Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

This place was amazing. We took our two young grandchildren 1 and 2. They lived seeing the cats and bears. We could tell how passionate all the care takes were about the lives of every animal there! I would highly recommend all to visit and support this place!!! While on the tour the guide was very knowledgeable and made sure that the kids could see and we could get nice pictures of these beautiful animals! The animals pasts are very sad but with the best outcome possible thanks to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge!!!

Our family absolutely love coming here. The interpreters are always super friendly and knowledgeable. Our room is always clean. We always spend the night and take two (free) tours while we stay.

We like the 4pm tour because it's the last tour of the day and the cats seem more active. We've also noticed more activity at the 9am tour as well.  The tours generally last about 45 minutes. There is also plenty to see on foot after the tour is over, as well as a gift shop.

We stay in the Tree House and it is very unique. The kids love climbing a ladder to their loft beds. The loft is tall enough for an adult to stand up in (at least in the center). The beds are just mattresses on the floor but the kids say they're quite comfortable.

The queen bed downstairs isn't my favorite, I have to admit. When two people are in the bed it seems to make you gravitate towards the middle. However, opening the windows and being able to hear lions caroling nearby makes up for it.

The room comes quite well stocked. They provide breakfast items, a microwave, plenty of coffee, tea, an extra fan,  TV with a few channels, plates and cups, plastic cutlery, paper towels, and even a wine bottle opener.

I must also mention the bathroom. There isn't much of one to speak of. It does come well stocked with a hairdryer, plenty of soap and shampoo, and makeup removers... but it is very, very small. Very. Small.

The private deck in back is very nice. There is a table with four chairs and it's a perfect place to spend the evening if the weather is nice.

All in all, if you are a cat person, I thoroughly recommend Turpentine Creek.  It's an experience you'll remember.

What an amazing place with an incredible mission. Be sure to book a tour in advance, though we were able to call and reschedule ours a few hours later on the same day just fine due to a sudden conflict. On the tour, they will tell you all about the animals that they rescue, their background, personality, and more. Some of the big cats have a very sad story and it’s amazing that this sanctuary rescued them and gave them a second life here.

During a tour, some animals will simply be resting away from your view area and you might not see them, but that is normal just like any zoo. Several big cats like to come walk up close as well. They are all behind massive fences, so there is no danger of them getting too close. Our tour was an absolutely incredible experience.

They also have an amazing gift shop with a plethora of gifts and souvenirs. It’s another great way to support their cause and we purchased a few items there as well.

Amazing place for a great cause. I have gone here two times now and both experiences were amazing. The second time I stayed in a bungalow on the property to be close to the cats. Super clean and cute on the inside. The tour of the place is great, you take a tram around the place and the tour guide tells you about each animal! Warning, the stories are sad but they are all safe and well taken care of now! This is a non profit organization that you can tell truly cares about these beautiful cats. They also have bears! They also have wheelchair accessible ramps and mounts for the tram ride!

Great place to take the family to see and learn about these magnificent animals. The staff and tour guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. Best of all its a non-profit, all proceeds go back to the animals they help at the sanctuary.

Bigfoot Fun Park

This place was a lot of fun! They have rides, an arcade, and a golf course which was really fun to go through the golf zones were fun to put and I enjoyed walking through and seeing the sites. This places is good to bring uour kids and in my opinion was fun to bring a date (something a little different than seeing a movie ir going out to eat).

We had a blast playing around here for a few hours. Felt that the family pack price menu was a little misleading as it made it appear the gravity bomb was included in it, but they worked through it with us and we.enjoyed our time.

We had a blast here! Played putt putt and at the arcade. The arcade felt like a sweat shop. The mini golf was a lot of fun. They do have some awesome stuff to trade in tickets for at the arcade.

So much fun!!!

The staff are great and really take the time to explain everything and the pricing.

The arcade has up to date machines and is really clean. The prizes are what you expect coming to a place like this.

