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Top Attractions in Springfield

Fantastic Caverns

Fantastic Caverns is a show cave located in Springfield, Missouri. Fantastic Caverns is the only cave in North America to offer a completely ride-through tour, which lasts 55 minutes and is held in a Jeep-drawn tram. The trams drive along the path left behind by an ancient underground river. Tram occupants are encouraged to touch a particular section of low ceiling dead stalactites. The cavern was discovered by John Knox and his hunting dog in 1862. Knox did not want the cave to be exploited by the Union or Confederate governments as a possible source of saltpeter, so he kept the caves existence quiet until 1867. Knox put an advertisement in the Springfield paper for someone to explore the cave, and it was first explored on February 14, 1867. On February 27, almost two weeks later, the Springfield Womens Athletic Club explored the cave. These twelve ladies are considered the first explorers of the cave, since they carved their names into the rock as graffiti and are mentioned in an article published in the Springfield Tri-Weekly Patriot newspaper. The cave was renamed "Fantastic Caverns" in the 1950s. The caverns were used as a speakeasy during the Prohibition years and hosted music concerts during the 1950s and 1960s The shows were broadcast on KGBX radio in the 1970s. The temperature inside Fantastic Caverns is about 60 °F year-round. In the winter and fall, billboards advertise that the cave is a "warm 60 degrees," while in the summer and spring, billboards advertise the caverns to be a "cool 60 degrees." The cave hosts over 100,000 visitors a year. Fantastic Caverns is 6 miles from Jefferson Avenue 562-foot Footbridge and near Ritter Springs Park.

Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium

The American National Fish and Wildlife Museum, doing business as Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium, also known as Wonders of Wildlife Zooquarium or just Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri, showcases more than 225 species of live animals, fresh and saltwater aquariums, interactive displays and educational programs. The 92,000-square-foot facility, designed by Cambridge Seven Associates, opened on November 2, 2001. The attraction closed in December 2007, with the announcement of a planned expansion that would have increased the square footage of the facility by 58 percent, at a cost of $25 million. Subsequently, museum representatives have announced a much more ambitious expansion, at a cost of about $80 million. They expected to open the Conservation Education Center by the end of December 2011, with the rest of the museum planned to be open by December 2012. As of 2015, the museum is still closed for expansion. It is currently planned to reopen in 2016 as America's Wildlife Museum & Aquarium. Additions to the planned museum include the incorporation of the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame, currently based in Dania Beach, Florida, and the display of the Boone and Crockett Club's North American Heads and Horns Collection of big game mounts, currently housed at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

Riverbluff Cave

The Riverbluff Cave is a paleontological site discovered in the United States, near Springfield, Missouri. The entrance is filled with stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The cave is about 830,000 years old and 610 m long, featuring the Pleistocene fossils, notably of the short-faced bear the largest bear species on the Earth . The cave Is located in the widespread karst landscape of the Springfield Plateau of the western Missouri Ozarks and developed within the soluble Mississippian limestones of the region. It was unveiled accidentally on September 11, 2001 when engineers were blasting for a new road. The cave is not open to the public, but is the worlds second cave to be wired for virtual tours. The Riverbluff Cave Field House opened in 2009 with exhibits of fossils from Riverbluff Cave and from around the world.

Jefferson Avenue Footbridge

The 562-foot Jefferson Avenue Footbridge in Springfield, Missouri. Built in 1902, it allows pedestrians to cross 13 sets of railroad tracks. As the footbridge approached its 100th anniversary, it became apparent that a major rehabilitation was required to preserve the aging structure. The City of Springfield partnered with the Commercial Club and the Urban Districts Alliance to obtain federal transportation enhancement grants and Community Development Block Grant funding to save the historic footbridge. In addition to the extensive rehabilitation work on the footbridge, a gathering place plaza was created adjacent to the Commercial Street terminus. The rehabilitation work was conducted in 2001 and 2002 at a cost of just over $518,000. Nearly 100 years after the original footbridge was constructed, the rehabilitated structure was reopened to pedestrian traffic and rededicated April 17, 2002. Trainwatching from the bridge is a popular activity.

