This spring break, consider taking the family on an animal-themed adventure in your home state (or its neighbor) for unforgettable experiences!
Wonderful Wildlife in Missouri
Matt Suess https://MattSuess.com
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri
Weekend getaways to Springfield, MO, are an easy family overnight or even day trip for the ambitious. We love visiting Wonders of Wildlife, the "largest, most immersive fish and wildlife attraction in the world!" This fantastic natural history museum and aquarium is a phenomenal attraction and requires most of a day to visit and enjoy thoroughly. The attraction was created by Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris. His love for nature is contagious, and his passion comes across in every aspect of this attraction.
The museum includes, first, a natural history museum, with breathtaking exhibits showcasing the history of the Ozark region, Native American heritage, the Lewis and Clark Expedition and wildlife from around the world. From sheep to bears, deer to antelope ... we saw thousands of animals. The centerpiece of this half of the museum is the Great African Hall with beautiful displays showcasing African animals.
The aquarium is truly spectacular. This is unlike any aquarium we have ever visited. The displays include not only aquariums, but swamp exhibits, fishing exhibits and history exhibits celebrating the history of fishing, the sport of fishing and even the passion America's presidents have held for the sport.
On your trip, be sure to visit Dogwood Canyon Nature Park that straddles the Missouri-Arkansas border. At this beautiful 10,000-acre oasis in the Ozarks, the first stop is the water-powered mill, where families may watch live demonstrations, tour the small museum showcasing Native American artifacts and savor a delicious meal at the restaurant that boasts breathtaking views of the waterfall.
Our family enjoyed a bike tour through the park’s paved trails (you may bring bikes for free or rent bikes on site). They also offer Segway tours, horseback riding, fishing and walking tours (attraction availability is subject to change). On the trail, we viewed beautiful waterfalls, crossed bridges, explored a small cave and spied a variety of wildlife, including fish and birds.
Consider purchasing the Explorer Pass (WondersOfWildlife.org/explorer-pass) for savings on five Springfield attractions, including Wonders of Wildlife, Dogwood Canyon, Fun Mountain, Lost Canyon Cave and the Ancient Ozark Natural History Museum.
Wildly Different Experiences in Kansas
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Have you ever wanted to swim with penguins? Pet a sloth? Hold a lemur? Believe it or not, there is a magical zoo right in the heart of Kansas (near Wichita) where you can do all that and more!
Tanganyika Wildlife Park is unlike any other zoo we've visited—this privately owned zoo is small and intimate, but every exhibit is beautiful, immaculate and spacious and offers the most natural habitat possible for the animals.
Visitors customize their park experience with the activities they book. You may elect to participate in all their "Wildly Different Experiences" or purchase the opportunities a la carte. The park offers more than 15 experiences hand-crafted by Tanganyika keepers. Each animal encounter deepened our understanding of and appreciation for the animals and how to care for them. This is truly the perfect getaway for all ages and makes a wonderful multigenerational vacation. We visited with grandparents, parents, teens and children, and all eight of us highly recommend this trip!
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
The ultimate animal lovers’ bucket list getaway is the Ultimate Weekend Experience. Families spend three days learning about animals through unique experiences, meeting wonderful zookeepers—all of whom have a contagious passion for animals and for making unforgettable memories.
Some of our favorite experiences included:
The Otter Meet & Greet where we met three Asian small-clawed otters. We watched as they ate and played, participated in training and even posed for a picture. During this, our first animal encounter, we learned the park uses only positive reinforcement training for all the animals.
At the Giraffe Encounter, we went behind the scenes for a tour of the African/Asian barn. The giraffe exhibit at Tanganyika Wildlife Park is especially beautiful. The zoo uses as many natural barriers as possible to create the best habitat for its animals and the best viewing space for visitors. Each member of our family participated in target training (the giraffes touch their noses to the target) and fed lettuce to the very happy reticulated giraffes.
The Small Cat Meet & Greet was a favorite for our teen girls! We met Jade, an African serval, and Hazel, a Eurasian lynx. During this encounter, we "played with the cats," throwing them toys, taking photos and helping train them with ... you guessed it ... target training.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park, photos courtesy of Kristina Light
At the Sloth Encounter, we all fell in love with Chewbacca and Molasses (what perfect names for sloths!) and Sydney and Oscar. We fed Chewbacca a delicious salad of yummy fresh fruits.
The Origins Tour was one of my favorite experiences at Tanganyika Wildlife Park. This interactive behind-the-scenes tour gave us the history of the Tanganyika Wildlife Park and the chance to see many wonderful animals in person, including Amur leopards and lions!
We experienced the Penguin Meet & Greet, feeding, and our grand finale ... the penguin swim! We learned about penguins and their care, had the opportunity to feed them, and then, we swam with the penguins! Keepers gave us clear instructions for safety and told us exactly how to enter the pool and interact safely with penguins. Tanganyika Wildlife Park provided wet suit rental and towels (and clean bathrooms with showers for changing). We spent about 30 minutes in the water playing with penguins, including Nugget, the charming young penguin we met earlier in the day. My girls learned the names of many of the penguins and fell in love with these beautiful birds. This was truly an incredible family bucket list experience!
In addition to the Wild Encounters, our family loved the feeding stations. Visitors may feed Ring-tailed lemurs, giraffes, pygmy hippos, Indian Rhino, lorikeets, African tortoises, bunnies and guinea pigs.
Tanganyika is truly a boutique zoo right in the heart of Kansas. With a passion for animals and conservation they strive to provide the best animal and visitor experiences to inspire future generations of animal lovers.
Kristina Light’s family loves learning more about animals and wildlife on family vacations. Visit KCParent.com and click Vacations for more tips and inspiration.