Our kiddos ages 9-14 LOVED the maze! It was the best part for them and they could not stop talking about it after we left. Apparently it made for great game of hide & seek. The jump pillow at the end was added bonus. It can be a little scary for some kiddos but you don’t have to do it.

The gravity bomb went higher than expected and gave more of a thrill as well. It is a very short ride so if you pay for just that experience, I would consider it expensive.

The VR game was a blast for them. It lasted about 10 minutes and we could hear them laughing/screaming the entire time.

We enjoyed this place for mini golf. There is only 1 course though and think it's a touch pricey.  But we enjoy the course and they play fun music that I really enjoyed to have while playing our game.  This place offers other activites as well...

Bigfoot Discovery Expedition

Too much fun!
Worth the money
& it doesn't matter if you know about Squatches or not. It's a fun 4wheeling trip thru the hills of Branson.

I don't recommend you bring kids under 10. There is loud noise, gunfire and ppl fighting at the end, loud and convincing.
I'd love to go out in the evening! Just might go again, but it's a long drive from MN.

Wow, little of everything in this tour.  Guide was great, the truck is a beast. Unbelievable the hills you go up and down, better than a rollercoaster.  We did the sand dune rides in Saugatuck MI and this ride is even more thrilling. Don't let a couple negative reviews scare you away, but less than 7 years old maybe not.

It was a lot of fun ! Feeding the cattle was really cool. Fair warning it’s more than a little bumpy throughout the whole thing which was fine for most of us but was difficult for my grandparents who were hurting a big afterward. The views were great and our tour guide Barry was awesome. Lots of dad jokes that my Grampa has since stolen.

This was great!  Part of the Bigfoot Fun Park experience.  For a reasonable price, they take you in a specially designed "expedition truck" down the road about 10 or so minutes, and then into the Ozarks. The very capable driver then takes you on a series of twists, tight turns, narrow roads with sheer drop offs, up steep inclines (and back down the other side), all the while a "Bigfoot" seeking narrative is played out...and some other surprises.  To us, this was well worth the money, and the driver got a healthy tip because we were seriously impressed with his seemingly effortless abilities!  I recommended it to others while I was in Branson on vacation, and I've told a number of people about it since.  It was a blast!

VERY BUMPY RIDE. I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this was. I expected a much more low budget experience. Clearly a passion project, this is half farm tour, half movie set about Bigfoot. My daughter is obsessed with cryptids, and Bigfoot particularly, and I could see her creating this tour. Cute and sweet message at the end, but the ride through the gorgeous farm land was the highlight for me. I do wish at the end there had been a "guest star", that would have been much cooler and totally doable. (I might email them to suggest it in detail - no spoilers here!)

Only complaint is that it was not stressed to us how bumpy this tour was before boarding. I cannot recommend this to anyone with chronic pain or who can't hold onto an "oh no" handle in a vehicle. But if you like off-roading and / or Bigfoot, you will LOVE this.

They also offer just farm tours, sans Bigfoot and the bumpy ride. Definitely check that out.

Branson's Promised Land Zoo

We liked this Christmas drive through better than the other two there is in Branson.  The main reason are the live animals.   It’s like you’re getting a two for one deal.  A drive through safari and a Christmas light display.  Prices are reasonable especially if you go through Groupon.  And another thing is that it seemed long ( good thing) and you go at your own pace.  Also at the end are some baby bison you can feed and pet.  Recommended!

Such a nice zoo. For us, if you have seen one goat, alpaca, or small deer then you've seen any of them. What I feel sets this place apart is the parakeet feeding area, the encounters, and the talking birds. I think they were parakeets maybe. Really worth a stop and check it out for yourself. The people working their really do seem like they love their jobs and the animals. Not a "sad zoo" at all. All the animals look well cared for.

