The Remington Nature Center

After visiting the Pony Express Museum, we went to the Remington Nature Center.  The Remington Nature Center is a mile or two northwest of downtown St Joseph, right on the banks of the Missouri River.  We really enjoyed the Remington Nature Center and their fantastic exhibits.

They had animal displays, a baby mammoth, and an aquarium.  Where the museum really shined though was their arrowhead display.  They had an abundance of arrowheads, spear points, stone axes, and other items that had been discarded by the tribes of the area.  

They also had an exhibit of local history, which included bullets and other items lost in some Civil War skirmishes in the St Joseph area.  It was fascinating to learn about the history and see the artifacts.
One of the connections I was able to make concerned Fort Buenaventura in Ogden, Utah.  Joseph Robidoux was a fur trader and the founder of St Joseph.  Joseph Robidoux and his family were uniquely tied with the settling of the west, because many of them were early trappers and mountain men.  In fact, the Robidoux clan founded a string of forts and trading posts across the inland west, including Fort Buenaventura, later to become Ogden, Utah.

Nearest City: St Joseph, MO
Location:1502 McArthur Dr, St Joseph, MO 64505
Time Needed: 2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Remington Nature Center

The Pony Express Starting Point in St Joseph, MO

In late October, we took a short trip up the Missouri River to St Joseph.  We stopped by the Pony Express Statue on the north side of downtown first.  

Then we went to the Pony Express Museum located in the Pony Express Stable.  The Pony Express was an exciting and colorful part of US history, although it only lasted for 19 months, at which point the telegraph line from coast to cost was completed.  

Inside the museum, you learn about Russell, Majors, and Waddell, who founded the Pony Express with the idea of rapidly reducing the amount of time it took for mail to get from California to the earstern US and vice versa.  They did so by getting rid of wagons, and employing young boys to ride fast horses between stations, each rider only carrying the mochila (mail pouch) and gun.  The riders were usually in their teens or early 20's.
The Pony Express Stable was a fascinating stop.  We spent several hours learning about the trail, different terrains the riders passed through, experiences some of the riders had, what mail stations were like, and many other things.

Nearest City: St Joseph, MO
Location: 914 Penn St, St Joseph, MO  64503
Time Needed: 2+ hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: ponyexpress.org

Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, and Hannibal, MO

On our drive home from Nauvoo, we made a short sidetrip to Hannibal, Missouri.  The downtown is cute, with lots of little shops along the sidewalks,  Most famous for its tie to Mark Twain, and the hometown of fictional Tom Sawyer, Hannibal is a place to visit if you're a fan of great American writing.  

Just off the north end of Main Street is a full block of Tom Sawyer related sites.  The kids wanted to take a turn "painting" Tom Sawyer's fence.  

There were also several buildings spoken of in Tom Sawyer, such as Aunt Polly's House and Becky Thatcher's house.

Nearest City:Hannibal, MO
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: 2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: more for older kids
Additional Info:

The Federal Reserve Money Museum

I had to work one Saturday, so my boss told me to take a day off  to make up for it.  Done and done.  It wasn't hard to decide what to do with the free day.  We went to KCMO to visit the Money Museum, since it is only open on weekdays.  We parked in the visitor parking lot, then went inside.  Nice security guards ask if you have knives, guns, bombs, or any thing of that nature.  We told them no, except for my pocket knife.  They let me keep it, but sent us all through the metal detectors anyway.  They said I looked like an honest guy, so I guess I can trust them.  Trust but verify.  So, after they verified by running my drivers license, they let us all in to the museum.  They really know how to roll out the red carpet and make ordinary folks feel welcome.

Once inside, we saw lots of information about the Federal Reserve.  But really there are four exhibits that are what the money museum is all about.  The first is the Truman Coin Collection.  It shows coins minted during the reign of each president of the USA.  The older coins were definitely the coolest.  They don't use gold or silver anymore, like they used to.  In fact, our government doesn't even trust its own currency. Don't believe me?  Go ahead and look on your tax form when you fill out your taxes before April 15th.  It says to not send cash.

The next one of the awesome exhibits is the gold bar.  The day we visited, it was worth nearly a half- million dollars.

