Drury University (Missouri)

City: Springfield, MO

🌳 Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park — Springfield, MO

🎨 Springfield Art Museum — Springfield, MO

🦋 Dickerson Park Zoo — Springfield, MO

🛝 Jumpstreet Trampoline & Adventure Park — Springfield, MO

☀️ Downtown Springfield Historic District — Springfield, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Midtown Scholar Burgers — Springfield, MO

🍕 Zagone’s Pizza — Springfield, MO

🍦 Andy’s Frozen Custard — Springfield, MO

☕️ Chocolate & Spice Café — Springfield, MO

University of Illinois Springfield (Illinois)

City: Springfield, IL

🌳 Washington Park Botanical Garden — Springfield, IL

🎨 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum — Springfield, IL

🦋 Nelson Park Nature Preserve — Springfield, IL

🛝 FunStop Family Fun Center — Springfield, IL

☀️ Route 66 Drive-In & Family Fun — Springfield, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Steak ‘N’ Shake — Springfield, IL

🍕 JB’s Pizza — Springfield, IL

🍦 Mother’s House Bakery & Ice Cream — Springfield, IL

☕️ Cornerstone Cupcakes & Coffee — Springfield, IL

Lewis University (Illinois)

City: Romeoville, IL

🌳 Centennial Park — Romeoville, IL

🎨 Romeoville Recreation & Aquatic Center — Romeoville, IL

🦋 Will County Farm Heritage Center — Lockport, IL (~15 min)

🛝 Funway Entertainment Center — Joliet, IL (~20 min)

☀️ Downtown Lockport Historic District — Lockport, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Lockport Pub & Grille — Lockport, IL

🍕 Mike’s Pizza — Romeoville, IL

🍦 Donut Vault — Romeoville, IL

☕️ Obsidian Coffee Bar — Romeoville, IL

Lincoln University (Missouri)

City: Jefferson City, MO

🌳 Binder Park — Jefferson City, MO

🎨 Missouri State Museum — Jefferson City, MO

🦋 Runge Nature Center — Jefferson City, MO

🛝 Adventure Zone Family Fun — Jefferson City, MO

☀️ Missouri Riverfront Trail — Jefferson City, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Broadway Diner — Jefferson City, MO

🍕 Village Pizza — Jefferson City, MO

🍦 Mabel’s Ice Cream Parlor — Jefferson City, MO

☕️ Capital Coffeehouse — Jefferson City, MO

Maryville University (Missouri)

City: St. Louis, MO

🌳 Forest Park — St. Louis, MO

🎨 St. Louis Science Center — St. Louis, MO

🦋 Missouri Botanical Garden — St. Louis, MO

🛝 Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park — St. Louis, MO

☀️ The Loop District — St. Louis, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Blueberry Hill — St. Louis, MO

🍕 Imo’s Pizza — St. Louis, MO

🍦 Ted Drewes Frozen Custard — St. Louis, MO

☕️ Kaldi’s Coffee — St. Louis, MO

McKendree University (Illinois)

City: Lebanon, IL

🌳 Wabash Trail — Lebanon, IL

🎨 Kaskaskia College Art Gallery — Centralia, IL

🦋 Carlyle Lake Recreation Area — Carlyle, IL

🛝 Jumpstreet Central — O’Fallon, IL (~20 min)

☀️ Downtown Lebanon — family-friendly shopping & dining — Lebanon, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Westbound Station — Lebanon, IL

🍕 Chris’s Pizza — Lebanon, IL

🍦 Tiny’s Frozen Custard — Lebanon, IL

☕️ Red Roof Coffee House — Lebanon, IL

Missouri S&T (Missouri University of Science & Technology) (Missouri)

City: Rolla, MO

🌳 Mark Twain National Forest Trailheads — Rolla, MO

🎨 Rolla Downtown Art District — Rolla, MO

🦋 Ozark National Scenic Riverways (~30 min)

🛝 Funzone Arcade & Mini Golf — Rolla, MO

☀️ Historic Downtown Rolla — Rolla, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Hilltop Family Restaurant — Rolla, MO

🍕 Casuso’s Pizza — Rolla, MO

🍦 The Sundae Shop — Rolla, MO

☕️ Main Street Coffeehouse — Rolla, MO

Quincy University (Illinois)

