Midwest Road Trip with Kids: Wonderful Fun in 6 States

by Rachel · May 16, 2026

Our 4-day trip (not counting travel days) in the Midwest was more fun than I initially expected. We have one of those scratch-off maps of the U.S., so we were trying to scratch off a number of the Midwest states in a short time period. However, I also wanted to have fun as well, so I researched a lot to come up with an itinerary that would be fun with kids in tow!

We were able to visit and do fun things in 6 different states including Arkansas, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska! We stayed along the borders of the states in order to accomplish this in such a short amount of time.

I also paid extra to fly and rent a car from one place and depart from another place. A big reason I started from airport XNA and departed from OMA is because that was the cheapest I could find for the one-way car rental, and it was a lot cheaper.

My daughter, who was 10 at the time, and I went in October, and the weather and crowds were very nice.

Our Midwest Road Trip Itinerary

Here is a map and a quick summary of the main activities we did each day throughout our trip along with estimated driving times. Below this, I go into detail for each day. I include information for cost, hours, etc., that is correct at the time of writing.

Day 1:

5 hrs. 30 min. flight time including layover, 15 min. drive time

Fly to Bentonville, Arkansas
Drive to Wingate by Wyndham – 15 min. from above

Day 2:

3 hrs. 15 min. driving time

Tanyard Creek Nature Trail – 25 min. from above
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel – 5 min. from hotel
Oasis Animals Adventures – 1 hr. 15 min. from above
Hampton Inn and Suites Pittsburg and Kansas Crossing – 1 hr. 30 min. from above

Day 3:

2hrs. 6 min. driving time

Money Museum – 2 hrs. from hotel
Liberty Memorial Tower – 2 min. from above
Westin Kansas City at Crown Center – 4 min. from above
Union Station – 5 min. walk from above

Day 4:

3 hrs. 45 min. driving time

Waubonsie State Park – 2 hrs. 15 min. from above
Wildlife Safari Park – 1 hr. from above
Hilton Garden Inn Omaha Downtown/Old Market Area – 30 min. from above

Day 5:

15 min. driving time

Henry Doorly Zoo – 7 min. from above
The Riverfront – 5 min. walk from hotel

Day 6:

7 min. drive time; 6 hrs. 45 min. flight time (including layover)

Drive to airport for flight back home

Day 1: Arrive in Arkansas and get settled

We did not get to Arkansas until close to 9:30 at night, so once we got our car, we made our way to the hotel to be well rested for the next day.

Where We Stayed in Arkansas

We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham Bentonville Airport which was about 15 minutes from the airport. They had a pool, which we didn’t use, and free breakfast which we did take advantage of the next morning.

Day 2: Tanyard Creek Nature Trail, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, Oasis Animals Adventures

Tanyard Creek Nature Trail

We ate the free breakfast at our hotel and got an early start on the day. The first two places could’ve easily been done in either order, but the chapel doesn’t open until 9, so we went on this fun little hike first.

This trail is a 2.2-mile loop, and an easy trail that’s perfect for families and beginners. The trail is filled with beautiful scenery and fun little areas to stop. There was even a small, swinging bridge and a waterfall area though that area was just pools of water due to a drought at the time we went. My daughter still had a blast jumping around from rock to rock though!

Cost:	Free
Hours:	7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Address:	8 Nature Trail Ln, Bella Vista, AR 72715
Parking:	large lot in an easily accessible lot

Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel

Our next stop, which was about 5 minutes away, was this extraordinary chapel in the middle of a wooded area. There were parking, signs, paved trails, and restrooms, but it all still felt very quaint. The chapel itself was beautiful inside and outside.

We weren’t here for long, but it’s definitely a cool stop if you’re nearby!

Cost:	Free
Hours:	9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (frequently hosts private events though)
Address:	504 Memorial Drive Bella Vista, AR 72714
Parking:	large, shaded lot

Oasis Animal Adventures

On one of my daughter’s end-of-school-year signs, she chose “animal lover” as her future occupation. She has always loved animals, so when I stumbled across Oasis Animal Adventures in my research, I knew I had to find a way to include it in our itinerary. I also needed something cool to do in Oklahoma that wasn’t too far west in order to fit it in our short trip. This was the perfect stop for us.