The last two awesome exhibits are at the back of the museum.  Ever wanted to see what a million dollars cash looks like?  You can see it at the Money Museum!  It's a whole lot of paper!  The final awesome exhibit is the counting/sorting/warehousing of some of the money that goes through the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. There were huge bags and bins full of money.  Some of $1s, $5s, $10s, $20s and bags of coins.  Then a computerized/robotized/lazer-guided automated forklift system that brought bins in and out of the ware-safe.  The forklifts were Huey, Dewey, and Louie.  I kept looking for the Mr. McDuck one, but never saw it.

On the way out we picked up a bag of cash.  Approximately $167 of shredded bills stuffed into a bag that fits into the palm of your hand.  Interesting and informative.

Nearest City: Kansas City, MO
Location: 1 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: easy, except for the airport-like screening
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Kansas City Fed Money Museum

July Canoe Trip on the Duckhead

I have a coworker who likes kayaking that I've told about the Duckhead on the Platte River.  We tried to schedule a time to go, but were never able to find a time that worked for both of us until mid-July.  He loaded his kayak and brought it to work with him.  When my workday was done, I rushed home and loaded my canoe and family, then we met up with Joe to drive to Platte City.

We dropped the boats off, drove 100 yards to the takeout, then walked back to the launch.  After loading everyone in, we were off!  We had yet another great float and it took roughly an hour to float the 2.5 miles.  Seriously, this is a great place for beginners, kids, or just if you want to get in a quick float after work.  Joe was pretty excited and convinced that he needs to get his wife out the next time we go.  It seems like the river is a little different each time I make the float.  This time the river was a tad bit higher, so there weren't as many strainers to dodge.  We had a great time.

Nearest City: Platte City, MO
Location: Platte Falls Conservation Area
Time Needed: 90 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly:yes
 Additional Info:

Columbia, MO Splashpad at Stephens Lake

In mid-July I had some business to attend to out in Columbia, Missouri.  I brought my family along since they would enjoy going.  We quickly finished our business then went to Stephens Lake Park to play at the splashpad. Stephens Lake Park is a beautiful park, with walking/running trails, playgrounds, pavilions for events, and a lake for fishing.

The splashpad is on the west side of the lake.  Water fountains shoot jets and streams of water into the air, and kids have a fantastic time playing in them.  Our kids were timid at first, but before long were having a wet and giggling good time.  They ran through the streams, jumped through them, and even stood on top of a few of them.  

Right next to the splashpad is a swim beach that is also quite popular.  The sandy beach entry area is also cordoned off to restrict fishing. There's nothing worse for a swimmer then getting hooked by a fisherman!  Stephens Lake Park is definitely a place that we would visit a lot if we lived in Columbia.

Nearest City: Columbia, MO
Location: NE corner of Old 63 N and East Broadway
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Columbia Parks and Recreation

The Weston Bluffs Trail at Weston Bend State Park

In Mid-May we had a free Saturday morning.  Some friends had told us about a fantastic trail at Weston Bend State Park that was good for hiking as well as kids on bikes, so we headed over to Weston.  Our friends planned on meeting us if they could break away as well.  We drove through downtown Weston and parked on Market Street about a block east of the lower end of Main Street.  It's a weird trailhead, but parking is limited right where the trail begins.  We unloaded the kids' bikes and headed south on Welt Street.  After a block or two, the road turned into a nice paved trail sandwiched between the bluffs of Weston Bend State Park on the east, and the Missouri River on the west. 

We had a great time racing down the trail.  The kids would slow down as they rode up small inclines, then raced down again on the other side.  We went for about a mile/mile and a half until the paved trail intersected with a service road from the main part of Weston Bend State Park.  Shortly after that, the pavement gave way to dirt, and since it had rained earlier in the day, we opted to turn around rather then bike in the mud. 

Along the way we saw two toads, countless snails, and lots of cicadas.  One of our little bikers was determined to rescue every snail he could and picked them off of the trail and threw them into the bushes.  We finally had to set a limit on the number of snails he could remove, or we'd never have made it back.   Lewis and Clark went through here a couple hundred years ago, and there is the occasional sign along the way that gives you an opportunity to stop and read a little about the local history.

