Belmont University (Nashville, TN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎨 Adventure Science Center — Nashville, TN

🐾 Nashville Zoo — Nashville, TN

🌳 Centennial Park — Nashville, TN

🎢 The Escape Game (family challenge) — Nashville, TN

📚 Nashville Public Library — Nashville, TN

🌻 Cheek Wood Gardens — Nashville, TN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Burger Up — Nashville, TN

🍕 Five Points Pizza — Nashville, TN

🍦 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Nashville, TN

🍩 Five Daughter’s Doughnuts — Nashville, TN

🌮 Lady Bird Taco — Nashville, TN

Bradley University (Peoria, IL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Peoria Riverfront Museum — Peoria, IL

🐾 Peoria Zoo — Peoria, IL

🌳 Forest Park Nature Center — Peoria Heights, IL

🎢 Kartville Family Fun Park — Peoria, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 One World Café — Peoria, IL

🍕 Agatucci’s Restaurant — Peoria, IL

🍦 Emo’s Dairy Mart — Peoria, IL

Drake University (Des Moines, IA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎨 Science Center of Iowa — Des Moines, IA

🐾 Blank Park Zoo — Des Moines, IA

🌳 Pappajohn Sculpture Park — Des Moines, IA

🎢 Adventureland Resort — Altoona, IA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Zombie Burger + Drink Lab — Des Moines, IA

🍕 Fong’s Pizza — Des Moines, IA

🍦 Black Cat Ice Cream — Des Moines, IA

Evansville University (Evansville, IN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Children’s Museum of Evansville — Evansville, IN

🐾 Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden — Evansville, IN

🎨 Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science — Evansville, IN

🌳 Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve — Evansville, IN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Turoni’s Pizzery & Brewery — Evansville, IN

🍕 Angelo’s Italian Restaurant — Evansville, IN

🍦 Zesto Drive-In — Evansville, IN

Illinois State University (Normal, IL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎢 Miller Park Zoo — Bloomington, IL

🌳 Constitution Trail — Normal, IL

🎨 Children’s Discovery Museum — Normal, IL

🧠 Prairie Aviation Museum — Bloomington, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Medici in Normal — Normal, IL

🍕 Flingers Pizza Pub — Bloomington, IL

🍦 Carl’s Ice Cream — Bloomington, IL

Indiana State University (Terre Haute, IN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Terre Haute Children’s Museum — Terre Haute, IN

🌳 Deming Park — Terre Haute, IN

🎨 Swope Art Museum — Terre Haute, IN

🎢 Bogey’s Family Fun Center — Terre Haute, IN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Square Donuts Café — Terre Haute, IN

🍕 Wise Pies Pizza — Terre Haute, IN

🍦 The Z Place — Terre Haute, IN

Missouri State University (Springfield, MO)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🐾 Dickerson Park Zoo — Springfield, MO

🧠 Discovery Center of Springfield — Springfield, MO

🎢 Springfield Botanical Gardens — Springfield, MO

🌊 Fantastic Caverns — Springfield, MO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Grad School — Springfield, MO

🍕 PaPPo’s Pizzeria — Springfield, MO

🍦 Andy’s Frozen Custard — Springfield, MO

Murray State University (Murray, KY)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Central Park & Playhouse in the Park — Murray, KY

🎢 Maggie’s Jungle Golf — Gilbertsville, KY

🎨 Wrather West Kentucky Museum — Murray, KY

🌊 Kentucky Lake Recreation Area — Benton, KY

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Mugsy’s Hideout — Murray, KY

🍕 Matt B’s Main Street Pizza — Murray, KY

🍦 The Keg — Murray, KY

University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎨 Phelps Youth Pavilion — Waterloo, IA

🌳 George Wyth State Park — Cedar Falls, IA

🎢 Lost Island Waterpark — Waterloo, IA

🧠 Bluedorn Science Imaginarium — Waterloo, IA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Brown Bottle — Cedar Falls, IA

🍕 Tony’s La Pizzeria — Cedar Falls, IA

🍦 4 Queens Dairy Cream — Waterloo, IA

Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Giant City State Park — Makanda, IL

🎢 The Science Center — Carbondale, IL

🎨 African American Museum of Southern Illinois — Carbondale, IL

🌊 Campus Lake Trail — Carbondale, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Fat Patties — Carbondale, IL

🍕 Quatro’s Deep Pan Pizza — Carbondale, IL

🍦 Cool Spoons Frozen Yogurt — Carbondale, IL

University of Illinois Chicago (Chicago, IL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🦖 Field Museum — Chicago, IL

🐠 Shedd Aquarium — Chicago, IL

🦓 Lincoln Park Zoo — Chicago, IL

🎨 Chicago Children’s Museum — Navy Pier, Chicago, IL

🌳 Maggie Daley Park — Chicago, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria — Chicago, IL

🍔 Portillo’s Hot Dogs — Chicago, IL

🥞 Wildberry Pancakes and Café — Chicago, IL

🌮 Big Star — Chicago, IL

🍦 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Chicago, IL

Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, IN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎨 Brauer Museum of Art — Valparaiso, IN

🌳 Rogers-Lakewood Park — Valparaiso, IN

🎢 Zao Island Family Fun Center — Valparaiso, IN

🌊 Indiana Dunes State Park — Chesterton, IN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Radius Restaurant — Valparaiso, IN

🍕 Greek’s Pizzeria — Valparaiso, IN

🍦 Valpo Velvet Ice Cream — Valparaiso, IN