IF YOU ONLY HAVE A DAY IN Springfield - Missouri - Brief Article

Travel America, July, 2001 by Barbara Gibbs Ostmann

Missouri's third largest city, gateway to the Ozarks, brims with attractions

Many people with one day in Springfield, Missouri, would simply head to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and spend the day there--shopping, ogling fish in the 30,000-gallon aquarium, visiting the fish and wildlife museum, practicing at the indoor firing range, dining in Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe and coming to understand why this humongous commercial outlet is Missouri's No. 1 tourist attraction.

There would be nothing wrong with that plan--but there is much more to see and do in Missouri's third largest city and the gateway to Branson and Ozark Mountain Country.

One of this year's most anticipated events is the opening November 2 of Wonders of Wildlife (WOW), the American National Fish and Wildlife Museum. WOW will house a 220,000-gallon shark tank, 140,000-gallon freshwater pond, live otter pool, cave, "walk in the Ozarks," and more. State officials are predicting that WOW will become the Smithsonian of the outdoors.

Another new-this-year attraction is the Ambler Diversity of Life Center at the Dickerson Park Zoo. The center houses reptiles, insects and amphibians. Also new this year is a three-car train that will circle the zoo. The zoo is nationally known for its Asian elephant breeding program.

Travelers will be happy to know that the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport is being expanded and updated, which makes getting to Springfield and Branson that much easier. Branson, America's "Live Entertainment Capital," is just 30 minutes south of Springfield.

Of course, many visitors arrive in Springfield by car, which is only appropriate since Springfield is the birthplace of Route 66, also called the "Mother Road." It was here in 1926 that officials first proposed the name of the new highway. In 1938, Route 66 became the first completely paved transcontinental highway in the United States, stretching from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast. You can still get your kicks on Route 66 as you follow traces of the Mother Road through the city. Be sure to stop for an old-fashioned fountain drink at Gailey's Drugstore, just around the corner on Walnut Street.

History buffs will want to visit Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in nearby Republic. The site commemorates Missouri's bloody entry into the Civil War in 1861. General Sweeny's Museum of Civil War History, on Highway ZZ across from the battlefield, houses items related to the war in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Indian Territory. The Springfield National Cemetery is the resting place of soldiers of both the North and South.

Museum lovers will enjoy the History Museum for Springfield-Greene County, housed in the Springfield City Hall, a National Register Historic Site; the Frisco Railroad Museum, devoted to the history and memorabilia of the Frisco Railway; and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, filled with sports memorabilia and interactive displays, such as the pitching cage where a 100 m.p.h. baseball is hurled toward you. The Gray-Campbell Farmstead, in Nathanael Greene Park, is a living history museum in the city's oldest house, circa 1856.

For an outdoor experience right in the city, there's the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, with its 80 acres of hills, woodlands, fields, and lakes, and three miles of hiking trails. Or maybe you'd prefer the Japanese Stroll Garden at Nathanael Greene Park, with its tea house and moon bridge.

Popular area attractions also include Fantastic Caverns, the only ride-through cave in North America, and Exotic Animal Paradise, a drive-through park where you can view hundreds of animals and birds from inside your car.

Spend a day here and you'll see for yourself that Springfield is more than a stop-off on the way to Branson; it's a good getaway destination itself.

For information, contact the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 678-8767 or (417) 881-5300; www.SpringfieldAdventures.com.

Upcoming Springfield events include:

July 27-August 5--Ozark Empire Fair

August 31-September 2--Ozark Motorcycle Jubilee

September 7-8--Greater Ozarks Blues-fest

September 15-16--1860s Lifestyle Expo at Gray-Campbell Farmstead

September 22-23--Cider Days