It was a great little trail.  We even had a few trains go by on the tracks just below the trail.  Each time the kids stopped their bikes and ran over to the edge to see if they could count the cars on the train.  Don't let the confusing signage at the trailhead discourage you.  This trail is a local favorite.  I guarantee you'll see others out on it. 


Nearest City: Weston, MO
Location: Park at Market St & Welt Street.  Head south & slightly east on Welt.
Time Needed: 2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Platte County Parks Department  Includes a trail map.

The Temple Site at Far West

We grouped Far West onto our trip to Adam-ondi-ahman, since they're about 30 miles away from each other.  Far West was definitely more crowded with visitors.  It used to be a Mormon community, but now it's a historic site on one side of the highway, and a white church on the other side.   In it's peak in 1838-9, just under 5,000 people lived in Far West.  For a time, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had its headquarters at Far West, but conflict led to the church relocating to Nauvoo, Illinois. 

The most interesting remainder at Far West is the Temple Lot.  The site was dedicated for a temple in 1838, and the cornerstones were laid, but the temple was never completed.  The four cornerstones are still in place.  There's also a stone monument etched with several revelations received by Joseph Smith at Far West: The name of the church, the restoration of the Law of Tithing, and a call to missionary work. 

While we were there, we noticed a tick crawling around on one of the kids' heads.  Watch out in Missouri for ticks!  They are there!  There are also a few Amish settlements in the area.  Yellow road signs will remind you to be courteous of the horses and buggies. 

Nearest City: Kingston, MO
Location: Intersection of Hwy D and 370
Time Needed: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Far West Historic Site

Weekend trip to Adam-ondi-ahman

In mid-May we took an overnight trip to Adam-ondi-ahman.  Friday after work, we drove up to the Holmes Bend Access near Gallatin, Missouri.  Missouri has a fantastic network of conservation areas, some of which have primitive camping areas.  We put this one to use, since it seemed to be the closest camping area to Adam-ondi-ahman.  As I was pitching our tent and getting camp set up, one of the kids found a night crawler.  He ran around excited about the big worm until it started crawling up his sleeve, at which point he panicked.  We carefully extracted the worm from his sleeve and he was more than willing to let it go crawl back with its family.  After I finished preparing our campsite, we walked over to a nearby marshy pond to look for frogs.  We saw a few but didn't catch any.  We then walked down the dirt road to look at the river access.  While we were walking back, there started to be small flashes of light in the bushes and undergrowth.  Fireflies!  It was finally warm enough for them to come out!  We watched the fireflies as they flickered in the darkening twilight then crawled in our tent to sleep. 

In the morning, we went to Adam-ondi-ahman, a Mormon history site  nearby. 

 It's a quiet mixture of fields and woodlands.  It's a spot where "Three years before he died, Adam called his righteous posterity into this valley and bestowed on them his last blessing (D&C 107:53–56). In 1838 Adam-ondi-Ahman was the location of a settlement of between 500 and 1,000 Latter-day Saints. The Saints abandoned this settlement when they were expelled from Missouri. Before Christ’s Second Coming in glory, Adam and his righteous posterity, which includes Saints of all dispensations, will again assemble in this valley to meet with the Savior (Dan. 7:9–10, 13–14; D&C 27; 107:53–57; 116)."

We went for a short walk and drove around the area as well.  There's really not much to see other than a few overlooks and a spot or two to get out and walk.

Nearest City: Jameson, MO
Location: Along Highway 13 between Jameson and Gallatin
Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info:

The National Frontier Trails Museum

Another stop in Independence is the National Frontier Trails Museum.  We really liked this museum!  It talks about the five major trails used in the opening of the west:  The Lewis and Clark Trail, The Oregon Trail, The California Trail, The Santa Fe Trail, and The Mormon Trail.  The museum does a great job focusing on each of them and also giving a big picture overview of settlers moving west.

