This airport is one of the best I've ever flown in to or out of ! Parking is easy (and free). When…read moreyou enter, there's rarely a line. I had to wait a bit once, being early, because the ticket agent wasn't yet on duty. When they had finished checking the passengers in, they walked over to the TSA area (about 50 steps away, no joke). Then we were checked in and through TSA in about 5 minutes. On the other side, there's a be stage center and a vending machine. Probably an available, working outlet to charge a phone. It was also clean, pleasant, and not crowded. Did I mention the free parking?! This airport gets 4 stars only because it's so small there aren't many airlines or direct destinations. But by all means, fly into Joplin if you can. Springfield is big, bustling, brash. Joplin is a GEM!

To visit my relatives in Carthage, I usually fly United, SFO to Bentonville non-stop, then drive…read moreto Carthage (near Joplin) about 90 mins away. Being from the SF Bay Area, those winter roads w/ snow and ice are not my fave :( My cousin told me recently, "Joplin has a Regional Airport and you can fly right in!" So I did: SFO to Denver to Joplin. The Joplin airport is small, attractive, modern, and has two rental car options (Avis, Budget), plus all the TSA personnel and security equipment as required. On the return flight, the agent checked my bags through to SFO upon arrival, I went through security, and joined the other passengers in the comfortable boarding area. Boarding was fast and efficient. I'm a fan! Rating: 5 stars

Near the intersection of I-44 (between Tulsa and Springfield) and I-49 (between Kansas City and…read moreFort Smith), there are a bunch of large and small gas stations. Prices are very competitive and they're all within a cent of each other, and inexpensive to boot. With the extra 10 cents off per gallon for being a Love's Rewards Member, Love's was an easy choice to fill up today. The station is easily accessible from the interstate and the pump area is wide enough for your larger vehicle. Inside, lots of grab-and-go food, a variety of rolled meats on the hot dog grill and options for hot and cold drinks. Restrooms are clean, too. Be sure you're giving way to those truckers. They might not see you and they don't stop quickly with those loaded trailers. [Review 1509 of 2025 - 481 in Missouri - 25060 overall]

Cons: I don't know what it is, but I always have to use the bathroom after we get out of Oklahoma…read moreCity. And for years, I've been stopping at this gas station. It's a pain in the butt because you do have to get off the highway and drive for a few minutes. But now it's even worse . It's not this place's fault specifically. It's the construction. To get off the freeway and to get to the gas station took 25 minutes. And to get back on the freeway, took an additional 20 minutes. My husband was very upset. Pros: this has been a very trusted stop for many years. But I don't think we'll be coming back here ever again.

I was in town and we decided to go to the mall. The Northpark Mall was about fifteen minutes away…read more It's a small town mall. There's plenty of stores open. There were also stores closed. Not sure of the story. You can find diverse shops. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, sports, novelty, and a food court. We enjoyed walking in and out of different shops. We had fun in a vintage store with cool books. The Hot Topic store was a hit with the kids. They loved the Anime shirts!! When we got hungry, the food court saved us!! Overall, it's a decent mall. It's not crowded. A great place to get your steps in and people watching or window shopping!! ;)

We come up to Joplin every few weeks to see my sister and shop a few stores we don't have where we…read morelive. I like to come to the mall sometimes for Joann's, but this place is so gross. The arcade had machines down all over and mold in their claw machine, there are pictures/posters hung up around the mall with food and other nasty stuff on it, the smaller bathroom has 1 stall and is always dirty, the family restroom has a broken sink that hasn't been addressed, I could go on. Joplin needs a good cleanup all over.

Beautiful welcome center! Luckily, we arrived five minutes after they opened. I was warmly greeted,…read moreand the bathrooms were clean. Lots of merchandise to purchase and plenty of pamphlets of places to visit. 10/17/26

Being a welcome center as well as a rest stop, this place should be nicer than a rest stop, and it…read moreis! They had some cute chairs by the door, Oklahoma made items, Oklahoma clothing, plus coffee, water bottle filling stations, and hot water. Outside there was even a fenced dog park for the furry friends.

