One of the most populated states in the Great Plains, Missouri has it all – big city attractions in St. Louis and Kansas City and wild, open places like the rolling Ozark Mountains. We asked 10Best readers to vote for their favorite must-see attractions in the state, and the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Missouri Attraction are as follows:
- Branson's Entertainment District
- Forest Park - St. Louis
- Missouri Botanical Garden - St. Louis
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Kansas City
- City Museum - St. Louis
- Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum - Hannibal
- Arabia Steamboat Museum - Kansas City
- Glore Psychiatric Museum - Saint Joseph
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts - Kansas City
- Harry S. Truman Library and Museum - Independence
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Laura Heck (Missouri Life), Diana Lambdin Meyer (www.mojotraveler.com) and Susan Manlin Katzman (Sweet Leisure) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in Missouri.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions!
License the 10Best Readers' Choice Award Logo
The Experts
Laura Heck
Laura is an editor and writer who thinks Missouri... Read More
Laura is an editor and writer who thinks Missouri is the best kept secret of flyover country. As the managing editor of Missouri Life magazine, she loves to help tell the stories of Missourians past and present. She grew up in St. Louis and moved to mid-Missouri to attend the University of Missouri School of Journalism for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She firmly believes a person hasn't lived until they've experienced a Missouri autumn. Follow her on Twitter at @lauraheckc.
Laura Heck

Laura is an editor and writer who thinks Missouri is the best kept secret of flyover country. As the managing editor of Missouri Life magazine, she loves to help tell the stories of Missourians past and present. She grew up in St. Louis and moved to mid-Missouri to attend the University of Missouri School of Journalism for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She firmly believes a person hasn't lived until they've experienced a Missouri autumn. Follow her on Twitter at @lauraheckc.
Diana Lambdin Meyer
A St. Louis Cardinals fan based in Kansas City,... Read More
A St. Louis Cardinals fan based in Kansas City, Diana Lambdin Meyer and her photographer husband Bruce N. Meyer travel the world in search of good stories and find plenty of them right here in the Show Me State. Both are award-winning members of the Society of American Travel Writers. Follow their travels at www.mojotraveler.com and on Twitter and Instagram.
Diana Lambdin Meyer

A St. Louis Cardinals fan based in Kansas City, Diana Lambdin Meyer and her photographer husband Bruce N. Meyer travel the world in search of good stories and find plenty of them right here in the Show Me State. Both are award-winning members of the Society of American Travel Writers. Follow their travels at www.mojotraveler.com and on Twitter and Instagram.
Susan Manlin Katzman
“I love my job,” says freelance writer Susan... Read More
“I love my job,” says freelance writer Susan Manlin Katzman, who has syndicated columns to over 125 major metropolitan newspapers, authored five cook books, freelanced food and travel feature articles to local, regional, national and international print and online publications and created Sweet Leisure, a popular travel/recipe blog. Susan enjoys traveling around the world in search of the the best of the best experiences to share with readers, but is always happy to return home to St. Louis, which she says is an extraordinary city in a beautiful state.
Susan Manlin Katzman

“I love my job,” says freelance writer Susan Manlin Katzman, who has syndicated columns to over 125 major metropolitan newspapers, authored five cook books, freelanced food and travel feature articles to local, regional, national and international print and online publications and created Sweet Leisure, a popular travel/recipe blog. Susan enjoys traveling around the world in search of the the best of the best experiences to share with readers, but is always happy to return home to St. Louis, which she says is an extraordinary city in a beautiful state.