Where to stay

One slogan for Springfield tourism is "It's all downtown." That's true for the wide variety of cultural attractions in and near the center of the city. Book a hotel in Downtown Springfield, where perform-ing arts include ballet, symphony, and more. Museums range from the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum to the Route 66 Car Museum. The Springfield Art Museum in the nearby Phelps neighbor-hood has artwork, classes, and even an annual Shakespeare theater series. Hotels in the Parkwood Survival part of downtown are near the impressive Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks. Stay in the Weller region downtown to attend an event at Pythian Castle, a rather unusual structure in this part of the country. To the south, Ozark is a good place to stay to go antiquing at numerous shops and stands. Accommodations in Strafford are near the historic path for iconic Route 66.

Springfield has exciting activities above and below the ground. Stay in Downtown Springfield to visit beautiful green spaces just southwest, including Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, Smith Golf Course, Springfield Greene County Botanical Center, Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, and Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park. To the north Fantastic Caverns offers ride-through tours of amazing subterranean formations. From a hotel in the southern neighborhood of Nixa, enjoy the Springfield Conservation Nature Center as well as Lake Springfield's lake, park, boathouse, and marina. Accommodations in Ozark are convenient for visiting the Smallin Civil War Cave as well as Greenway Trails along the Finley River. This neighborhood is also a jumping-off point for exploring Table Rock Lake and Ozark mountains and caves. Marshfield is a great place to stay for hunting, backpacking, golf, and fishing, while Mount Vernon has conservation areas with horse and walking trails, fishing, and hunting.

Within a few miles of Springfield's city center families can find many choices for entertaining and ed-ucational activities, including many free attractions. Book a hotel in Downtown Springfield to watch minor-league baseball, explore caverns, visit the zoo, and see the self-proclaimed World's Largest Fork. The nearby University Heights neighborhood has the huge Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wild-life National Museum and Aquarium. Stay in Marshfield northeast of town to examine a one-quarter-size replica of the Hubble Telescope, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble who was raised here. Accommodations in Republic are near Wilson's Creek National Battlefield for a history lesson while just for fun there is the Wild Animal Safari close to Strafford.