Although the St. Louis area is dotted with subdivisions, commercial development, highways and the hustle and bustle of city living, families don’t have to go far to find the farm life. The following area farms and attractions feature animals and farm fun for the whole family:
Adventure with dad doesn’t have to mean dad sits on the sidelines cheering at his child’s latest sporting event or school play. Occasionally it’s nice to celebrate dad with a day of fun outside the norm.
On a hot day in July 1894, Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband loaded a small wagon, hitched up the horses and with their young daughter, Rose, headed south. Their destination: a small town in south-central Missouri, where they hoped to turn 40 acres of land on a rocky ridge into a viable apple orchard. It was the seventh time in Laura's life that her family had left everything behind and started over in a new place, living in a one-room cabin, dugout or claim shack as they struggled to realize the American dream of owning their own farm.
The Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium, which opened in Springfield, Missouri, in September 2017, boasts fathoms of finny fauna, but it is the unexpected — a two-story-high cone of spiraling herring, the balletic rise and fall of iridescent jellyfish, the horror-movie leg span of spider crabs, stingrays swimming in an open circular tank like mythical winged creatures in flight — that put the "wow" in Wonders of Wildlife.
Nestled within one of the most beautiful corridors of Missouri, along the Ozark National Scenic Riverway system, is one of Missouri’s most luxurious state parks. Close enough for a day trip, or perfect for a weekend away, this Missouri treasure is worth a visit.
Looking for an adventure close to home? Step back in time when you visit Hermann Farm and Museum, which is scheduled to open for the 2024 season March 22. The 200-acre farm offers visitors the chance to see how the first German immigrants lived and farmed after arriving in 1837 in what would become Hermann.