then got a Silver Dollar City season pass and visited more times in 2011; each drive we'd see "Battlefield" references around Springfield. Not knowing much about Civil War his story, a couple years later I ordered a book about from MissouriLife magazine about Missouri in the Civil War. I share a brief summary... - Missouri was delayed its entrance in to the Union due to slavery, which was not envisioned to ever expand beyond the original colonies - The Missouri Compromise allowed Maine to enter as a free state and Missouri as a slave state - 80% of Missourians opposed slavery - I did not know until I visited Wilson's Creek that most of the slaves in Missouri were located around the Missouri River and a bit north, with the southern exception being in and around Springfield - The Governor elected in 1860 ran on a pledge to remain in the Union, then changed his direction, and in his Inauguration Speech (!!), recommended joining the south - The State government had apparently anticipated the possibility of such an action, and dissolved the Government and put in place a temporary government; the Governor-no-more left the capital with confederate sympathizers - In St. Louis, home to many Germans who did not come to this great nation to see slavery, and who actively opposed it - Union soldiers sought to protect military supplies at the St. Louis Arsenal; sadly resulting in a situation that saw many killed one day, including women and children - Days after Fort Sumpter started the Civil War, battles continued in Missouri - Here at Wilson's Creek, confederate sympathizers had organized and were planning to attack Union troops; Union troops planned to find and attach the southern troops... they found one another sooner than. planned... the battle claimed the life of many, including the first Union General to die in the war - General Lyon Wilson's Creek National Battlefield has a wonderful Visitor's Center, with a helpful and educational staff, a drive with many canons and sites to see, including the Ray family house, which became the field hospital to help the wounded. The docent here shared got insights into the costs that war, around the world, also inflicts on what public... whose food is eaten by soldiers, land is camped upon, etc. This is definitely worth a visit that can be brief, or can last hours. Thank you, National Parks Service, and the Wilson's Creek Park staff! ----- -----

Great. I've been here many times, it's not far from my house. My brother is a big history nerd and…read morethis is his favorite place. He even went on a field trip with his class here about 3 months ago, they all loved it. Take it from a kid myself--bring your kids.

Such a great park with so many options for children, however they call their pickle ball courts…read moretennis courts. This came to a saddening surprise when I pulled up with tennis balls and rackets to find just a pickle ball court. Otherwise they have many double rimmed basketball courts and have something for everyone!