Back in the day when TWA flew out of St. Louis to Springfield, Illinois, and Springfield, Missouri, from side-by-side gates, at least one passenger got on the wrong plane. The potential graduate student was supposed to head to our city for an interview but sheepishly called from the Missouri Springfield to say he had mixed up the two cities.
While an airline faux pas like that has likely gone the way of TWA, the Springfield, Missouri, visitors' bureau does field inquiries about Abraham Lincoln. "We get calls all the time asking when the presidential museum opens," one of the volunteers said.
It is doubtful Lincoln ever set foot in the southwest Missouri city of 170,000, but plenty of Route 66 visitors do. In fact, the city claims to be the birthplace of the Mother Road. Apparently, an entrepreneur from Tulsa and one from Springfield, Missouri, met there to push the federal government to build the paved road linking Chicago and Los Angeles and to name it U.S. 66.
The city sports a plaque commemorating the birthplace, lots of banners promoting the highway, several vintage hotels and the Route 66 Car Museum with a private collection of 75 vehicles from 1907 to 1980.
Opened eight years ago, the 20,000-square-foot museum draws Route 66 travelers. "We get people from all over the world, of all ages," employee Mark Johnson said, pointing to the guest book for the week with names from Australia, France, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
"Springfield is really a car town," he added, and it hosts the Hot Rod Nationals and national conventions for such brands as Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Almost all of the museum's cars have license plates, and two mechanics keep them in running condition, Johnson said.
If old cars aren't your thing, Springfield, Missouri, offers plenty of other attractions, including a world-class aquarium, a lovely Japanese garden, a rare ride-through cave, an active brewery district, a significant Civil War battlefield and the Class AA Springfield Cardinals baseball team. The two Springfields are about 300 miles apart, so travelers from here should plan more than a one-day visit. They can easily find plenty to do.
The World of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium earned the "best aquarium" title from USA Today in 2023, and it is easy to see why. The 1.5-million-gallon aquarium is home to 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, plus boats used by Ernest Hemingway, Zane Grey and Jimmy Buffett. The wildlife museum features realistic displays of animal habitats from around the world.
But bring your credit cards as the venue is not cheap with entry fees of $45 for adults and $25 for children on busy days. The prices drop slightly on less popular days, and a two-day ticket yields a better per-day deal. You can pay extra to get close to penguins or spend 15 minutes in an underwater cage with an air helmet to "dive" with sharks.
The attraction is in the same building as the original and massive Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, which includes small free museums dedicated to fly fishing, cars and the company's history, along with plenty of outdoor gear and cafes.
For another taste of nature, head to the Springfield Botanical Gardens, a popular spot for walking and biking. The gardens include a butterfly house, an old farmstead, ornamental plantings and the Mizumoto Japanese Garden, the oldest attraction. Its 7.5 acres include a meandering path beside a large koi pond, moon bridge, mediation spots, a tea house and traditional Japanese garden landscaping.
On the city's edge, you can find Fantastic Caverns, billed as America's ride-thru cave. Porous limestone and dolomite combine in Missouri to dot the state with caves formed by underground rivers. Visitors to Fantastic Caverns board a tram for an easy ride through part of an ancient cave system filled with formations. If you are there in the heat of the summer, the ride provides a cool respite at 60 degrees.
Springfield's active brewery scene offers another type of respite. Perhaps helped by the presence of Missouri State University close to downtown, the city has plenty of places to quench your thirst, including at least eight brewing companies, a distillery and a plethora of coffee shops.
The university's culture also is likely responsible for a variety of eating places, including a Chinese restaurant that claims to be the originator of cashew chicken, a Dutch restaurant, a nostalgic Steak 'n Shake with curbside service and plenty of places to find ethnic food.
South of town is Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, a must for Civil War buffs and others interested in learning about history. You can drive through the area that was home to the war's second battle and the site where the first Union general died. A short film in the visitors center and displays provide good background for your visit. One surprising fact is Missouri had the third-most Civil War military engagements, just behind Virginia and Tennessee.
Back in downtown Springfield, it's OK to be a little envious of the attractive Hammons Field, home to the Cardinals' 2A baseball team. You can join the crowd for a home game in season or check out the nearby indoor ice rink open all year.
Other Springfield spots of interest include the Dickerson Park Zoo, the Springfield Art Museum, the History Museum on the Square, Discovery Center children's museum and the Missouri Institute of Natural Science. The MSU campus is worth a drive through.
And while you are getting your kicks on Route 66, you can remember our Springfield still has Lincoln.
For more information about Springfield, Missouri, or to order a visitor guide, go to www.springfieldmo.org.
Mary Bohlen, a Springfield travel writer, enjoyed her visit to the Missouri counterpart but still prefers the Illinois version. She taught journalism at the University of Illinois Springfield for 30 years.
