Elephant Rocks State Park | Belleview
Driving Distance: 90 minutes
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Named after boulders resembling elephants, Elephant Rocks State Park offers a picturesque landscape unlike any other in the Midwest. Pink granite boulders, originally formed 1.5 billion years ago from cooling molten rock, stand together in a line. Visitors can climb on and around the large rocks, in addition to navigating the Braille Trail, a 1-mile trail designed for people with visual or physical disabilities.
Ha Ha Tonka State Park | Camdenton
Driving Distance: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Ha Ha Tonka State Park is home to numerous geological beauties—caves, sinkholes, a natural spring, shoreline bluffs, and a large natural bridge—as well as the ruins of a 20th century stone castle that businessman Robert McClure Snyder began building in 1905. The area was originally home to the Osage, Cherokee, and other Indigenous peoples. “Ha Ha Tonka” is said to come from an Osage word for “laughing waters.”
Driving Distance: 1 hour
Founded in the 1740s, Ste. Genevieve was at one time largely composed of French-Canadians who farmed the fertile soil. After the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the residents became U.S. citizens. Over time, the area has maintained elements of its historic French-colonial buildings, along with influence from German immigrants that settled in the community during the 19th century. In fact, Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park was established in 2020. Today, the European-style of architecture adds to the allure of this charming town.
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium | Springfield
Driving Distance: 3 hours
This acclaimed aquarium and museum from Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris includes 1.5 miles of indoor trails and stretches more than 350,000 square feet. The immersive aquarium includes specialized exhibits that correspond with different aquatic environments: the open ocean, Great Barrier Reef, swamps, mangroves, rivers, streams, ponds, and more.
The Gentle Barn | Dittmer
Driving Distance: 1 hour
On Sundays, The Gentle Barn is open to members of the public who reserve tickets in advance. Visitors can see the barnyard’s rescued animals: pigs, chickens, turkeys, donkeys, goats, sheep, a duck, and cows, five of which escaped from a St. Louis slaughterhouse in 2017. The Gentle Barn provides a retreat into nature and ample chances for quality time and photo opportunities with the animals.
Additional Photo Opportunities:
- Giant Bookshelf at Kansas City Library (Kansas City)
- World’s Second Largest Fork (Springfield)
- Worlds Largest Spool of Thread (Hamilton)
- Former World’s Largest Rocking Chair (Cuba)
- BoatHenge (Columbia)
- Canoehenge (Leasburg)