I found it notable that the five trails each were created and used for different reasons The first trail, the Lewis and Clark Trail was blazed in the name of discovery and exploration.  The Santa Fe Trail was used for trade with the Spanish.  The Oregon Trail was followed by those in pursuit of land to settle.  The Mormon Trail was created by people looking for a place they could live their religion in peace.  The California Trail was a maze of routes utilized by "forty-niners" going to California to search for gold.  While the travelers' motivations for each trail varied, all of them were looking for a better life.

The museum had different sections.  It started out with an overview and trail map of each trail.  All of them either began in Independence, or made Independence part of the route as Independence was the edge of civilization in the 1830's.  A decade or two later, Kansas City would become and overpass Independence in size and importance, but in the 1830's, Independence had it all.  After acquainting visitors with each trail, the remainder of the museum mixed artifacts and journal entries to paint a tapestry of experiences that each traveler encountered along the trail.

I found the writings from the pioneer journals a mixture of emotions and facts.  They'd comment on landmarks passed and notable experiences including deaths and births along the way.  Some noted humorous experiences, others focused on hardships encountered.  Some entries looked back at the lives and communities left behind, as others looked forward to the lives they would build. 

It's a great little museum.  I really enjoyed it.  The kids had a good time too.  Their favorite exhibit was a wagon set up with a scale and supplies, and they practiced loading the supplies into the wagon so that they would have all they could, but stay not overload it.  They liked some of the artifacts, but got impatient a time or two while I was reading.   I'm glad we stopped here.  It's not on a major road in Independence, but it's not hard to find either.  If you find it and spend a while, you'll be better off for it.

Nearest City: Independence, MO
Location: 318 W. Pacific Independence, MO 64050
Time Needed: 2+ hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: National Frontier Trails Museum Website

Harry S Truman National Historic Site and the beginning of the Oregon Trail

While we were Independence, we visited several of the Harry S Truman sites.  We stopped at the visitor center and watched a short movie about him, his presidency, and his ties to Independence.  It was very informative.  He was famous for the saying "The Buck Stops Here". 

Before his political career, he was a Judge in Independence, with an office here at the courthouse in downtown Independence.  There is a statue of him on the east side of the courthouse. 

On the west side of the courthouse, there are two large monuments.  The one on the north marks the Courthouse Square as the beginning of the Oregon Trail. 

Off to the south is a stone monument marking the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail.  We stopped by the nearby National Frontier Trails Museum for a great overview of westward migration and the roles that these two trails had in the opening of the west. 

Nearest City: Independence, MO
Location: 223 N. Main Street Independence, MO  64050
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: Harry S Truman National Historic Site

The Independence Visitor Center, Temple Lot, and Community of Christ Temple

Independence Temple Lot portion owned by the Community of Christ (Temple Lot)

In May we went over to Independence to visit some church history sites and historic sites.  Our first stop was at the Independence LDS Visitor Center.  The visitor center was a good visit, with numerous exhibits on families, LDS church (Mormon) history in Missouri, and information on what Mormons believe.  Stop on in if you're interested!  Even if you're not interested in becoming a Mormon, I'm sure you could find things that are interesting.  In 1831, Mormon settlers moved to the Independence area and began to settle and build a community.  Within a year or two, many of the Mormons began to gather together in Independence.  Joseph Smith Jr, a modern day prophet, came and dedicated a lot in the town for a temple.  Friction with other settlers escalated and before a temple could be built, the Mormons were forced to move on.  First they moved north to Far West, Missouri, then shortly after that to Nauvoo, Illinois. 

The Temple of the Community of Christ

The temple lot has been subdivided into several pieces, which are now owned by different churches. The LDS Independence Visitor Center sits on a portion of the lot.  The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prior to becoming the Community of Christ, built their temple on one portion of the lot.  Another portion is currently vacant, but is owned by the Community of Christ (Temple Lot).  There was a detailed map I picked up at the LDS visitor center that showed the location of the temple lot, overlaid with current parcels and ownership. 

We stopped by the Community of Christ temple and quietly walked through it.  Its design was inspired by the conch shell.  The building functions as an administrative building, visitor center, museum, and temple.  Every day they have a Prayer for Peace at 1:00.  I found an interesting contrast between the Community of Christ Temple and those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  If you have some time in Kansas City, stop by the Kansas City Missouri Temple and walk around the grounds.  I feel at peace there.