We scheduled a 90-minute family tour and met Linda who then introduced us to the many animals she has at her ranch. She was very passionate about the animals and their stories.

We got to meet and interact with a spider monkey, kangaroos, lemurs, a sloth, tortoises, birds, lizards, camels, zebras, horses, and probably some more that I am forgetting. During a good chunk of the time, we took turns cradling a baby kangaroo in its blanket which my daughter loved until her arms eventually got tired! The animals were obviously well taken care of as well and not forced to do anything.

Cost:	$100 for 1.5 hrs. (for up to 4)
Hours:	appointment and scheduled sessions only
Address:	36656 S 510 Rd, Eucha, OK 74342
Parking:	plenty of parking right on their ranch by the barn

The sloth chose to be in here – it had much more space inside and outside

Where We Stayed in Kansas:

Once we were done having fun with the animals, we drove to our next hotel which was the Hampton Inn and Suites Pittsburg/Kansas Crossing. Driving a little more this day meant our drive the next day wouldn’t be as far and it worked out well.

This hotel had a pool which we swam in during the evening and a free breakfast for the next morning. It was in a safe location and was a nice and suitable stay for one night.

Day 3: Money Museum, Liberty Memorial Tower, Union Station

Money Museum

Pretty much our full third day was spent in Kansas City, Missouri, but the two-hour drive to get there was in Kansas. We stopped at a fast-food restaurant in Kansas and ate at a little park which was nice, but I can’t remember the name of it!

Our first main stop for the day was the Money Museum. This place is really cool for adults and kids. There are many fun, interactive exhibits, but you’ll still learn a lot about money and the economy. My daughter loved it! One of the best parts is that it is free, and you don’t need tickets ahead of time.

Cost:	Free
Hours:	M-F: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Address:	1 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO 64198
Parking:	free, visitor lot

Liberty Memorial Tower

The Liberty Memorial Tower is the centerpiece of the WWI Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. It is a National Historic Landmark and offers great views of the city from its observation deck. It is also a short walk from the Money Museum.

We decided not to do the WWI Museum because I knew it would take up a lot of time, and my daughter is not into history that much, so we went to a science place later instead, but we did do the tower since you can pay a separate fee for it. It wasn’t much money, didn’t take long since there is an elevator, and was fun to experience.

Before we left this area, we did also walk over and see the famous sculpture – Pioneer Mother Memorial since it was so close.

Cost:	Just tower – $6 Museum and tower – adults: $22.50; youth: $14.50
Hours:	Typical: Wed-Mon. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address:	2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO 64108
Parking:	Free in West Visitors Lot and along Kessler Road

Union Station – Science City and Planetarium

We actually went to our hotel next because it had access to a link which connects the hotel to Union Station. There are many things to do at The Union Station. The main thing we did was visit Science City which my daughter loved. There were so many interesting and cool exhibits. We spent quite a bit of time here discovering new things and just playing.

Once we were done, we decided to go to a show at the Planetarium. I have only been to one other planetarium, so I am no expert, but I was expecting the chairs to tilt back to look at the ceiling easily, but that was not the case here. I felt like I had to crane my neck the entire time, which was uncomfortable, so I don’t personally recommend it.

After the Union Station, we went and got settled in our room and then went to the pool and hot tub area to swim and relax.

Cost:	Science City: $17.25
Hours:	Union Station: 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Science City: Tues – Sat: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Address:	30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108
Parking:	on-site, covered parking in the West Yards Parking Garage

Where We Stayed in Kansas City, Missouri

We stayed at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. I mainly chose this place because it had a walkway from the hotel to the Union Station but having access to the Crown Center was also nice for food purposes. It also had a really nice pool area though breakfast was not included here. Additionally, the room was very nice.

Day 4: Waubonsie State Park, Wildlife Safari Park

Waubonsie State Park

After Kansas City, we headed through Iowa on our way to Omaha, Nebraska. In Iowa, we stopped to hike at Waubonsie State Park which is located in the Loess Hills. This is a unique landform only found along the Missouri River in Iowa and Missouri.

We hiked the Sunset Ridge Nature Trail which was about 2 miles and is supposed to take about an hour. There is a gorgeous overlook area of the Missouri River Valley not too far in if you want to just view the outlook and head back.

