One of the best things about living at Linkside in Columbia, Mo., is how close you are to dozens of great day-trip destinations! Whether it's a day trip, or an easy overnight stay...you'll love the history, variety and beauty that Missouri offers...all within easy reach of Columbia.
Big City Sights
Columbia is smack dab in the middle of I-70 — halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo. — so that automatically gives you some great, easily accessible options, such as the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, The Aquarium and Union Station shopping at Country Club Plaza in Kansas City or the National WWI Museum and Memorial. This museum complex, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the little-known wonders of the state — yet it ranks as one of the top 25 museums in the entire country, according to TripAdvisor.
Beyond the obvious allure of these two bigger Midwest cities and all they offer, there are other great close-by day-trips to consider. Here are a few:
Our State Capitol
Jefferson City, the state’s centre of government is home to the beautiful state capitol building set along the banks of the Missouri River. If you tour the Capitol Building, be sure to allow plenty of time to leisurely stroll the museum on the first floor. And don’t stop with the Capitol Building! Be sure to visit the Governor's Mansion and the historic Jefferson Landing. If spooky tours tickle your fancy, be sure to visit the Missouri State Penitentiary. If the weather is beautiful and the outdoors is more your vibe, the Runge Conservation Nature Center is a day well spent. And no visit to Jefferson City is ever complete without a stop at the Central Dairy Ice Cream Parlor!
A Myriad of Museums
Boonville boasts the city’s Visitors Center and the River, Rails & Trails Museum and the Mitchell Antique Motorcar Museum as well as the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel. The former is located just across from the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in the historic depot district, and the center and museum are housed in a restored building that was home to the Hirsch Wholesale Grocer Co. in 1902. Look for the wholesale grocer’s painted black and white sign on the building, next to the old-fashioned advertisement for Newton’s Fidelity Flour, a popular flour in the early 1900s. Spend time at the Motorcar Museum and you’ll leave with an appreciation of the Mitchell Motorcar and the efforts of the company’s great-great grandson to preserve a major piece of American automotive history.
Nearby Fulton, Mo. is the home of the National Churchill Museum at Westminster College. Go there to learn about the connection between Fulton and Winston Churchill: Leave there inspired, knowing what one human being can do for the rest of humanity.
Who knew Sedalia, Mo., had a world-class contemporary art museum? The Daum Museum of Contemporary Art is the perfect place to explore contemporary art if you're unfamiliar with it.The Daum is a quiet, peaceful space, enclosing three levels of galleries.
Looking for a Weekend Excursion?
The Call of the Wild
If the great outdoors is more your style, take a trip to Springfield, Mo., and see the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. The nonprofit Wonders of Wildlife is a tribute to those who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land and water, and was the brainchild of
Johnny Morris, conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops. The 350,000-square-foot museum and aquarium complex houses more than 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, representing 800 species, and hundreds more mounted specimens displayed in lifelike dioramas.
Branson Beckons
Not far from the Wonders of Wildlife, you'll find nearby Branson, Mo., an entertaining option all on its own, with an arcade atmosphere, Silver Dollar City, shops, live stage shows and more.
Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, just south of Branson, is another nice spot. Fishing, hiking, horseback riding — it’s all there waiting for you. If golf is your game, you’re in luck. Five different pro courses make up Big Cedar Lodge Nature Links.
What Are You Waiting For?
When you make the move to Linkside in Columbia, Mo., you're also moving closer to all the rich resources that the Show-Me State has to offer! Have a favorite Missouri destination that we haven’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments!
