This was a nice break with a playground (three stories!) and walking paths as we explored Joplin…read more Cunningham Park was originally known as Cunningham Grove and was donated to the city by Thomas W. Cunningham, who was the mayor of Joplin at the time. Cunningham was a significant figure in Joplin's development, contributing to various sectors such as banking, mining, and philanthropy. In 1897, Cunningham donated eight acres of land to the city for use as a public park. The deed was officially dated on July 5, 1898, and the park was dedicated in the early 1900s1. Cunningham Park became the first park in the Joplin Parks System. Over the years, the park has seen many enhancements, including the addition of a fountain, playgrounds, a swimming pool, and picnic areas. The park was also a central location for community gatherings and celebrations1. Unfortunately, the park was destroyed by an EF-5 tornado in 2011, but the community came together to rebuild it. Today, Cunningham Park stands as a symbol of resilience and community spirit. We were here to walk around the park and to see The Miracle of The Human Spirit monument. [Review 2323 of 2024 - 392 in Missouri - 23337 overall]

Cunningham Park is a vast oasis of everything a city park should be. Sporting fields, trails, lots…read moreof playgrounds with nice equipment, water features, picnic and gathering facilities and a world class memorial garden. The Memorial garden is what caused me to visit and pay respect to those 161 Joplin residents that lost their lives to one of the worst tornadoes in American history. The garden consists of natural rock, sculptures, fountains, informational signage and a vast array of beautiful plants and flowers that are well maintained. The park was in the direct path of the tornado and offers great vantage points to see what was, what remains and what was rebuilt in the vicinity. My visit was during a slight rain shower with approaching storm clouds; which only added to the somber and reflective visit. A must see for anyone traveling in the vicinity of Joplin.

On the east side of Cunningham Park is the Butterfly Garden and Overlook Memorial. This beautiful,…read moresweet & moving memorial honors the victims and tells the story of the May 22, 2011 EF5 Tornado that devastated that area of Joplin Missouri. Reading the statistics and stories on the plaques in the garden brought tears to our eyes. The garden is so serene to walk through with beautiful flowers, butterflies flying around, with a waterwall of hope and benches to sit on to take in its tranquility. The BUTTERFLY GARDEN AND OVERLOOK MEMORIAL is so worth pulling off the freeway while traveling through Joplin or if in town, just taking the time to see it and pay your respects! *There are angels and they saved many that day!!

Cute little park near North Park Mall in northern Joplin. Small, flat trails for getting steps in…read moreand taking the pupper for a walk. There is a picnic area and playground - definitely give off the feeling of a nice family-friend park.

This is a great park. It has swings and two play sizes of playground equipment, one for the little…read morekids and one for the bigger kids. They have Outdoor grills and a covered area for birthday orator and get togethers. We have had a couple kids birthday parties there and it was great. They do have restrooms but like any outdoor park, they are not very clean. They also have a long walking path, a tennis court, and a large backstop for softball or baseball or just pitching practice. It's located right behind Toys-r-us but you have to take 4th street to get there so there is not much traffic. It's all FREE and pet friendly. Truly a great place to spend time with your family on a nice day.

I lived in Kansas City for several years, and this was my favorite weekend trip. It's a great…read moreplace to appreciate the beauty of the dwindling natural prairie, and the roaming buffalo are a treat this far east. It's not a huge park, you could hike the entire thing in one day. The "campground" is a tiny two sites & vault toilet, but this often means you have the place to yourself. If you don't want to rough it and/or prefer to sample some great fried chicken, Pittsburg, KS, is a short drive away.

Off the beaten path definitely describes this State Park located not far from the Kansas border. I…read morestumbled across Prairie State Park while storm chasing and loved the solitude it provided. There is nothing quite like standing in the middle of a tall grass prairie with supercell thunderstorms all around you and you can see the gusts of wind move the grass in giant waves. While many of you will not visit in the middle of a storm chase, it's definitely a beautiful place. The small but info packed visitors center has limited days of operation, check the website before heading out there if you want to go inside it. And yes they have a herd of buffalo that sometimes you can see. Sometimes it seems the prairie swallows them up. But if you get to see them it just seems like an ideal setting for the experience. They have trails that are worth a walk. Bring your own water, don't assume you will find any at the visitors center. Naturally, 4 Stars.

