Springfield Missouri weekend

[rkamarowski]

Going to see a friend in May for a weekend in Springfield MO. Any recommendations for picture taking opportunities. It will be my first time there.

bob k.

[lenser]

Bob, I live just five miles away in Nixa, Mo. and have lived in Springfield as well. What kind of subject matter are you looking for?

Tim

[Jim Jones]

For Civil War buffs, the Wilson Creek Battlefield is a compact and accessible visit to a significant site that has been overshadowed by the famous fights east of the Mississippi River.

[mikebarger]

Is the park with the locomotive opening up the gate yet on Saturdays?

[lenser]

Mike, that is Grant Beach Park. Currently, the Springfield Parks website shows it as both closed for the winter, and oddly enough open on Saturdays from 2 to 4.

[Michael Graves]

I go down there every year for vacation. We own some property up by beautiful downtown Rondo (population 17...19 when my wife and I are there). I like the railroad yards. Also, the houses there have some of the most fascinating architecture. I've never had the nerve to set up in front of somebody's house and start pointing a 5x7 at them, but one of these days I'm going to!

There are some caves up the road on Rt. 13. Even if you don't go into the caves (a fee for the tour), the area around it is fascinating. And not too far away is Lake Pomme de Terre. A few years back I was chatting with the locals who owned a bait shop near the lake. He had some old vertical fuel tanks that I wanted to photograph, and since he was right there mowing his lawn (all 42 square feet of it...and he was on a riding lawn mower!), I asked permission. He was baffled that I wanted to shoot those old things but said to go right ahead. He kept calling the lake Plumley Tar. Cute old guy.

[rkamarowski]

Tim, I'm interested in people, places and things :) Anything that grabs my eye.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

[Jmarmck]

You could always setup in Bass Pro Shop parking lot. :D

There are some nice rolling hills west of town. It has been awhile since I have been there. Hopefully they are not suburban sprawl.

[mikebarger]

Mike, that is Grant Beach Park. Currently, the Springfield Parks website shows it as both closed for the winter, and oddly enough open on Saturdays from 2 to 4.

Thanks Tim!

[Nathan Potter]

You could always setup in Bass Pro Shop parking lot. :D

There are some nice rolling hills west of town. It has been awhile since I have been there. Hopefully they are not suburban sprawl.

And if you fail at photography you can go next door from the Bass Pro Shop to the Brown Derby International Wine Center to quench your thirst and drown your sorrows.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[lenser]

Bob,

Here are a few possibilities based on what you stated for your interests.

First of all, Springfield itself is on the Ozark Plateau and is not very hilly, certainly not mountainous inside the city itself. There are several very good city parks with some neat features, either man made or natural, such as small cliffs and caves and other rock formations. Some of my favorites are Sequiota (cave, big rocks, small cliffs, lake), Doling (some old stone building remains, lake and stream, cave and cliff side), Springfield Nature Center (trails, lake and stream, wildlife), Grant's Beach (which has the big train and museum), and Fassnight (old stone buildings and bridges, stream) and if wilderness is your thing, about twenty minutes south of town on Hwy 65 is Busiek Forest (trails streams). North of town on Hwy 13 is Fantastic Caverns which is a ride through cave and pretty cool, but the grounds offer some nice walking and photo ops for free. Serious Ozark hills and mountains are largely out of town to the south toward Branson.

Michael mentioned the rail yards which is northwest of the downtown entertainment area. I don't know about access there as Missouri laws are quite tough about people (including photographers) on rail road tracks, but it is a visual treat. Calling ahead to the Frisco office might get you some sort of access help.

If architecture is an interest, the old downtown area is full of great buildings, many dating well back to the early 1900's and up to the mid century. Some are abandoned, others have been rehabbed very nicely and other still are in the rehab process, so there are many opportunities. There are also two classic golden age type of theaters, the Gilloiz and the Landers which have been either restored or extremely well maintained. Those are also in the same entertainment district which is basically Walnut Street, South Ave, and the streets of and around the square. Several interesting alleyways in that area as well.