Nearest City: Independence, MO
Location: 937 W. Walnut Street, Independence, MO 64050
Time Needed: 1-3 hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info:

The Springfield Nature Center

A quick stop at the Springfield Nature Center would be the last stop of our Southern Missouri /Arkansas road trip.  The kids enjoyed running around and looking at the fish and the cave exhibit.  We saw a turkey outside one of the windows near a bird feeder  as well, but they absolutely loved playing with the stuffed animals in an exhibit on animal habitat.  There was a "hollow log" a hole in a dead (fiberglass) tree, and several nooks and crannies that stuffed animals could be stuffed into.  I'm sure my kids put each of the animals into every spot it would fit!  We pried them away and went for a hike town to Lake Springfield.  There's a boardwalk trail near a marshy area and the littlest one fell over the edge when he tried to sit down a little too close to the edge.  He got a little mud on him and fell a foot or two, but otherwise was no worse for the wear once we cheered him up.  It's a pretty funny memory looking back at it.  We stopped for dinner and could tell the kids were done, so we drove home afterward.  It was a good trip.

Nearest City: Springfield, MO
Location: 4600 S Chrisman Avenue, Springfield, MO
Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Missouri Conservation Areas

Caves in Sequoita Park

We visited Sequoita Park in Springfield in hopes that we could go underground and explore the caves.  Sequoita means "many springs", and at one point the lake in the park was used as a fish hatchery.  There are three entrances at Sequoita Park, and all were closed when we visited in late April due to bats migrating back from down south.  The city of Springfield does a pretty good job of monitoring the caves and closing them when the bats are back.  So although we didn't get to enjoy the caves, the kids had fun playing at the park for a while. 

The three caves at Sequoita Park are called Crawlway-all-the-way Cave, Walkway-all-the-way cave, and Fishers Cave.  Crawlway cave is small, and you need to crawl.  Walkway is more open.  Fishers Cave has a pretty good flow of water from it.  In March every year, the city of Springfield opens it up to boat tours.  Those who are interested can call the Springfield Outdoor Recreation Initiatives phone number at 417-833-8647.  I'd like to visit again when the caves are open.

Nearest City: Springfield, MO
Location: 3500 S. Lone Pine Ave, Springfield, MO
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: varies
Kid Friendly: varies
Additional Info: Showcaves.com

A Visit to Baker Creek Herloom Seeds

A while back we got a catalog in the mail from Baker Creek Seed Co.  The premise behind the seed company is that heirloom seeds can provide a variety and yield better quality produce than you can buy at the store, or obtain through most commercial seed catalogs.  Looking through the catalog, there were many different kinds of vegetables and fruits that we hadn't seen before.  Yellow watermelons, crazy varieties of melons and squash, chocolate brown tomatoes, and countless others caught our eye.  This place looks interesting!   We ordered a few seed packets to see what we could grow. 
Fast forward a year or so and we had the opportunity to stop by the store.  It's the second most famous attraction in Mansfield, Missouri, trailing the Laura Ingalls Wilder home.  Mansfield definitely has grasped on to the Little House on the Prairie fame and numerous stores around town have names such as Laura's Pies or the Ingalls Hotel.  We drove past of them to the north side of town where Jere Gettle is building an Ozark ghost town at Baker Creek.  The town was buzzing with people as they were preparing for the Spring Planting Festival. 

We found a parking spot and stepped into the store.  Calming blue shelves were lined with seed packets.  There were a few other planting tools and some knick-knacks, but the store was about seeds. We wandered the aisles, looking at this variety and that variety.  I kept my eyes out for some peanut seeds.  I found two varieties and chose one.  We found a few other packets of seeds we were interested in and paid at the register. 
After we bought our seeds, we stepped outside and walked around the town.  There were a dozen or so buildings with a restaurant and bakery as the two main ones, but there was also a blacksmith shop, jail, and several other buildings.  There were also lots of animal pens for chickens, turkeys, peacocks, and others.  We even spotted a possum trying to keep out of the way! 