Cute little non-profit garden. 100% volunteer run…read more Woman sitting in office was very friendly and informative - provided great history of the garden and information for local tourist spots :) Came here on a Wednesday afternoon and it was very peaceful. Great place to meditate and get grounded!

Love this place. Very peaceful and beautiful. Make sure to bring quarters to feed the fish.read more

Stopped here on our way out of town. It's a fun place to stop and realize you're in different…read morestates at one time (the girls thought that was super cool). Definitely worth a stop! Only reason I gave it 4 stars is because you almost don't realize it's there and not much signage.

I've been in two states at the same time before. That's easy. I've been in the east and the west at…read morethe Royal Observatory in London https://www.yelp.de/biz/royal-observatory-greenwich?hrid=1QtILqtPjHye7oSXzIIR_w. I've not been in four states at the same time I didn't make it to the four corners https://www.yelp.com/biz/four-corners-monument-teec-nos-pos?uid=hWDybu_KvYLSdEFzGrniTw but now I can say that I've been in THREE states at the same time! Located where the Oklahoma Turnpike crosses over into Missouri and that's conveniently next to Kansas as well. It's ten minutes to get off the highway, drive around the roundabout and then go about a half mile down a dirt road. Circle around at the end and park near the big stone tower. Oklahoma and Missouri and Kansas. Pretty neat and worth the detour. Note that the road and the marker are not illuminated at night. [Review 16287 overall - 109 in Missouri - 1793 of 2021.]

Roaring river is a great place! they have bathrooms electric access a Hatchery that YOU CAN SEE!!!…read moreif you love fishing it's definitely for you accessible docks and swimming area nice scenery and cheapish

Super clean! Great hike even with kids ages 3-9! The caves were cool, stream was fun as well!read more

FYI: Might be a bit verbose and more a review for the 15 mile point to point hiking trail…read more I knew what I was up against, and went anyway. Read on a trails app that it was technical--yes, yes it was. And also read a review in that same app left on Oct 12 ish, that water might be scarce due to drought--that said, my friend and I left a water stash at a gravel road drive, off the trail about 3 miles from the east trailhead. My Subaru and I were NOT ready for the roughness of the terrain--first time "Off road." Got in and out unscathed! Yay! We started the trek later than we thought we would--which is fine, because the scenery was great! Such a beautiful area! Worth the 2-hour ish drive. Made it through the "Squeeze" downhill. Packed in about 1.25 before we decided to pitch our tents. Had dinner on one of the scenic bluffs during sunset and as you can imagine, a wee bit chilly but a stunning view, so it was worth it! Next day, had breakfast on the bluff during sunrise--what a treat! Then headed out to our water stash. We decided we were achy enough to not go back the way we came. Went to our water stash and refueled. Used that (Subaru terrain) rocky road to go back to the main road and follow it back to the car park. *What I learned: as a newbie backpacker it was challenging, but probably would be even if I wasn't? I carried about a 30 pound backpack--probably packed some fears in there--but now I know. Would I go again and do things differently?? Heck yes!!

Great hiking trail. The whole things is like 15 miles so pack in water with a bladder or something…read moreand don't attempt when 107. Ask me how I know, lol. Great views, but watch for spider webs, poison ivy, and check afterwards for ticks in the summer.

We drove all the way in to the creek. We didn't have time to wonder down any of the trails, but…read moretook a little time to view what looked like a natural spring that ran into the river. Large tree (and i mean large) is shading the rock wall area where picnic tables sit below in the shade. Great little place to stop for a little get away off the beaten path.

This is a lovely facility to visit. Very educational and informative! The walking trails are great!…read moreYou may bring your dog on a leash. Be sure to bring your little poopie bags for any waste. I definitely think you should visit there!

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.