City: Quincy, IL

🌳 Moorman Park — Quincy, IL

🎨 Quincy Art Center — Quincy, IL

🦋 Lock & Dam 21 Visitor Center — Quincy, IL

🛝 Jump Station Indoor Play — Quincy, IL

☀️ Historic Downtown Quincy — Quincy, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 One Forty Kitchen — Quincy, IL

🍕 LaRosa’s Pizzeria — Quincy, IL

🍦 Berry Ice Cream — Quincy, IL

☕️ Bourbon Street Coffeehouse — Quincy, IL

Rockhurst University (Missouri)

City: Kansas City, MO

🌳 Loose Park — Kansas City, MO

🎨 Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art — Kansas City, MO

🦋 Kansas City Zoo — Kansas City, MO

🛝 Urban Air Adventure Park — Kansas City, MO

☀️ Country Club Plaza — Kansas City, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q — Kansas City, MO

🍕 Minsky’s Pizza — Kansas City, MO

🍦 Betty Rae’s Ice Cream — Kansas City, MO

☕️ Messenger Coffee Co. — Kansas City, MO

Southwest Baptist University (Missouri)

City: Bolivar, MO

🌳 Stockton Lake Recreation Area — Bolivar, MO (water & trails)

🎨 Bolivar Makers Studio — Bolivar, MO

🦋 Pomme de Terre Lake Park — Bolivar, MO

🛝 Boomerang Family Fun Center — Bolivar, MO

☀️ Main Street Bolivar — family shops & eats — Bolivar, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Pit Stop Café — Bolivar, MO

🍕 Slice City Pizza — Bolivar, MO

🍦 Crazy Licks Ice Cream — Bolivar, MO

☕️ White Rabbit Coffee — Bolivar, MO

Truman State University (Missouri)

City: Kirksville, MO

🌳 Thousand Hills State Park — Kirksville, MO

🎨 NEMO Heritage Museum — Kirksville, MO

🦋 Forest Lake Park — Kirksville, MO

🛝 Fun Spot Family Fun Center — Kirksville, MO

☀️ Downtown Kirksville — shops & murals — Kirksville, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Kowloon Kitchen — Kirksville, MO

🍕 Pizza House — Kirksville, MO

🍦 Natalie’s Ice Cream — Kirksville, MO

☕️ Midnight Spoon Coffee — Kirksville, MO

University of Indianapolis (Indiana)

City: Indianapolis, IN

🌳 Eagle Creek Park — Indianapolis, IN

🎨 Indianapolis Children’s Museum — Indianapolis, IN

🦋 White River State Park — Indianapolis, IN

🛝 Pump It Up Indoor Play — Indianapolis, IN

☀️ Indianapolis Cultural Trail & Canal Walk — Indianapolis, IN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Shapiro’s Delicatessen — Indianapolis, IN

🍕 Bazbeaux Pizza — Indianapolis, IN

🍦 Holy Cow Ice Cream — Indianapolis, IN

☕️ Cafe Patachou — Indianapolis, IN

Illinois Springfield University

City: Springfield, IL

🌳 Washington Park Botanical Garden — Springfield, IL

🎨 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum — Springfield, IL

🦋 Henson Robinson Zoo — Springfield, IL

🎢 Knight’s Action Park — Springfield, IL

🛝 Skateland South — Springfield, IL

☀️ Route 66 Drive-In Theater — Springfield, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Charlie Parker’s Diner — Springfield, IL (as seen on Food Network!)

🍕 Gabatoni’s Restaurant — Springfield, IL

🥞 The Pancake House — Springfield, IL

🌮 La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant — Springfield, IL

🍗 D’Arcy’s Pint — Springfield, IL (famous horseshoe sandwiches)

🍦 Cold Stone Creamery — Springfield, IL

☕️ Custom Cup Coffee — Springfield, IL

🥗 Engrained Brewery & Restaurant — Springfield, IL

Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL)

City: St. Louis, MO

🌳 Forest Park — St. Louis, MO

🎨 Saint Louis Science Center — St. Louis, MO

🦋 Saint Louis Zoo — St. Louis, MO (free admission, great family stop)

🎢 Upper Limits Indoor Rock Climbing — Maryland Heights, MO

🛝 Creve Coeur Lake Park — Maryland Heights, MO (trails, picnic & playground)

🎭 The Muny — St. Louis, MO (outdoor musical theatre in summer!)