If you're in Mansfield, it's worth the short drive out to Baker Creek.  The Gettles are Seventh Day Adventist, and as such are closed on Saturday.

Nearest City: Mansfield, MO
Location: 2278 Baker Creek Road, Mansfield, MO  65704
Time Needed: varies
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co

Where The Little House on the Prairie was Written

We have a little bookworm that has been tearing up burning through obsessed with(!) the Little House on the Prairie and the other books of the series.  She even had a time she was renaming her stuffed animals so that they'd fit the names in the book.  "Now this one is Pet, and this one is Patty, and this is Jack" and so forth.  A while back I'd picked up a flyer on the Ingalls homestead site in southeastern Kansas, so I looked at the other places that might be linked.  When I saw the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, Missouri, I knew that it would be a great place to stop and surprise our little self proclaimed Laura.  The house is now a museum and open for tours.  We saw Pa's fiddle, and one of Laura's dresses, among other things. A picture of the house outside was all we could do for the blog though.  They are building a new museum this year (2015) so visitors in the future will be able to see much more at her Rocky Ridge Farm. 

Nearest City: Mansfield, MO
Location: 3068 Highway A, Mansfield, MO  65704
Time Needed: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home website

Checking out the Sturgeons at Neosho National Fish Hatchery

The Neosho National Fish Hatchery was a "must visit" location for us.  I love fish, and visiting fish-raising facilities is a side show of that.  When researching for the trip, I found that we could go and see the sturgeon raising facility at the fish hatchery if we called ahead.  We called and basically got told that since we'd be visiting on a Saturday,  the sturgeon center would be closed since they'd be understaffed. 

The main building is beautiful.  It's the oldest operating federal fish hatchery, and is a very picturesque building.  There's administrative offices and a small welcome desk and museum inside.  We had a great time inside, seeing several exhibits and a  few large pallid sturgeons.  The sturgeons reminded me of the visit we had a few years ago to the fish hatcheries near the Bonneville Dam in Oregon, and near Hagerman, Idaho where they raise white sturgeon.  Even though they're a different species, it's still amazing to se a huge prehistoric fish swimming around. 

Outside the door there was a feed bucket full of hatchery food for the rainbow trout in the ponds.  At the Neosho fish hatchery, they raise rainbow trout, pallid sturgeons, freshwater drum, and fat mucket mussels.  The water supply comes from a spring in the side of the hill that comes out of a cave system.  They haven't discovered an entrance to the cave, but a few endangered Ozark cavefish have come out of the spring, so the hatchery protects their habitat as well.  The trout are raised as a sport fish.  The pallid sturgeons are endangered, so they are raised at the hatchery to help sustain their numbers.  The mussels are also endangered, while the freshwater drum are not.  The only reason the drum are raised is because they have a symbiotic relationship with the mussels.   The female mussel will actually lure the drum up close, then spray its eggs into the fish's face.  Some of the eggs attach to the gills of the drum, where they grow for a while then drop off at another location to finish growing.  It doesn't hurt the fish, but it does make it necessary to raise the drum in order to raise the mussels. 

We ended up getting to take a tour of the sturgeon facility.  The biologist who we had talked with earlier in the week was on duty and remembered our calls.  When we visited with him at the information desk, he said that he could take us over to the sturgeon building for a few minutes just at closing time.  SCORE!  I love the things that I get to do sometimes when I ask!  The baby sturgeons were about 8 inches long.  He told us about how they do not keep adult sturgeons, but instead catch/trap them then keep them for a few weeks to collect the eggs, then turn them loose.  The females are more rare than the males are.  The eggs are fertilized, then conditions are monitored and adjusted to make ideal growing conditions for the baby sturgeons.  When they get to be about a foot long they are then released into the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. 

I definitely enjoyed visiting the Neosho Fish Hatchery.  It's a place that has something for everybody!

Nearest City: Neosho, MO
Location: 520 E. Park St.  Neosho, MO  64850
Time Needed: 1+ hours
Difficulty: easy
Kid Friendly: yes
Additional Info: Neosho National Fish Hatchery Website