For people opportunities, the area around the square and the Walnut street area are great (everything from vagrants, to serious suits), and possibly the new Farmer's Market (13th best in the US) on Republic Road near the Nature Center. The vendors there really know how to set up their displays, so the food may be interesting as well.

Another good town is Ozark which is ten miles south off of 65 and the County Seat of Christian county with a serious Norman Rockwell vibe in the square featuring mostly sixty plus year old brick storefronts and a much older court house. Just to the north east of Ozark is the recently restored Riverside iron bridge over the Finley River which I believe dates from the very early 1900's, and in the heart of town is a privately owned (but open to the public for free) garden called Garrisons which is a few acres of beautifully landscaped plants and flowers isolated in a beautiful little valley with a nice stream flowing alongside the road.


Let me know if there are any other specifics I might help with. I'll do my best.

[rkamarowski]

Bob,

Here are a few possibilities based on what you stated for your interests.

First of all, Springfield itself is on the Ozark Plateau and is not very hilly, certainly not mountainous inside the city itself. There are several very good city parks with some neat features, either man made or natural, such as small cliffs and caves and other rock formations. Some of my favorites are Sequiota (cave, big rocks, small cliffs, lake), Doling (some old stone building remains, lake and stream, cave and cliff side), Springfield Nature Center (trails, lake and stream, wildlife), Grant's Beach (which has the big train and museum), and Fassnight (old stone buildings and bridges, stream) and if wilderness is your thing, about twenty minutes south of town on Hwy 65 is Busiek Forest (trails streams). North of town on Hwy 13 is Fantastic Caverns which is a ride through cave and pretty cool, but the grounds offer some nice walking and photo ops for free. Serious Ozark hills and mountains are largely out of town to the south toward Branson.

Michael mentioned the rail yards which is northwest of the downtown entertainment area. I don't know about access there as Missouri laws are quite tough about people (including photographers) on rail road tracks, but it is a visual treat. Calling ahead to the Frisco office might get you some sort of access help.

If architecture is an interest, the old downtown area is full of great buildings, many dating well back to the early 1900's and up to the mid century. Some are abandoned, others have been rehabbed very nicely and other still are in the rehab process, so there are many opportunities. There are also two classic golden age type of theaters, the Gilloiz and the Landers which have been either restored or extremely well maintained. Those are also in the same entertainment district which is basically Walnut Street, South Ave, and the streets of and around the square. Several interesting alleyways in that area as well.

For people opportunities, the area around the square and the Walnut street area are great (everything from vagrants, to serious suits), and possibly the new Farmer's Market (13th best in the US) on Republic Road near the Nature Center. The vendors there really know how to set up their displays, so the food may be interesting as well.

Another good town is Ozark which is ten miles south off of 65 and the County Seat of Christian county with a serious Norman Rockwell vibe in the square featuring mostly sixty plus year old brick storefronts and a much older court house. Just to the north east of Ozark is the recently restored Riverside iron bridge over the Finley River which I believe dates from the very early 1900's, and in the heart of town is a privately owned (but open to the public for free) garden called Garrisons which is a few acres of beautifully landscaped plants and flowers isolated in a beautiful little valley with a nice stream flowing alongside the road.


Let me know if there are any other specifics I might help with. I'll do my best.

Terrific! Thank you!

[NancyP]

This is great! Lots of Missourians on this thread. Hello! I am from St. Louis City, and Alan Gales, a long time member here, is from St. Louis County , so that's at least 5 large-format-using Missourians here.

[Michael Dodd]

I don't mean to hijack thread but I to am from mo. (Grandview) wish I had known about the bridge on the finley river was just through that area. I will have to check it out.

It' aways from springfield but caplinger mills outside of stockton mo. Has iron bridge and old power site dam on the sac river.