KJFM — With winter festivities coming in full swing, and family in town for the holidays, it’s a great time to go site seeing and visit some unique spots in Missouri and Illinois.
Fun for all ages is the Polar Express Train Ride located in Branson. A popular attraction brings families together with the well-known story of the Polar Express. The train takes passengers to the North Pole to pick up Santa Claus while the book “The Polar Express” is read aloud. They even go the extra mile and give passengers hot chocolate and cookies to enjoy during the trip. When the train reaches the North Pole, Santa joins the ride and visits each guest to give those aboard a special gift. Christmas Carolers and the Hobo also make surprise visits during the one hour and 15 minute ride.
Those who like furry friends should take a trip to YaYa’s Alpaca Farm located 45 miles south of Kansas City. The Alpacas are raised for sale,
show and the fleece they produce. Thousands of people come to YaYa’s to see the Alpacas, especially for the winter events. Visitors can take a 20-minute walk through the pasture, take photos in front of the antique sleigh, feed and say hello to “Christmas” (the Alpaca) and her many friends. After your tour be sure to stop in at the farm store to shop for all sorts of items that are made from alpaca.
If you enjoy activities that keep you inside and warm, then consider taking the family to visit the Hall of Famous Missourians in Jefferson City or the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis. The Hall of Famous Missourians is home to many bronze busts that depict some prominent Missourians honored for the achievements and contributions to the state of Missouri.
Prior to 2013 the sitting Missouri Speaker of the House was the only person who was able to select potential inductees for the Hall. It was agreed in 2013 that this was controversial and unfair, so two of the four to be inducted were selected via votes cast from a web page established by the Missouri House. Current honorees include Walt Disney (1993), Harry S. Truman (1991), Mark Twain (1982), baseball player Buck O’Neil (2012) and women’s suffrage activist Virginia Minor (2014).
If you aren’t a history fan, you may enjoy the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis that features two floors of delicate dollhouses of various scales. To make the visit more interesting, the museum offers scavenger hunts for guests to complete during their visit. The museum opened June 27, 2001 and is run by an all-volunteer staff. Visit their Facebook page and if you’re lucky you may catch them selling dollhouses to make room for newer additions.
For families looking for fun in Illinois, there is plenty to explore! Consider taking a stroll down to State Street to watch the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade starting at 8 a.m. For those who are unable to break away on Thanksgiving, the parade is available live on WGN 9 or streamed from virtually anywhere online.
Opening November 19 is the Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon where skaters can glide around an ice-covered path that is twice the length of a lap around a traditional ice-skating rink. The Ribbon is open as long as the weather cooperates, and they even offer limited hours on the major winter holidays. When the Ribbon is not covered in ice, you can find Chicago locals skating around on rollerblades, scooters and skateboards through Maggie Daley Park.
Located in the center of the Skating Ribbon is two rock-climbing walls which are home to Chicago’s first and only Climbing Park. The Climbing Park is staffed with experts and open for all ages through all seasons. The park provides climbers with a variety of difficulties to attempt.
If you want to explore the park a little more, located on the south end of the BP Bridge is an 18-hole “miniature” golf course offering up family-friendly fun. The course includes several replicas of iconic Chicago structures such as a six-foot-tall replica of the Willis Tower that golfers must putt beneath.
For children who like to run and play, don’t skip the three-acre Play Garden found in Maggie Daley Park. The Play Garden features a poured-in-place soft surface as well as play elements, that meet or exceed ADA minimum standards. Embodying the spirit of movies like Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the park was intentionally created to capture the imagination of children. The Play Garden has diverse opportunities for fun for children of all ages and abilities, and is intended to allow kids to experiment with their imagination while exploring with their senses. There are even different areas of the park intended for specific ages to allow kids to mingle without the risk of toddlers being trampled by their older counterparts.
If you’re looking for an adventure that keeps you warm and indoors, consider visiting the Galloping Ghost Arcade located in Brookfield, IL. Opening its doors on Friday, August 13th, 2010, the Galloping Ghost Arcade opened with 130 video games that were restored from the brink of destruction for all to enjoy. By 2014, the arcade had grown into the largest arcade in the world, with over 735 arcade games and more coming in regularly. You can find a list of the 839 arcade games available on the Galloping Ghost Arcade website. The goal was to provide arcade gaming at a new level never before seen, by offering a cost-effective place to play, hosting professional events, and exposing the public to arcade games that had not been seen in decades. The $20 entry fee has allowed the arcade to eliminate the need for quarters and tokens, which allows gamers to spend the day exploring the many arcade games without the worry of breaking the bank. The arcade regularly holds tournaments and boasts numerous world records that are held on some of their machines. With new machines arriving regularly, the arcade had to open a separate space two blocks east just to house all of the pinball machines. The new space is known as Galloping Ghost Pinball and has an entry fee of $15 for the day.