Gillioz Theatre

The Gillioz Theatre was built by M. E. Gillioz of Monett, Missouri. Mr. Gillioz was in the business of building bridges, and the theater was built with steel and concrete. Wood was only used for handrails, doors, and doorframes. The original cost of the building was $300,000. Renovation costs totaled approximately $1.9 million. The theater opened on October 11, 1926, in Springfield, Missouri. Gillioz managed to secure a 100-year lease on one 16-foot wide piece of property which bordered on U.S. Route 66, so that the theater could garner patrons who traveled on that historic highway. After many prosperous years, and many not-so-prosperous years, the "Gillioz, Theatre Beautiful" finally offered its last show in the summer of 1980, an opera. The theater was originally a transition theater, with a pipe organ for silent movies and a stage for live performances, such as vaudeville acts. A sound system was installed in 1928 with the advent of talkies. The Gillioz is mainly a concert venue. The Gillioz host a variety of entertainment such as Death Cab For Cutie, Switchfoot, Blue October, Gabriel Iglesias and more. Capacity for general admission is 1300 and for reserved seating there is 1015.

Landers Theatre

The Landers Theatre in Springfield, Missouri, built in 1909, is the second oldest and largest civic theater operation in Missouri. It has been in continuous use either as a legitimate theatre or a movie theater since it opened. In 1928, the theater became the 35th facility in the world to acquire sound film. It was designed by architects Carl Boller and Brother in association with Hickenlively and Mark of Springfield in a French-influenced neoclassical style. The theater is unusual in its use of wood for nearly all structural framing, in contrast with the steel and cast iron more usually employed in its time. D.J. Landers, the original owner, was in the lumber business, providing a possible explanation. Where steel is employed, it uses unusual bonded steel and masonry assemblies. The theater was designed for live performance, with a large stage and supporting spaces. The theaters street facade employs Missouri limestone piers with terra cotta cornices, cartouches, quoins and parapets. Infill between these decorative elements is brick. A fire in 1920 completely gutted the stage area, but the remainder was saved by the fireproof asbestos curtain. Subsequent renovations moved the orchestra pit behind the curtain and raised the boxes. Heavy clear-span beams replaced columns supporting the balconies, and the Jim Crow-era ticket booth for "coloreds" and its separate entrance were removed. From March 17–September 22, 1961, NBC-TV carried a live country music variety program from the theater, Five Star Jubilee, on Friday nights; the first network color television series to originate outside of New York City or Hollywood. First-run films continued to be shown on the other six nights of the week. Landers was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, significant for the preserved Baroque Renaissance, Napoleon architectural style. A number of major restoration projects have been undertaken, and the most recent restorations have been cited with awards from the American Institute of Architects. It is currently the home of the Springfield Little Theatre.

JQH Arena

JQH Arena is a basketball and special events arena in Springfield, in the U.S. state of Missouri. Constructed at a cost of $67 million, the arena opened in 2008. It is located on the campus of Missouri State University and is the home of the Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams; it is often referred to by MSU students as "the Q." JQH Arena has a maximum seating capacity of 11,000. Included in the seating capacity are 9,637 chairback seats, 122 seats for permanently disabled guests, 114 loge seats and 22 private suites. Fifty-five courtside seats are arranged for basketball games and 1,363 bleacher back seats in the end zones are reserved for students. There are 166 public restroom stations (98 for women and 70 for men), six concession stands with 42 points-of-sale plus twelve additional portable locations, and 2 elevators. Located just off the main lobby area is a team store selling Missouri State University apparel and souvenirs. Maximum seating for concerts with an end stage is 10,542. The arena bears the initials of John Q. Hammons, a Springfield-based hotel developer and Missouri State alumnus who donated $30 million for the arena's construction. JQH Arena replaced the Hammons Student Center in terms of function and is connected with the Hammons Student Center via an underground corridor. The band Eagles played the inaugural concert at JQH on November 13, 2008, in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,550. In the fall of 2009, the PBR made their first Built Ford Tough Series appearance at the JQH Arena, and are slated to appear again in September 2010.

Discovery Center of Springfield

The Discovery Center of Springfield in Springfield, Missouri, is an interactive hands-on museum committed to inspiring people of all ages with a lifelong love of learning and an appreciation of the world and our place in it. Its history goes back to the late 1980s when a group of community volunteers led by the junior league of Springfield began a feasibility study for a childrens hands-on museum project for Springfield and the Ozark region. It was determined that a hands-on museum could provide a unique learning environment that would help cultivate childrens curiosity and imagination, confidence, communication, interaction and interpretive skills. They believed the potential exhibits and programs developed could appeal to all ages and stages of learners. Individual learning styles of children and families would be nurtured with the intent to excite and engage visitors on various educational topics with the goal to inspire a love of learning to empower children to have a more positive outcome in their academic and lifelong pursuits. In 1991 Discovery Center of Springfield was incorporated. Over the next six years the volunteer board of directors and other committed community volunteers planned the building purchase and renovation, exhibits and program development and business operation. Since its opening in January 1998, the DCS has developed and added a great number of programs and exhibits. Collaboration has been the key to the success of this regional facility. Likewise, it is critical that the DCS partners with other agencies, individuals, foundations and businesses to achieve their respective goals. The DCS has established itself as a leader in the region of unique and engaging educational experiences. In 2000, they completed a master plan process and determined it was time to begin planning for expansion. In September 2006 DCS celebrated the opening of a new 30,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold certified building expansion with additional exhibits. This expansion and the educational messages evident throughout the building have led the way to an impressive environmental sustainability movement in this area.