Word of advice, don’t take the trail to the road. I thought the trail ended at the road, and we ended up going down the road a way before figuring it out. Regardless though, it was a nice hike and gave us a good stretch on a way from Missouri to Nebraska.

Cost:	free; if from outside Iowa, a day-use vehicle permit of $5 is required
Hours:	4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Address:	2585 Waubonsie Park Rd, Hamburg, IA 51640
Parking:	parking throughout park; Overlook Parking Area by Sunset trailhead

Wildlife Safari Park

Our next stop on our road trip was to the Wildlife Safari Park. This is a 4-mile drive-through North American animal experience. You stay in the car for most of it and get to see elk, deer, pelicans, bison, and more. There is also an area to get out and see the Eagle Aviary, pet some goats, and walk down a trail to see the bears and wolves.

We got to see a lot of amazing animals – it was especially cool to see the bison close up!

Once we were done, we headed to our hotel in downtown Omaha.

Cost:	12 and over: $14, children (3-11): $12; seniors: $13
Hours:	9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address:	16406 N. 292 St, Ashland, NE 68003
Parking:	large parking lot at walk-around area

Where We Stayed in Omaha, Nebraska:

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Omaha Downtown/Old Market Area for two nights. This is right in the middle of downtown and across from The Riverfront. We had planned to visit this park system on each night, but we decided to just swim and relax on the first night we were there. They did not offer free breakfast, but they did have cooked-to-order breakfast you could pay for that was good.

Day 5: Henry Doorly Zoo, The Riverfront

Henry Doorly Zoo

We spent most of this day at the Henry Doorly Zoo. We’ve been to a lot of zoos including the famous San Diego Zoo, but this is my favorite zoo I’ve been to, and it is rated as the number one zoo in the US according to their website!

This entire zoo was absolutely spectacular, but the parts that stand out the most to me were the Lied Jungle, which is the largest indoor rainforest in America and the Desert Dome, the world’s largest indoor desert. These two areas are so well done and absolutely mesmerizing!

If you are ever remotely close to this zoo, you should go and check it out!

Cost:	$33.95 (12+), $25.95 (3-11), $30.55 (65+)
Hours:	9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Address:	3701 S. 10th St, Omaha, NE 68107
Parking:	large lots but can fill on busy days

The Riverfront

After the zoo, we went back to the hotel and then walked to The Riverfront. This area is comprised of three parks right in the middle of Omaha along the riverfront. There are so many fun things here from skating to slides to unique playgrounds to a pier. It required quite a bit of walking to go around all of it, but we had a lot of fun here!

Cost:	free (renting skates is $4 for kids and $5 for adults)
Hours:	5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Address:	900 Farnam St #100, Omaha, NE 68102
Parking:	street parking and garages nearby

Day 6: Flight Back Home

We had to be to the airport by 8:30 a.m. on the day we were returning home, so we didn’t do anything on this day.

Recommended Items

There wasn’t a ton I thought I needed for this trip other than having some layers, but I do think the following can be helpful. Each of the items below are an affiliate link to Amazon at no cost to you.

Probably my most used item is my bag which I love! It is lightweight, has multiple pockets, good space, water bottle holder, and nice shoulder pads, sternum strap, and hip strap. It is the Osprey Daylite Plus which I LOVE, and I have used it for almost every trip since I bought it.

Next would be a good pair of shoes to walk in! My daughter can get away with wearing Crocs everywhere, but I need more! I love Brooks. Here is a cheaper pair designed for walking and running and one that’s a little nicer with more options. I also just recently bought these, and so far, I have absolutely loved them!

To keep the sun off my daughter’s face, she brought her trusty hat which we’ve used for a very long time!

Additional Fun Activities around the Entire Area

Although our trip took 6 days, the flight there arrived late and the flight leaving departed early, so really, we did everything in 4 full days!

There are so many other things you could do if you have more time or different interests! Just check out the additional activities below. There is, of course, way more activities than I can list just because this whole area is pretty expansive. I kept it within the boundary area for the most part of where we were extending out a couple of hours in some places. However, there is much, much more outside that boundary area that I did not include.

Each picture below is linked to their site for more information.