We’re came here and we practically had the entire place to ourselves. We did the vip + which is a bit expensive but it’s totally worth every penny. We were able to hold the baby kangaroo, tegu lizard, and baby ring tail lemur for a good amount of time. On the tram ride, it was easy to move from one side of the tram to the other to feed the animals. The sloth encounter was definitely one of the highlights. I would recommend this zoo especially the vip + if you got the money to spend. FYI, my visit here was a little while ago but maybe this can help them get more business.

I am truly at a loss for words about my husband and I’s experience at The Promised Land Zoo.  It is a day I will never forget.  We signed up for the ultimate experience.  This allowed us 4 hours full of making memories.  We were able to feed and pet sloths, played with a spider monkey and lemur, held a baby Joey, a guided tour on a RTV where animals come up to you! Yes, I said come up to you.  Animals like llamas, deer, bison, camels, ostriches, emus, donkeys…the list goes on and on.  Our last surprise of the day was feeding HYENAS (of course through a fence and using long handled spoons) but WOW…hyenas!!!!  The zookeepers were incredibly knowledgeable and so patient as we took our time with the animals. I HIGHLY recommend visiting this magical place.  Even if you can’t do the experience we did, there is still a long list of fun things and hands on adventures! You need to add this to your bucket list… you will not be disappointed.

This is a nice little zoo. The walk thru part was fun but some of the animals were a bit far in between so there was a lot of walking. They had animal encounters if you wanted to pay extra for that. We did not but we watched others who did and it looked fun.

The drive thru part I think was the best. The animals get right up in your car and beg for god. They are adorable and super friendly. Plan to spend a good couple of hours there to do both parts.

Branson's Wild World

We had free tickets, so we decided to use them and check the place out. Gives off a low-budget roadside feel right in the door. Hit with an immediate smell of dirty aquarium water. Confirmed the source as so as we started the tour. A lot of aquarium  were in due need of cleaning. A lot of buildup on the glass of nearly every one of them. Outside section saved it from being a complete bust. Great chance to get a closer view of stone animals versus an actual zoo. Wolves, hyenas, a tiger, and even a liger. Several other predatory animals that you can get a closer look at. They offer a chance to feed several of the different animals for a fee. You can tell that the animals are accustomed to it because they run up when you're there and leave fairly quickly when they realize you have no food. Free tickets, so the bar hasn't set super high, but if I had paid $22 normal admission, I would have not been happy with the experience.

Recommended this place during our Branson trip and my group (3 adults) wasn't too interested but agreed to go. Everyone was pleasantly surprised it was a highlight of the trip. Way more animals than we expected and they were very active. It was a great time and I would recommend for all ages!

Absolutely loved coming here! I have visited both locations, and let me tell you I was not disappointed. The range of crocodilians, won me over considering most places in Missouri only have alligators. Fun animal selections and the aquarium portion was a nice change of pace. I love that I can come here and practice my wildlife photography since you’re so close and personal with the animals. Got a chance to meet the owner and you can tell he cares for his animals.

We had a great time! Lots of animals to see and exhibits to walk through. My daughters loved it. We paid $10 outside of our tickets to feed the otters and it was awesome! We had two interactions w inside workers and they were very friendly and helpful- letting us interact with an armadillo and the otters. We paid for the mini golf inside at the end and it had cool aquatic animals on display throughout. We paid $54 for two adults and mini golf, my two year-old was free and we used a birthday pass (found on their website) for our other daughter. Well worth it!!

I was skeptical because of some of the negative reviews but this was a really fantastic mini zoo. The animals were well cared and loved for. Friendly and informative staff who were very engaging. Several of the animals can be pet or fed with handler supervision of course. The glow golf was really cool and included with the price. The one suggestion I would have is to add more information of the species on their name plaque.

Estes Park Guided Tours

Me and my wife spent our last day in Estes Park and our first time at RMNP with Estes Park Guided Tours. We aren’t big fans of huge tour buses. Driving in individual vehicles is honestly the best way to experience the National Park. You get some sense of freedom with the benefit of a local guide! Plus, it’s just fun driving the trail.