🎳 Tropicana Lanes — Richmond Heights, MO

☀️ Delmar Loop — shopping, eats & live music — St. Louis, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Fitz’s Root Beer — St. Louis, MO (homemade root beer floats!)

🍕 Imo’s Pizza — St. Louis, MO (St. Louis-style pizza)

🥞 Half & Half Café — Clayton, MO

🌮 Mission Taco Joint — St. Louis, MO

🍗 Salt + Smoke BBQ — St. Louis, MO

🍦 Ted Drewes Frozen Custard — St. Louis, MO 🍦

☕️ Kaldi’s Coffee — Clayton, MO

🥗 The Shack Breakfast & Lunch — Frontenac, MO

 Southwest Baptist University

City: Bolivar, MO

🌳 Dunnegan Memorial Park — Bolivar, MO

🎨 Bolivar City Museum — Bolivar, MO 

🦋 Stockton Lake Recreation Area — Stockton, MO (~30 min)

🎢 Bolivar Family Fun Center — Bolivar, MO (mini golf & arcade)

🛝 Bolivar City Pool — Bolivar, MO (summer splash pad)

🎳 Lightfoot Lanes — Bolivar, MO

☀️ Bolivar Downtown Square — cute shops & ice cream stops

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Local Place — Bolivar, MO (burgers & southern comfort food)

🍕 Springfield Avenue Café — Bolivar, MO

🥞 Springfield Avenue Café — Bolivar, MO (breakfast favorite!)

🌮 El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant — Bolivar, MO

🍗 Smith’s Family Restaurant — Bolivar, MO

🍦 Sweet Beginnings Frozen Yogurt — Bolivar, MO

☕️ White Rabbit Coffee Co. — Bolivar, MO

🥗 Kathy’s Pasta & Pizza — Bolivar, MO

William Jewell College

City: Liberty, MO

🌳 Stocksdale Park — Liberty, MO (playground, splash pad, and disc golf)

🎨 Liberty Jail Historic Site — Liberty, MO (great local history stop)

🦋 Belvoir Winery & Inn — Liberty, MO (family-friendly with lawn games & views)

🎢 Main Event Entertainment — Independence, MO (bowling, laser tag & arcade)

🛝 Liberty Community Center — Liberty, MO (indoor pool & fitness area)

🎳 Retro Bowl Liberty — Liberty, MO

☀️ Historic Downtown Liberty Square — Liberty, MO (shops & lunch spots)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Landing Eatery & Pub — Liberty, MO

🍕 Minsky’s Pizza — Liberty, MO

🥞 Ginger Sue’s Breakfast & Lunch — Liberty, MO

🌮 Mi Hacienda Mexican Restaurant — Liberty, MO

🍗 Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que — Kansas City, MO (25 min & worth the drive!)

🍦 Betty Rae’s Ice Cream — Kansas City, MO

☕️ Hammerhand Coffee — Liberty, MO

🥗 Jousting Pigs BBQ — Liberty, MO

Rockhurst University

City: Kansas City, MO

🌳 Loose Park Rose Garden — Kansas City, MO (perfect family picnic spot)

🎨 Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art — Kansas City, MO (great kids’ sculpture lawn)

🦋 Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium — Kansas City, MO

🎢 Science City at Union Station — Kansas City, MO (STEM & play all in one!)

🛝 The Coterie Theatre — Kansas City, MO (children’s shows)

🎭 Crown Center — Kansas City, MO (ice skating, shopping & LEGOLAND nearby!)

🎳 Pinstripes Bowling — Overland Park, KS (20 min)

☀️ The Plaza — Kansas City, MO (great walking & food scene)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que — Kansas City, MO

🍕 Minsky’s Pizza — Kansas City, MO

🥞 Succotash Café — Kansas City, MO (brunch classic)

🌮 Taco Republic — Kansas City, KS

🍗 Jack Stack Barbecue — Kansas City, MO

🍦 Betty Rae’s Ice Cream — Kansas City, MO

☕️ Messenger Coffee Co. — Kansas City, MO

🥗 The Mixx — Kansas City, MO