Sightseeing Sunday: Weird Things to Do in Missouri
Looking for weird things to do in Missouri? The Show Me State delivers Midwest weird in spades — giant rocking chairs, underground business complexes, and a nuclear waste trail.
Fun Facts About Missouri
Missouri is nicknamed the “Show Me State,” reportedly after a Congressman said in 1899 that he needed proof, not just words.
The ice cream cone was invented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.
Anheuser-Busch, whose St. Louis brewery is on this list, is the largest beer-producing plant in the nation.
Missouri has more than 6,000 known caves — more than almost any other state.
Some of these we’ve visited, others are still on our list. When we’ve been somewhere, the link takes you to our photo page with details and snark. Otherwise, you’ll head to their official site — assuming one exists, since sometimes that’s half the adventure.
Unique Attractions & Weird Things to Do in Missouri
Weird Roadside & Oddities
Branson
World’s Largest Roll of Toilet Paper – Inside Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
Brunswick
World’s Largest Pecan – Giant nut sculpture celebrating the town’s pecan heritage.
Chesterfield
The Awakening Sculpture – Giant emerging from the earth, plus many other sculptures throughout town.
Cuba
World’s (2nd) Largest Rocking Chair – Part of the ongoing battle for rocking chair supremacy.
Excelsior Springs
World’s Largest Water Bar – Historic mineral water tasting bar.
Independence
Leila’s Hair Museum – Unique museum featuring Victorian hair art and wreaths.
Kansas City
World’s Largest Underground Business Complex – SubTropolis, a massive limestone mine turned business park.
King City
Giant Fuel Pump – Oversized gas pump sculpture at 604 North Grand Avenue.
Springfield
Sculpture Walk – Public art installations throughout downtown.
Huge Noodle @ The Kraft Factory – Giant macaroni sculpture.
World’s (2nd) Largest Fork – Massive fork sculpture.
World’s Largest Golf Club – Located at Swing Right Golf Club, 444 E. Farm Road 192.
St Louis
World’s Largest Chess Piece – Giant chess king sculpture.
World’s Largest Underwear – Inside City Museum, which features tons of unique exhibits and installations.
Sumner
World’s Largest Goose – Giant concrete waterfowl.
Weldon Spring
Nuclear Waste Trail – Educational trail around a decommissioned nuclear materials site.
Factory Tours & Behind-the-Scenes
Kansas City
The Roasterie Coffee Company Factory Tour – Watch coffee roasting in action.
St Louis
Anheuser-Busch Factory Tour – See how Budweiser is made.
Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! Factory Tour – Watch artisan chocolate being crafted.
Herbaria Factory Tour – Soap and skincare manufacturing tour.
Parks, Trails & Waterfalls
Springfield
Fantastic Caverns – A ride-through cave tour, because walking through caves is apparently too much effort for Missouri.
Mizumoto Japanese Garden – A quiet, unexpected pocket of Japanese landscaping in the middle of the Ozarks.
Food, TV Stops & Local Legends
St Louis
Refab – Architectural salvage and reclaimed materials warehouse.
Plan Your Missouri Road Trip
We’re always adding new weird things to do in Missouri to this list, so check back for more roadside attractions, quirky museums, oversized oddities, and future road trip discoveries.
Where to next? Check out our Ohio roadside attractions guide for more Midwest weird, browse our complete roadside attractions by state guide, get tips for traveling with pets, or head back to the Right At The Light homepage.
Interactive Map: Weird Roadside Stops We’re Tracking
This map includes weird roadside attractions, big-rig friendly stops, and places still on our running road trip list across the country.