John was amazing and really made our small group feel relaxed and comfortable. He showed us spots I would have never even thought to have stopped at and gave us ample time to explore and learn the history of the park. He gave us tons of cool information throughout. If this is your first time.. heck, your second or even third time, try going with a guide like John. Now we can plan future hiking trips without feeling overwhelmed!

Driving around in a little convoy with radios is such a cool experience. 10 out of 10!

We had a very knowledgeable guide, Holly who knew the area very well. She took us through important , lesser crowded areas making it even more memorable experience. We were then left with some recommendations of places to hike with full day access to the park at Bear Lakes Corridor. During our trip , we were also lucky to spot a bear, moose and herd of elks , followed by a close encounter with a bull elk in the trail @ Bear Lakes Corridor. Overall, an amazing tour , and driving our own vehicle with the guide communicating via 2-way radio during guided part of the trip proved to be convenient as we could spend adequate time to explore the park once guided tour was completed since we had our vehicle with us.

My friend and I just did this tour yesterday with Julie, and we had an incredible time! Julie was so knowledgeable, experienced, funny, and overall an excellent guide and storyteller about RMNP and the surrounding town of Estes Park. We saw elk, mule deer, a baby bear and more! 100% recommend this tour!

Julie was our tour guide. I originally purchased the guided tour because I couldn’t get the morning timed entry that I wanted, but thought it couldn’t hurt to have someone that knows the area much better too. We are from out of state and occasional hikers. Thank goodness I booked this!! She took us on trails that I wouldn’t have done otherwise and had rented snow spikes for us…something I wouldn’t have thought to do in June. It made the entire experience so much better - all we had to do was show up ready to go! She called prior to our tour date and asked our expectations and fitness level. Based off of our answers, she gave us the perfect experience! 10 / 10 recommend!!

Oh wow! Great tour. Our guide was so knowledgeable, down to history and flower identification. He even spent extra time w our rambunctious 5yr old boy, teaching him about the park. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. He was very gracious with time. I would highly recommend him.

Fun City

A fun place for kids.  Know it's expensive,  but the kids will have lots of fun.  Big slide, bungee jump,  bumper cars, 2 putt putt courses,  arcade,  bumper boats,  go carts.

Pretty decent way to kill a couple hours; HOWEVER, your money is going to go FAST! The cheapest “ride” is going on the huge slides, but each time down is $2/person and it’s seriously over in seconds. Mini golf is about $9/person for 18 holes and go carts are $10/person for 5 or so laps. You can easily blow through $100 in an hour.

I’ve been coming to Estes Park on vacations for years and every time I come by Fun City. This trip I have to compliment them on a much better upkeep than in previous years. For one, it looks like the mini golf carpets have been replaced since the last time, which is a vast improvement alone. They’ve also added some gold panning and a water ball thing where you go into a huge inflatable ball and go into a pool.

My only complaint this go round is that the mini golf could’ve been improved even more. Pine needles and leaves are everywhere and I don’t think it would take much more than a leaf blower to clear the courses a bit better. Also, the water features are all dirty and full of debris. Not a deal breaker, but maybe a touch more attention for the expense customers are paying.

Great place with friendly staff. All 4 kids in our group loved it, and said it was their favorite part of the trip. Even the dads had fun on the go-carts and mini-golf. We ended up going here at least once a day while we were in town. Bonus: the bathrooms were very clean too.

This place was so accommodating and fun!! the Slide was an easy hit, the go-karts and bumper boats were a blast, there's so many more options for all ages. The facilities were well taken care of and we will be back!! Thanks to the Davis owners for great customer service!

Been coming here for years and always had a great time. Really surprised how they’ve shortened the time in the water balls & the Bungee Jump time is ridiculous for the price. Barely got to the right angle for the video and it was over. Five jumps. 🤨 No one in line, and they’re asking for tips. My tip went back in my wallet.
Nice park & fun stuff to do but when you increase prices and shorten activities it’s disappointing!!

