I had found these two ancient bridges, a throwback to a simpler time, years ago on a historic…read morebridge website. Realizing that they were the same ones I had seen pictures that a friend had posed his Shelby Mustangs on I had to go. The first visit was probably a decade ago and I brought brought my kids. We drive over the fiirst, but walked out onto the second as my truck exceeded the 3 ton weight limit. We threw rocks at the ice below and had a great time. Today was a warmer day and my wife and I finally got to go. Same thing as before walked onto the second as the weight limit is still the same. Being near 70° it was a great day to go for a walk.

When you have an extra hour or so in the Lake of the Ozarks, check out the Swinging Bridges. This…read moreis a completely free activity for all ages. Make sure to take pictures as well as a video. Your friends and family will not believe you traveled over these unusual bridges. The larger of the two bridges is known at the Grand Auglaize Swinging Bridge. It is a metal wire suspension bridge built in 1922 by Joseph A. Dice. The length of the structure is 500 feet. The main length span (wooden plank section) is 414 feet long. One of the scary factors is the Bridge is only 12 feet wide. The second smaller bridge is known at the Mill Creek Bridge. It was built in 1925 and is 135 feet in length. This Bridge is 11.1 feet wide. Take time out and explore these truly "hidden" treasures.

Always so nice going for a hike and enjoy the outdoors. My kids and dog have always enjoyed it…read morethere also. The natural arch is there if you go the right direction. Haha

This was a fun outing. We spent two or three hours here on this hike with kids 3-6, parents, and…read moregrandparents and we all were able to walk the trail. However, it is steep and narrow in places and you do go down quite a distance to the creek and you have to ascend back to the parking lot. It might be too much if you're not sure-footed. There no bathroom facilities, (at least in April) so stop at the gas station a few miles before. The bridge itself is large and we were able to walk under it to the other side. The creek was very low while we were there. The water was very clear, you could easily see the bottom of the river bed. Since the creek was low, there was a lot of exposed river rock that the kids thoroughly enjoyed picking up and throwing into the water. They had a fantastic time and slept all the way back home in the car.

Though this may not be your typical tourist attraction it is definitely a sight to be marveled. The…read moreidea of such a large dam holding so much water is so cool. At the base of the dam there is a little spot you can walk out to look at the rushing water below. There are informative signs that allow you to spend some time there and learn the history as well. When looking down at the rushing water we noticed fish jumping up trying to make it farther upstream. Which was a pretty cool sight to see. Again when looking for something to do in the ozark area, this isn't a bad pitstop. Though we did go on July 10th 2024 and there is a rather unpleasant smell when you first get down there, but still worth the stop.

Not impressed, I've seen bigger ... but best in area by a dam site. Would have given 5 stars if…read moreallowed us to complete our bungee jumping quest.

Located on the Historic Route 66, there Devil's Elbow Bridge brings in tourist and road trips…read morelooking for history and scenic sights. It is located practically in the middle of nowhere, over the big Piney River, and offers a great photo opportunity. Heads up: lots of winding, hilly roads to get there so not for those easily car sick. It's a steel truss beside that was built in 1923 and the bluff views surrounding it are one of Missouri's 7 Scenic Wonders.

The people that work here are very nice, patient, and knowledgeable. They have a lot of interesting…read morematerial on the towns in the area that existed before the dam was built, as well as some material on Ha Ha Tonka. If you're interested in niche historical info about the area, stopping here should be on your list.

If I could give zero stars, I absolutely would! The staff here are extremely rude and…read moreunprofessional. We had just pulled barely inside the gate when a woman stopped us with her car. Her very first words were, "Why are you here?" -- no greeting, no courtesy, just instant hostility. We were only there to take a quick photo of the outside and look at the grounds, as we were considering renting the venue for a wedding. We're from out of town and were in the area just for the weekend, but she immediately accused us of trespassing instead of simply asking what we needed. To make things worse, she blocked the driveway so we couldn't turn around properly, forcing us to back through the grass rather than letting us move forward a couple of feet to the wider part of the drive. I'm also quite sure her behavior was influenced by my alternative haircut and color, which made the experience feel even more judgmental and discriminatory. We will never come back here or recommend this place to anyone.

We went on the history tour, but it was disappointing. The castle itself is interesting and it was…read moreinteresting to see the interior of the building. The tour guide did his best, but his script was rather mediocre. His presentation was repetitive and I had a hard time hearing him over the sounds of the air conditioning. You were not allowed to take photographs unless you requested permission prior to taking each one you wanted. The tour opened with a short video which could have been interesting except the narrator was unintelligible. I was able to decipher about 10 words during the 6 minute film. There are a lot of stairs on the tour (no elevator) so this would not be a good tour for anyone with mobility issues.

The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City was a really nice surprise and much more impressive…read morethan I expected. The interior is beautiful, and it felt like there were miles and miles of hallways to wander, which made exploring half the fun. I could only look into the galleries through the windows, but even from a distance they looked spectacular and full of detail. The rotunda was a standout for me, especially standing underneath it and looking up at the dome, which is genuinely stunning. It is one of those places that quietly sneaks up on you and makes you glad you took the time to stop and explore.

I've visited three state capitols, and they're all special in their own way. The Missouri one has…read moresome history of its own, as being the fifth overall capitol building in the state of Missouri, and just the 3rd one in Jeff City. You can park in a nearby garage or simply in front or back of the building. Be sure to check out the art and statues on the grounds, including the Statue of Liberty replica and the Thomas Jefferson statue. On the first floor is mostly the Missouri State Museum (not to be confused with the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis) where you can learn a lot about the Show-Me State. I highly recommend checking out the large timeline of Missouri events they have there. I also highly recommend checking out the gift shop, which doesn't seem like they have very much to offer (that's probably a good thing!). If you have a State Capitols Passport Stamp book, they will gladly stamp it. The other floors consist, of course, statewide offices as well as several offices for legislative leaders. As you enter the 2nd floor from the staircase you'll see the Governor's office door right away. (No, he wasn't there at the time of my visit). Down the hall is the Lt. Gov's office as well. The Senate and State House chambers are on the 3rd floor. Be sure to check out the detailed mural of artist Thomas Hart Benton, located on the 3rd floor. And the Hall of Famous Missourians, which consist of a very eclectic group of people: Walt Disney, Scott Joplin, Rush Limbaugh, Walter Cronkite, Stan Musial and many others. If you're a fan of visiting state capitols, this is for you. Got extra time? Check out the Bicentennial Bridge (MO celebrated its 200th birthday in 2021) that leads to a small island across the railroad tracks. Unfortunately, there's not much else to do in Jeff City, but you know.

this rendition of the Population Center of the United States is accurate per the 2010 census and…read moreseems to be in a good spot; right near the middle of town, near the post office, and next to a gazebo. not sure if anyone had a postcard franchise for this but someone should've. my knowledge of this moving center dates to near the turn of the century when I noticed a roadside marker near Edgar Springs with a similar boast, in the ensuing years the population had shifted a little bit down and to the left (go figure.) and is expected to continue the trend with the release of the 2020 and later census data.

At first I was reluctant but after meeting the amazing staff I couldn't help it! I love this trend!!read more

i love this theatre company. they put on very good theatre every summer. not just good theatre,…read moregreat theatre. 5/5 stars on yelp, that is big.