Welcome to Joplin
Joplin, Missouri is more than a destination - it’s the place to be. Visit Joplin’s many attractions and must-see experiences and enjoy more than 200-plus restaurants when you aren’t exploring. Located in the beautiful Ozarks of Southwest Missouri, Joplin is where historic Route 66 meets the Jefferson Highway and unites with a pair of interstates (44 and 49), and is the hub where Kansas City, Wichita, Tulsa, and Fayetteville join forces.
There's a piece of Joplin for everyone, from the limestone bluffs and cascading waterfalls of the Ozarks landscape to the city's historic Murphysburg District and thriving, modern downtown.
Did You Know?
We're the source of up-and-comers: Like poetry? We gave birth to Langston Hughes. Dig history? Bonnie and Clyde sought refuge in JoMo. Want to be an actor? We claim Robert Cummings, Dennis Weaver, and the up-and-coming Frederic Doss. Rather move to your own beat? The music of Percy Wenrich and Charles McPherson was inspired here. Find innovation or become a legend? George Washington Carver, Thomas Hart Benton, and Mickey Mantle all have roots in the region.
Plan Your Itinerary
Must See Experiences
Make your first stop at the Visit Joplin Route 66 Visitor Center, where our staff will help you find the area's hidden treasures, share Joplin's history, and give you inside information on the Four States area. Explore our attractions, and meet our two-hundred-plus restaurants. Kick off your shoes and stay awhile in one of our open rooms. Get your kicks on Route 66.
Upcoming Events
Crossroads of America Centennial Celebration
Celebrate two historical highways that converge in Joplin - the Jefferson Highway and Route 66.
Hosted by the Jefferson Highway Association and in partnership with the Route 66 Association of Missouri, the event takes a step back in time to feature the history of both routes with all-day activities as listed below:
10:00 am:
o Caravans /Motor Tours Arrival and Welcoming: Four separate Jefferson Highway caravans will arrive from Galena, KS, Springfield, MO, Bentonville, AR, and Harrisonville, MO. The public is invited to welcome the participants as they arrive at Schifferdecker Park.
o Camp Area #1 - 1920’s Vintage tourist camp featuring presenter Daniel Hershberger from Michigan: cars and camping equipment from 1910’s to 1930’s.
o Camp Area #2 - Vintage trailers camp site: selection of vintage trailers from the 1930s up to the 1960s, with cars/trucks from the period.
o Joplin History and Mineral Museum open without charge: Museum will have Route 66 Centennial and Jefferson Highway exhibits.
o Special Route 66 Centennial traveling exhibit in the Museum: exhibit features nearly two dozen large-scale interpretive panels, audiovisual mini-documentaries, and educational components highlighting the diverse stories of Missourians connected by Route 66.
o Presentations – Museum Conference Room (times subject to change)
§ 11:30 AM – “Joplin as the Crossroads of America” - Roger Bell, Muskogee, OK, President Jefferson Highway Association: presentation on Joplin’s important role in the development of both highways and its heritage as the Crossroads of America.
§ 1 PM - “At the Crossroads: Celebrating the Centennial of America’s Great Roads in Song": Crystal, Minnesota – music historian and performer Cece Otto, from Crystal, MN, will perform and present the history of highway travel songs, patriotic songs, and popular songs of 1926. Cece’s bio - https://americansongline.com/p...
§ 2 PM – 2026 Route 66 & Jefferson Highway International Trivia Championship hosted by Anthony Arno from the Route 66 Podcast: attendees will be broken up into teams of four to five and will participate in a Jeopardy-style trivia contest, including Route 66 and Jefferson Highway trivia. No expertise is needed. The event will end with a medal ceremony for the winning team.
Details