HOG WILD ADVENTURES

We had a blast at Hog Wild Adventures!  The trails were well maintained,  adventurous, and safe. Our guide was great. The instructions were super easy and clear so no worries if you aren’t used to driving a side by side, you can do this. Will definitely go again.

Clay and his son was amazing giving us a great experience while making us comfortable and safe. Takes his time with us and takes great photos you can purchase at end. Gives you a great ride if you just starting or done it for years. Thank you Hog Wild see ya next year.

Family of four trip to Branson and we had the best time at Hog Wild!! Kolby was a great guide and got some good shots of us. Such a fun afternoon. This mom survived!

We had a great time on the trails! Trails were diverse with steep climbs and hills but then had flat stretches. The tour guide was very nice. Would definitely go again!

FORGOT to to give this place an Excellent review. Took my the whole family out, we had an absolute blast we made a YouTube video of our experience. Channel name ( Leggs Outdoors ). We drove through  streaming, up steap mountains. SOO MUCH FUN!

Uranus Missouri Towne Center

Free Entry. Family Friendly. Sideshow is a must see! Even if you do not want to purchase anything, you will have a very entertaining time. Please, read the signs!!! Fabulous comedy!!

Great variety of candies. Fudge is a must. Salt water taffy is c awesome.  Fun stop for road trip sugar junkies.

a chance and totally insane encounter with the third kind. we bought sweets and souvenirs. I found it totally funny and funny. I would like to come by again. all employees were friendly and in a good mood

Amazing place. A must stop shop. Spent a little over $100 for 5 shirts for every member of the family got some fudge, and had so many laughs. Could have spent many more hours here but we had the dogs so hopefully next time they will have an in door place for dogs, but maybe they do and we just didn't know they did. We even have their paper and brought it home and framed it. We will definitely be going back soon to explore more.

Really cool place! They don't just have fudge! It's a neat General Store! They have all kinds of Old Time Candy and Old Time toys and t-shirts and wine all kinds of stuff! The whole Plaza was full of really interesting stuff that we would have loved to have been able to stay and check everything out but the Fudge Factory was all we had time for. Lots of choices of flavors for fudge.

Town Square Park

The playground is fenced in, so parents can feel confident that their children are safe. The play structure is made of durable materials and has plenty of climbing opportunities for kids of all ages. The sand pit is a great place for kids to build sandcastles and have fun. The swings are a classic playground staple and are sure to provide hours of enjoyment.

The big barn is a great place for kids to have a picnic or just relax in the shade. There are plenty of benches to sit on and the barn is a cool place to escape the heat on a hot day. The restrooms are clean and well-maintained.

Nice children's park in downtown Grand Lake. Covered picnic area, restrooms, basketball court, jungle gym, swings, slides, large grass area, handicap parking and restrooms. Off street parking and two EV charging stations. Lots of nearby restaurants and shops. Walking distance to lake and beach area. Town library within a block.

A beautiful little green space in the heart of downtown Grand Lake!! It was decorated with lights for Christmas time and was lovely. Plenty of people enjoying this area despite the snow on the ground. There are public bathrooms nearby, right at the back of the library. The basketball court was iced over and was being used as a skating  rink. Plenty of dogs out and about here too as Grand Lake seems to be very dog friendly!!

Wow! This is a fun little park. It is within walking distance of many restaurants. Our children enjoyed playing here several times while waiting. My kids loved the monkey bar challenges. We came for the 4th of July festivities as well. The fireworks could be seen from many places, but the preferred viewing was down by the beach.
There was plenty of grass space in this area for lawn games and pets. The restrooms are nearby and have a water bottle refill and drinking fountains.

This is in the center of town and remains a great place to visit... it used for art fairs, community events, live concerts, pancake breakfasts, bingo, live speakers, plus it has a benches, playground equipment for the the children, and public bathrooms. It is all on a block that includes the Community House, a covered pavilion, the Library, the Town of Grand Lake government offices, all right on Grand Ave..... if you visit Grand Lake, you can not miss this one!

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