Somber memorial in a park…read more The Memorial was erected in honor of of the citizens who perished during the tragic tornado that ripped through Joplin MO on the evening of May 22, 2011. The category EF-5 rated multiple-vortex twister devastated Joplin and killed 158 people. All their names were inscribed alphabetically by last name on the plaque. It was the deadliest U.S. tornado since 1947 causing billions in damages. The tornado was a mile-wide wall of black swirling wind... I couldn't even imagine. It's so sad. There were 1,150 injuries caused by the tornado as well. Next to the memorial is a fountain enclosed by a white fence. It was a little tricky to find it but near the children's park parking lot you have to go down a small slope and you will see the small memorial. It wasn't immediately visible to the eye as we were driving to look for it. Review #1950

World's Largest Fork was one of our stops in Springfield, MO, during our Route 66 Centennial…read moreCelebration road trip in June 2026. It's located in an office park area. Parking was easy. No one was here, but us and the fork. It was a super quick visit for photo op only. It didn't have any signage of information to describe it. Then again, it's just a fork. It would have been nice to read about it's history and specifications though. Did some research afterwards... fork is stainless steel at 36 feet tall and over 11K pounds. Wow, that's a humongous fork! Nice to have met you, World's Largest Fork. Anyway, you can't climb on the fork. You could lean on it or lay in front/back of it. You can do unique poses for your photos. Other than that, there's really nothing else to do. Was it worth the stop? For me, yes it was because I got to stand next to the World's Largest Fork. My eldest daughter would say otherwise. She didn't think too much of it. Is it worth your stop? Well, it depends if you want the photo op or not. Say cheese!

The world's largest fork in Springfield, Missouri is the kind of roadside oddity that makes you…read morestop, stare, and wonder who got really hungry during a city planning meeting. At 35 feet tall and 11 tons of stainless steel, it's less a utensil and more a chrome exclamation point stabbed into the sidewalk.

We visited Branson Landing after spending the day at Silver Dollar City, and it was a really…read moreenjoyable part of the trip. The area has a nice riverfront atmosphere, and the layout with shops, restaurants, and walkable space felt much more our style compared to other parts of town. The fountain show was a surprise highlight, simple but really fun to watch, and it added a unique touch to the experience. We all enjoyed it. It's a good spot to wind down the day, get a treat, and just take in the scenery. Definitely a place we'd return to when we're back in Branson.

This was a nice surprise at the end of the historic street and all the shopping for cheap wares and…read moretourist goods. For about 2-3 blocks we saw tons of name brand stores and some I've never seen or heard of before to include H&M, Victoria's Secret, Sunglass Hut, etc. We found some fun items and some clothing and goodies for my daughter and we enjoyed looking at the menus of the restaurants here and watching the fountains. Apparently the fountain show (think Belagio set to music) is pretty cool and they do themed shows for holidays and special events at night during the summer. It was clean and everyone we spoke to here was friendly and welcoming.

I had the Beef tips special. It was delicious. The other 4…read morehad the patty melt special. All was great. Our server Laurie was fantastic!

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

What a beautiful library! We stopped by for summer reading and I was really impressed with how nice…read moreit was on both the inside and outside! The librarians in the teen and children's area were helpful and they had a lot of activities and things to see and do. We will be back soon!

I am blown away by this fabulously modern library. This isn't a 'small town' library by any means…read more It's massive, clean, and airy, with natural light pouring into the open spaces and a thoughtful design that makes it feel welcoming rather than overwhelming. Everywhere you look, there are comfortable nooks and tables with power outlets, making it super easy to settle in for work, study, or simply quiet reflection. The atmosphere is calm yet vibrant, with just enough activity to remind you that you're part of a community hub. It's the kind of place where you can lose track of time because the environment is so conducive to focus and creativity. I didn't need one of the study or work rooms today, but I was impressed by how well they're integrated into the library's layout. They offer a perfect option for anyone needing privacy, whether for a Zoom call, a group project, or uninterrupted concentration. Not just a place to borrow books - it's a destination for learning, connection, and inspiration, and I look forward to returning. [Review 1495 of 2025 - 476 in Missouri - 25046 overall]