Although Kansas City has had plenty to offer UK travellers for decades – whether that’s world-class BBQ, characterful jazz clubs or craft breweries – it’s hard to deny that a particular spotlight was shone on the city when Taylor Swift started dating Travis Kelce.
NFL fans may roll their eyes at the fact it took Taylor cheering her boyfriend from the sidelines for many of us to sit up and take notice of the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. After all, this is the team that won the Super Bowl in 2020, 2023 and 2024. Plus, Kansas City will be hosting six matches at the 2026 Fifa World Cup; is home to the Kansas City Royals baseball team; and boasts the first stadium purpose-built exclusively for a professional women’s soccer team. In many ways this town is a sports lovers’ dream.
But beyond the city’s borders, Missouri is ripe for exploration. In this state you can catch live blues performances in St Louis, explore the origins of Route 66 in Springfield, immerse yourself in the weird and wonderful in Pulaski County, and get lost among the independent book stores, record shops and galleries of Columbia.
Or if you’re into the great outdoors, head to Brandon, lace up your hiking boots and embark on the Ozark Trail; while Table Rock Lake and and Lake of the Ozarks offer kayaking, fishing, boating, and lakeside lounging.
So although we’d never say you should skip Kansas City, we would suggest continuing your Missouri adventure to discover what else the state has to offer.
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St Louis
As Missouri’s second largest city, St Louis has plenty to offer in terms of cuisine, culture and local histories. It’s also very well connected, with British Airways this month announcing a new route direct from London Heathrow. On entering the city it’s hard to miss the towering stainless steel Gateway Arch that rises up from the Mississippi River, built to mark St Louis’s position as the “gateway to America’s west”. There’s a small museum at the base where you can learn about the history of the 192m structure and the city, and visitors can also take a tram to the top to enjoy panoramic views of the city and river below.
Like Kansas City, St Louis takes its BBQ seriously, and there are also plenty of breweries – Anheuser-Busch is a popular choice with its Budweiser Brewery Experience and the chance to meet the famous Clydesdale horses. But it’s blues music where the city really comes into its own, and you can’t visit St Louis without catching a live performance. BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups; Evangeline’s (catch the weekend jazz brunch); 1860 Saloon; and Venice Cafe are just a few of the venues worth a look, while the National Blues Museum takes you on a journey through the genre’s history.
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Branson
Branson is known as the gateway to Missouri’s Ozarks, but there’s plenty to discover in this town itself. It’s known for live entertainment: rather incredibly its 50 theatres boast more seats than New York’s Broadway, ranging from music and comedy to magic and kids’ performances.
Just outside of town, families and thrill-seekers will enjoy Silver Dollar City, a retro theme park in an 1880s mining town. Alongside white-knuckle coasters like the Outlaw Run and Time Traveler, there are family-friendly rides, stunt shows, fireworks and drone displays, and plenty of dining spaces with homestyle cooking and sweet treats.
Branson is the ideal place to access the Ozark Trail, which runs for 430 miles through southern Missouri and into northern Arkansas, through rolling hills, yawning caves and pretty springs. Dedicated hikers can go on multi-day adventures, but there are plenty of shorter stretches that can be enjoyed in a day or even just an afternoon. A short drive out of Branson you’ll find Table Rock Lake, known for watersports and boating, overlooked by the beautiful Big Cedar Lodge. Best described as “rustic luxury”, the lodge has private cottages and cabins, as well as six golf courses, glamping, a wide range of bars and restaurants, history tours, a spa, and a nature arena for concerts. Back in town, The Ozarker Lodge is a fun place to stay, with a rather retro feel, surrounded by views of the Ozark Mountains, but close to the centre of Branson.
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Springfield
As America’s most famous road approaches the grand old age of 100, there are few better places to mark the occasion than Springfield. Known as "the birthplace of Route 66" (because Springfield was where the name of the route was finalised in April 1926), the city will be celebrating the landmark birthday in 2026 with a centennial kickoff event on April 30. This will include a concert, car show, parade and a “First Friday Artwalk”, followed by an Artfest across the weekend and a Telegraph Ball. To learn about Springfield’s proud connection to Route 66, visitors can stop in at the History Museum on the Square (or simply ask any local in town).
The four-star Hotel Vandivort is the swanky spot to stay downtown, and there’s also a Moxy hotel that’s recently opened and decently priced, but it’s actually the Best Western that’s the standout accommodation in Springfield. This affordable hotel has themed rooms (check out the Elvis suite) that celebrate the history of Route 66.
Like many spots on Route 66, Springfield has no shortage of bizarre and quirky attractions. Just 15 minutes out of town you’ll find Lambert's, a classically southern restaurant where the staff inexplicably throw bread rolls at you. Then there's the world’s largest fork (by mass not length – the latter accolade goes to a giant utensil in Oregon), and around 25 minutes out of town you’ll find Gary’s Gay Parita gas station at Paris Junction, which doesn’t actually sell gasoline but is a wonderful slice of Americana.
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Columbia
This artsy college town located between Kansas City and St Louis feels more laidback than its larger neighbours. In Columbia, you’ll find local galleries, independent bookstores, all-night diners, quirky coffee shops and pottery studios. The city is centred around the University of Missouri (which you’ll hear described as Mizzou) and there’s a strong focus on arts and creativity. Several exhibitions are held a year at the Columbia Art League, a gallery that supports local and national artists, and also offers art classes for both adults and children.
Visitors can catch a showing at the Ragtag cinema, which is dedicated to championing independent films, or stop in at Talking Horse Productions, a community-supported, non-profit theatre company in the North Village Arts District that focuses on intimate, character-driven theatre rather than elaborate shows. Columbia is also the perfect place to get on stage yourself, with various open mic sessions held across the city allowing amateurs to have a go at everything from comedy and slam poetry to jazz jams and acoustic sessions. Fretboard Coffee is a favourite among performers, while Eastside Tavern and Cafe Berlin are other popular venues.
Read more: Travels through the Bluegrass state: Where to visit in Kentucky
The Way of American Genius
Although Route 66 is the road most often associated with Missouri, a lesser-known but just as fascinating journey can be found on Highway 36 which runs through the north of the state. The Way of American Genius is a little under 200 miles long and takes about four hours to drive, but it’s worth spreading your trip across a few days as there’s so much to see on this stretch from St. Joseph to Hannibal.
The route connects “genius” stops that feature figures and innovations that have showcased creativity, ingenuity and vision. Perhaps the most famous is the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in Marceline, where visitors can learn about the early life of the world-famous animator who moved to the town when he was a little boy. Other popular stops include the Pony Express National Museum, the Home of Sliced Bread Welcome Center, the Glore Psychiatric Museum and the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine.
Hannibal – which is where you would start or finish the drive, depending which direction you chose – is the town where Mark Twain spent much of his childhood, and it inspired many of his books including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It’s now home to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, where visitors can explore the author’s life and works.
How to get there
British Airways will be operating direct flights four times a week from London to St Louis in Missouri from April 2026, with return fares starting from £529.
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