DAY TRIP by Madison Yohn, Springfield News Leader
20 things to do in Springfield for under $20
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isiting Springfield, Missouri doesn’t mean you have to spend tons of money to have fun. If you’re looking for something to do this afternoon, here are 20 activities to do around Springfield, Missouri that are under $20 a person. 1. DISCOVERY CENTER
The Discovery Center is an interactive hands-on science center for all ages. Imagine, create, have fun and learn with hundreds of exhibits that explore physics, chemistry, energy, health and culture all in an environmentally friendly building. Explore galleries and exhibits such as the HighWire Bike, BodyWorks, Discovery Town and Energy Exchange. Cost: Adults $12, Children Age 3-15 $8 2. MIZUMOTO JAPANESE STROLL GARDEN
including playful otters, white-tailed deer, wolves and black bears. A reptile house, elephants, special events and more provide hours of fun. There’s even a miniature train ride, a gift shop, playground and cafe. Cost: Adults $15, Children 3-12 $10 5. RENTING KAYAKS AT LAKE SPRINGFIELD
If you want to try your hand at kayaking or canoeing, rent them at the Lake Springfield Boathouse. The facility offers 17-foot canoes, single and tandem kayaks and paddleboards. Fees are $10 per hour or $30 for four hours for single kayaks and $12 per hour or $36 for four hours for tandem kayaks and canoes. Rentals include life jackets and paddles. Cost: $10-$12 an hour 6. MINI GOLF AT FUN ACRE
The oldest attraction at the Spring- A young girl looks at a swimming otter at the For a fun golfing experience with field Botanical Gardens, the 7.5 acre, some unique holes, golf through 18Dickerson Park Zoo. springfield mo provided Mizumoto Japanese Stroll garden holes at Fun Acre Mini Golf. Pick your includes a large koi lake, moon bridge, ball and club and begin your adventure. meditation garden, tea house and traWind your way through an array of difditional Japanese garden landscaping. Built in the 1980s in ferent holes for a low price. partnership with the Springfield Sister City, Isesaki, Gunma Cost: Adult $3, Children 5-11 $1.75 Prefecture, Japan. Visit the gardens seasonally from April 7. GETAWAY GOLF through October. Getaway Golf is an engaging, interactive and educational Cost: Adults $4, Children 3-12 yrs $2 spin on miniature golf. This one-of-a-kind entertainment venue 3. SWING RIGHT GOLF (appealing to all ages and ADA compliant) is themed around Swing Right Golf, home of the world’s largest golf club, is travel and will showcase the top destinations around the between Springfield and Nixa. The course features a driving United States and the rest of the globe. From feeling like you’re range with lights, covered tees and an 18-hole miniature golf swimming in the Great Barrier Reef to walking through the course, 9 holes of which are handicapped accessible, and a new Grand Canyon, this is sure to be one experience you’ll never disc golf course. forget. For indoor fun, they have two simulators with 41 courses Cost: Adult $10.50, Children 12 and under $8.50 from around the world. 8. 1984 ARCADE Cost: Adult $6.75, Children 12 and under $4.25 Take a step back in time at 1984, a nostalgic arcade that’s home to childhood favorite video games such as Space Invad4. DICKERSON PARK ZOO ers, Smash TV and an array of pinball machines. Admission is Dickerson Park Zoo is a self-guided walking tour with a $10 per person and gets you free play on their classic video wide variety of animal exhibits. Learn about more than 500 games. Your admission is an all-night pass, with no cost for reanimals while strolling along the 1.2 miles of paved trails. The entry on the same night. zoo is organized geographically with animals from Asia, South Cost: $10 America, Australia, Africa and other parts of the world. The 9. WILD ANIMAL SAFARI Missouri Habitats area features animals native to the Ozarks, 14 VACATION NEWS
May 14-27, 2021
