I-44 Missouri Things to See

August 6, 2006 3:38 PM

I'm making a road trip from Tulsa, Ok to Palatine,Il near the end of august...

I've made this trip as a young teen and I seem to remember there were a lot of signs for roadside attractions along the way, especially in Missouri. Is there anything worth stopping to see? I'll be traveling with my parents (early 70's), and I understand they want the drive to be somewhat leisuely, making a one day trip into two. Thanks for your responses.

posted by rockhopper to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

You could stop by The Moxie.
posted by nitsuj at 4:04 PM on August 6, 2006

Looks like you'll be passing through both Springfield, MO and Springfield, IL .. (the IL of which is the capital, so if you like history type stuff, it would be a good place to stop).

You'll also probably route through St Louis, which of course has the arch.

You won't get far east enough to check out Chicago unless you go out of your way, but the folks might like it if they haven't seen it before...
posted by twiggy at 4:22 PM on August 6, 2006

Check out the Roadside America website - just type in the city you will be near and it will give you a list of oddities in the area...
posted by blackkar at 4:24 PM on August 6, 2006

Thank you all so much for your responses. My Dad is from Chicago and I grew up in Elmwood Park,Il (Harlem Ave & Grand ave area). I'll check out the Roadside America website, and again, I appreciate the responses. Seems like there were signs for all sorts of things in Missouri, such as caves and whatnot.
This was my first post on Ask Metafilter and it is already worth the $5.
posted by rockhopper at 5:18 PM on August 6, 2006

If you search for Saint Louis, there have been several great threads on things to do there. If you want to go up in the arch get there early. The museum under the arch is terrible, but the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park is great. And when in Tulsa do not miss the Gilcrease, the finest western history and art museum in the country.
posted by LarryC at 5:38 PM on August 6, 2006

Two words: Meramec Caverns.

You probably remember the hundreds of barn roofs painted with ads for this.
posted by nightwood at 5:56 PM on August 6, 2006

You'll want to see Cahokia, the remains of an ancient city just across the Illinois border from St. Louis. In Springfield, IL, if you like Frank Lloyd Wright, the Dana-Thomas House is a great example of his early work.
posted by escabeche at 6:52 PM on August 6, 2006

I live just off I-44 and want you to be aware of the many construction zones that could cause delays.

I'll second Meramec Caverns and offer this coupon page for the boat ride (search around, there are probably coupons for the Cave, too).

Also, the St. Louis Zoo has free admission. Not far north of I-44, easy to find. If you go on a weekday, you can probably find street parking on the north side of the zoo. Maybe stay at a Drury Inn.
posted by badger_flammable at 6:53 PM on August 6, 2006

Springfield MO is the home of the mothership Bass Pro store. If you hunt carefully, there's a catalog outlet hidden off to the side across the alley, where sometimes they have great bargains, sometimes not.

St. Louis has a nice botanical garden and a zoo, with a butterfly house. There's a much larger butterfly house in Chesterfield MO which is a suburb.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 4:38 AM on August 7, 2006

Not in Missouri, but I highly encourage you to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL. Just outstanding.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:53 AM on August 7, 2006