Hammons Field

Hammons Field is a minor league ballpark in downtown Springfield, Missouri, with a capacity of 7,986 plus approximately 2,500 general admission seating. The facility, funded entirely by local businessman, hotel mogul and benefactor John Q. Hammons, is the centerpiece of the midtown development project, Jordan Valley Park, on the corner of Sherman Avenue and Trafficway Boulevard. Completed in April 2004, it is home to the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals as well as the Missouri State University Bears. Hammons built the ballpark before he had a minor league team secured to play in the stadium, though he steadfastly assured local residents it would be the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. He was ultimately able to persuade the Cardinals to purchase the El Paso Diablos franchise of the Texas League from the Brett Bros. and relocate it to Springfield. They became the Springfield Cardinals soon thereafter when the parent club ended its brief two-year affiliation with the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League.

Cooper Tennis Complex

The Cooper Tennis Complex is a tennis center located in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri with an entrance at 2331 East Pythian Street. The complex opened in 1994. Mediacom Stadium, home of the Springfield Lasers of World TeamTennis since 1996, is located within the complex. The stadium has a seating capacity of 2,500 people. In addition to the stadium, the complex has 16 other outdoor lighted courts and 12 indoor courts. There are also a full-service pro shop offering racquet stringing and grip services, locker rooms with showers, a fitness room with exercise equipment and free weights, a conference room and a meeting area located on the complex grounds. Programs and lessons are available for all ages and skill levels. The complex's tennis courts are available to the public for a fee. Discounted rates and, in some cases, free court time are available to those who hold annual or summer memberships. In addition to being the home of the Springfield Lasers, the complex is also the home of the Missouri State Bears college tennis team and has hosted Fed Cup matches, Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association tournaments, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II national championships, national 12 and under championships, Missouri high school championships and various United States Tennis Association programs.

Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary is a seminary located in Springfield, Missouri. As of Summer 2009, the seminary offers the Master of Divinity , Master of Arts in Counseling, Christian Ministries, Intercultural Ministries, and Theological Studies, the Doctor of Ministry , the Doctor of Missiology , the Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies and the Ph.D. in Bible and Theology degrees. The enrollment as of Fall 2006 was 474. A.G.T.S. is the only seminary endorsed by the Commission on Christian Higher Education of the Assemblies of God USA. The seminary is accredited professionally by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and regionally by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to award graduate degrees.

Battlefield Mall

Opened in 1970, Battlefield Mall, located in Springfield, Missouri, is 1.2 million square feet on one level ( in some anchor stores). Battlefield mall is the largest shopping mall in the area. Overall, the mall comprises more than 150 tenants, including JCPenney, Macy's, Sears and two Dillard's locations as anchor stores. The original Dillard's in the mall was sold to Famous-Barr, who converted to Macy's in 2006, while the existing Home Store is a former Montgomery Ward. Major updates to the mall occurred in 2002. The mall is owned by Simon Property Group. The mall's name is derived from the fact that it is located at the corner of Glenstone and Battlefield Road, a major thoroughfare in Springfield. The street name is, in turn, taken from the city of Battlefield, Missouri, which is named in honor of Battle of Wilson's Creek, a famous American Civil War battle that took place near the area.

Missouri State University

Missouri State University , formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and was founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 22,385 in the fall 2014 semester. In 2011, students represented 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and 83 countries. The Springfield campus is one of two degree-granting institutions within the Missouri State University System, the other being a two-year campus in West Plains, Missouri. A bachelor of science in business from MSU is offered at the Missouri State University Branch Campus Dalian in the People's Republic of China. In addition to its main campus, MSU maintains a fruit research station in Mountain Grove and the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies program housed in Fairfax, Virginia. The school is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as one of six master's colleges and universities in Missouri. In the 2014 U.S. News and World Report the school was ranked 68th in the category Midwestern regional universities.
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