Besides having outstanding professional teams, Missouri has opportunities for all to compete in their respective sports. And while you are there, take part in the many cultural, historic and fun places to visit.
Branson: Live Shows and Live Sports
Branson is home to more than 120 live shows in over 50 venues. You can find comedy shows and music of many types. Have fun at Silver Dollar City theme park, which has over 30 rides and attractions. At the Hollywood Wax Museum get close to the replicas of popular celebrities. Table Rock Lake, with more than 750 miles of shoreline, offers fishing, boating and other water sports.
Branson’s Stockstill Park has two softball fields and six tennis courts. In addition, the 62-acre park has a skate park with a variety of surfaces. Branson Recplex has two full-size basketball courts with four additional practice goals on the sides of the court and two full-size volleyball courts. The complex also has four baseball/softball fields with 200-seat bleachers. Alexander Park has two youth ball fields, a tennis court and a soccer field.
Many Options in St. Louis
In St. Louis, a famous sports city, you can see the St. Louis Cardinals play in Busch Stadium or the St. Louis Rams play at the Edward Jones Dome. Forest Park abounds with cultural attractions, including the Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Art Museum and St. Louis Science Center. Visit the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center to understand the history and lessons learned in that troubled period of time. Six Flags St. Louis, in Eureka, Mo., has enough roller coasters and rides to fill your day. In warmer weather you can cool down at Hurricane Harbor, which is part of Six Flags.
St. Louis Sports Center has six full-size hardwood basketball courts, one of them high school size and suitable for volleyball. There is also a field house that can be used for indoor baseball/softball and other turf sports. Dwight Davis Tennis Center has 19 lighted tennis courts including a stadium court that seats 1,100 spectators. Vetta Sports Soccer Dome has indoor and outdoor soccer fields that can also be used for lacrosse. There are batting cages as well. Jamestown Sports Complex has facilities for all sports that can be played indoors, even baseball and softball.
Kansas City: King of Indoor Sports
If you’re in Kansas City, be sure to catch a game with the Kansas City Chiefs or the Royals. The College Basketball Experience at the Sprint Center is an immersive way to learn about basketball and the players that have blazed the trail for today’s athletes. What makes CBE so fun is the number of interactive exhibits. Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun are part of one theme park and offer over 40 rides and plenty of water activities. Learn and listen at the American Jazz Museum and experience historical and present talents in jazz via film, audio, photo exhibits and live shows. The adjacent Negro Leagues Baseball Museum tells the story of African-Americans in sports before integration.
For a facility with lots of space, Arrowhead Stadium is a premium choice. The stadium can be used for any outdoor sport. Hale Arena can be used for indoor sports such as basketball and tennis. Kemper Arena hosts soccer, hockey and basketball events with seating for 19,500. Kansas City Soccer Dome is ideal for indoor soccer. Sprint Center is a modern arena that can accommodate a large indoor sports event.
Small Town Sports
Columbia, Missouri is home to the University of Missouri’s Tigers sports teams. Concerts and other events keep this college town lively. The Museum of Anthropology is one of several university museums. For pizza, stop by Angelo’s Pizza & Steakhouse, which also serves pasta and burgers. Private rooms are available. For dessert, try Andy’s Frozen Custard. The locals love the fresh ingredients and they have been around for over 20 years.
Columbia Cosmopolitan Recreation Area is a massive complex with space for the biggest events. There are 19 soccer fields, six football/lacrosse fields, six softball fields, eight baseball/softball fields and a tee ball center. At Thomas E. “Country” Atkins Jr. Memorial Park (another section of “Cosmo” park), there are two lighted baseball fields. Albert-Oakland Park has two lighted baseball fields, one basketball court, three lighted tennis courts and three sand volleyball courts. For golf, try Eagle Knoll Golf Course’s 18 holes at par 72.
Missouri is a state for sports events on a large or small scale. Whether you choose to play at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City or Stockstill Park in Branson, you will be satisfied with the facilities available.
