Welcome to Springfield’s Arts & Entertainment

Springfield caters to art lovers with an array of visual and performing arts experiences, unforgettable exhibits and adventures for culture lovers. Magnificent theatre, art galleries, dance, music, museums, fairs, festivals, and more provide exciting, inspirational entertainment year-round. Below are some of our favorite arts and entertainment plus many others enjoyed by local residents and visitors to Springfield.

art galleries

local art galleries

  • Brick City Gallery |&| Carolla Arts Exhibition Center
    215 W Mill St, Springfield 📍 | 417-836-6794
    326 N Boonville Ave, Springfield 📍 | Part of the Missouri State University downtown campus IDEA Commons initiative, seek to exhibit professional and student artwork to engage and enrich the academic and cultural experience. Both galleries seek to serve their communities through exploring what’s next in visual and material culture.

  • First Friday Art Walk
    411 N Sherman Pkwy, Springfield 📍 | 417-862-2787 — Program of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. The Art Walk is a free and self-guided tour on the First Friday of every month and showcases the local art, businesses, galleries, food, and fun of Downtown Springfield.

  • Fresh Gallery
    401 N Boonville Ave, Springfield 📍 | 417-862-9300 — Home to over 20 Springfield area artists, these juried members operate the cooperative gallery and have various specialties, including painting, jewelry, sculptures, pottery, mixed media, woodworking, glass, and photography. Fresh Gallery is a fiscal agency of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, dedicated to promoting and marketing the arts in Springfield and the surrounding area.

  • Hawthorn Galleries
    214 E Walnut St, Springfield 📍 | 417-866-6688 — Offers an ever-changing collection of fine art from both locally and nationally renowned artists. Located in the heart of downtown Springfield, the two-level gallery is a unique exhibition space that showcases a wide variety of original paintings, prints, sculptures, art glass, and handmade jewelry.

  • Meike Aton Art
    1200 E Woodhurst Dr K-300, Springfield 📍 | 417-343-3481 — German artist known for her vibrant colors, textural techniques, works with larger than life feel to them, and many compositions spread thematically across multiple canvases.

  • Randy Bacon Photography
    209 W Commercial St, Springfield 📍 | 417-868-8179 — Portrait photographer, filmmaker, humanitarian, and co-founder of 7 Billion Ones, a project that documents stories to help connect and empower people. “The Road I Call Home” project is another of Bacon’s that features photos of the homeless and includes a narrative from photo subjects in their own words. The exhibit has previously been on display at the Springfield Art Museum and Brick City Museum of Art at Missouri State University.

  • Springfield Art Museum
    1111 E Brookside Dr, Springfield 📍 | 417-837-5700 — Home to more than 10,000 works of art with 19th, 20th and 21st century American paintings, watercolor, sculpture and prints. Explore displays of the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibits. Kids and parents can participate in the Family Art Lab with hands-on activities, enjoy quiet time in the Book Nook, or sit and study the museum’s surroundings.

fairs & FESTIVALS

festivals for every season

Across the Ozarks and Southwest Missouri you’ll find festivals and events celebrating art, food, music, and history like Pioneer Heritage Festival of the Ozarks, Mt. Vernon Apple Butter Makin’ Days, Hollister Grape & Fall Festival, Ozark Arts & Crafts Show, and more. Check out these websites for festivals aplenty:

Add these monthly Springfield annual festivals to your calendar for great fun, food and cultural entertainment:

Museums

museums and history

  • Air & Military Museum of the Ozarks
    2305 E Kearney St, Springfield 📍 | 417-864-7997 — Dedicated to the brave men and women who fought and died in the Armed Forces, the museum restores, preserves, and displays military history and memorabilia. Over 5,000 pieces of military history, projects include vintage aircraft shows at the Springfield/Branson National Airport, restoration of vintage military equipment, and Museum School, a program of true history and science for young students.

  • Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum
    150 Top of the Rock Rd, Ridgedale 📍 | 417-339-5306 — Spectacular galleries showcasing the American West, civil war, modern warfare, and astounding collections of Native American artifacts and artwork. Tickets may be purchased separately but are included with the Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail.

  • History Museum on the Square
    154 Park Central Square, Springfield 📍 | 417-831-1976 — Delivers regional history through an interactive experience with six permanent galleries and occasional traveling exhibits, visitors can learn all about the Civil War’s impacts on the area, interactions between pioneers and natives, and the infamous duel Wild Bill Hickok had while on Park Central Square.

  • Missouri Institute of Natural Science
    2327 W Farm Rd 190, Springfield 📍 | 417-883-0594 — Houses hundreds of animal, plant, and mineral specimens and gives visitors opportunity to come face-to-face with a triceratops. The Missouri Institute of Natural Science is committed to the exploration of prehistory, geology, and the natural world. On-site lab provides resident researchers an opportunity to expand their knowledge in various fields with research and preservation ongoing for many specimens and artifacts.

  • Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
    3861 E Stan Musial Dr, Springfield 📍 | 417-889-3100 — 32,000sq.ft. showcasing over 4,000 items of sports memorabilia, displays and interactive exhibits that include racing in a NASCAR simulator, stepping into the batters box against a Major League Baseball pitcher, throw football passes, and more. The Hall of Fame celebrates the accomplishments made by athletes of our past, while inspiring future athletes to succeed. Adjacent to the Hall of Fame is the Legends Walk of Fame featuring busts and statues of notable Show Me State sports figures honored with the yearly Legends Award.

  • NRA National Shooting Arms Museum
    1935 S Campbell Ave, Springfield 📍 | 417-887-7334 — The most comprehensive collection of sporting arms ever assembled. Exhibits feature more than 900 guns—including displays like the 21 Gun Salute to our 2nd Amendment. Museum features a timeline of sporting arms from around the world dating from the 1600s to today. Guns from U.S. Presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Grover Cleveland. Guns from Hollywood: John Wayne and Tom Selleck. Guns from the Era of Exploration: Lewis and Clark diorama. Famous Gun Smiths: Frank Pachmayr. U.S. Military Collection. And much more.

  • Route 66 Car Museum
    1634 W College St, Springfield 📍 | 417-459-2452 — Dedicated to showcasing and preserving some of the most quintessential and beautiful automobiles in history, the museum is a little slice of motor heaven sitting on the original Route 66 in Springfield. The birthplace of Route 66, Springfield is in the heart of America and the heart of classic car country.

  • Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Museum
    Near Battlefield 📍 | 417-732-2662 — Preserving the site of the first major battle of the Civil War in the west, the park features a significant museum collection and substantial research library in addition to a well-preserved battlefield, 5-mile tour road, historic structures including the 1852 Ray House, a preserved section of the historic Wire Road, and hiking and horseback riding trails.

  • Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
    500 W Sunshine St, Springfield 📍 | 800-456-4812 — Like no other attraction before it, Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium has a positive national impact on wildlife and conservation. Spanning 350,000sq.ft. with over 1.5 miles of trails, Wonders of Wildlife takes you on a journey through immersive habitats that entertain and educate while sharing the story of America's most significant conservationists throughout history and today. The experience celebrates those who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land and water. Located next to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, the campus is a centerpiece of America’s Conservation Capital in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains.

PERFORMING ARTS

Music, Dance and drama

  • Juanita K. Hammons Hall for Performing Arts
    525 S John Q Hammons Pkwy, Springfield 📍 | 417-836-7678 — Presents touring Broadway musical productions like “Hamilton,” “Aladdin,” “Tootsie” and “My Fair Lady,” single performances covering the gamut of entertainment from classical music to jazz to dance to theatre, children’s shows, and an emerging concert artists recital series.

  • Ozarks Lyric Opera
    411 N Sherman Pkwy, Springfield 📍 | 417-863-1960 — Presents, promotes and develops the art of opera, music and theater with performances like Carmen and hosting the Voices of Christmas event. The Opera seeks talent in Springfield but also casts well-known opera singers from New York City and internationally to bring the best and brightest to the stage in Springfield.

  • Sight & Sound Theatre
    1001 Shepherd of the Hills Expy, Branson 📍 | 800-377-1277 — Unique Branson theater experience begins with a 2,000 seat auditorium, a 300-ft stage that surrounds the audience on three sides, a cast of 50 actors, state-of-the-art technology, and live animals. Each production is intricately created—from the finely-stitched costumes to the grand staging of massive sets. Meticulous attention is given to every detail to transport you right into the heart of the story.

  • Springfield Ballet
    411 N Sherman Pkwy, Springfield 📍 | 417-862-1343 — Offers superior dance training rooted in classical ballet for ages 3 to adult including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, Pilates and creative movement. Springfield Ballet brings three pre-professional ballet productions to the Ozarks each year, enhanced by professional guest artists.

  • Springfield Little Theatre
    311 E Walnut St, Springfield 📍 | 417-869-1334 — Volunteer-driven organization striving to entertain, educate and involve the community in live productions and the preservation of historic Landers Theatre. SLT brings the best of Broadway to Springfield with classics including Les Misérables, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, and Beauty and the Beast. The theater hosts a wide range of children’s performance classes.

  • Springfield Symphony Orchestra
    411 N Sherman Pkwy, Springfield 📍 | 417-864-6683 — Concerts feature classical music as well as fun and familiar pops concerts including the annual Christmas-themed concert in December.

  • Tent Theatre
    1147 E Grand St, Springfield 📍 | 417-836-4400 — Missouri State University’s open air Tent Theatre has captivated generations of fans with stories and songs presented in a one-of-a-kind setting. This unique shared experience touches the hearts and imaginations of performers and audiences alike.