North! South! East! West! Lebanon’s at the Center of the Best!

No matter in which direction you head, Lebanon makes a great base from which to explore. Most of these options are located an hour or less from Lebanon. Spend one more night with us.

North!
In the heart of Mid-Missouri sits the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks and Lebanon is one of its major gateways. Just take Mo Hwy. 5 north to US 54 at Camdenton. Lake of the Ozarks is Missouri’s largest lake and is great for boating, water skiing and fishing. “The Lake” is also a premier golf destination, with several courses designed by the sport’s top pros.

Another “power sport” at the Lake is shopping at gift shops and malls. In the evening there are music shows and outstanding restaurants. Call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau for information – (800) FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or access their website: www.funlake.com.

Just west of Camdenton is Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Here are the ruins of a castle, built in the early 1900s by a Kansas City businessman. The castle was gutted by fire in 1942, but the walls remain. High atop a bluff overlooking the Niangua arm of the Lake of the Ozarks, Ha Ha Tonka is a must-see. Call (573) 346-2986 for more details.

South!
Down Hwy. 5, just an hour from Lebanon, is Mansfield, Missouri, site of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home & Museum. It is here, on Rocky Ridge Farm, where Laura, at the age of 65, started to write her classic “Little House” series of books, including her best-known work, “Little House on the Prairie.” Visitors can tour the home and the adjacent museum, which is dedicated to Laura and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, who was also an author.

Call (417) 924-3626 for hours and entrance fees.
Branson is more than an hour away and probably not the place for a day trip. There’s simply too much to do there. But if you’re going to or coming from Branson, make sure you stop in Lebanon along the way. For information on this entertainment capital, call the Branson Chamber of Commerce at (800) 214-3661 or access their website: www.explorebranson.com.

East!
One of the largest army bases in the United States is just 40 miles east of Lebanon. Ft. Leonard Wood was established in 1940 and today trains more than 25,000 soldiers annually, both for initial entry and at the engineer, chemical defense and military police schools. On base are an excellent museum, which interprets the history of the three schools headquartered here, as well as a World War II Commemorative Community. Thirteen World War II era buildings have been restored to that period. Admission is free and both sites are open Monday-Saturday. For information, call (573) 596-0780.

Looking for something a bit more physical to do? Areas of the Mark Twain National Forest near Lebanon provide opportunities for hiking or horseback riding.

Get more information from the National Forest office in Rolla by calling (573) 364-4621 or visiting their website: www.fs.fed.us/r9/marktwain.

If you’ve worked up an appetite after all that activity, the Caveman Bar-B-Q & Steakhouse in Richland can take care of you. Yes, this restaurant is actually inside a cave, on a bluff above the Gasconade River. The owners enlarged Dance Hall Cave, a hot spot during Prohibition, by removing 160 tons of rock. Guests are shuttled to the restaurant from the parking lot. The Caveman is closed December-February. For hours, call (573) 765-4554.

West!
Marshfield is just 30 miles west of Lebanon on I-44. On the courthouse square sits a replica of the Hubble Space Telescope, invented by Marshfield native Edwin Hubble. Walnut Springs Farm & Museum offers a glimpse into life on the farm a century ago. See two barns, antique farm machinery, buggies, blacksmith and carriage shops, and a petting barn.

Just an hour from Lebanon is Springfield, Missouri’s third largest city. Popular stops here include Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, one of the largest sporting goods stores in the world. Next door is the new Wonders of Wildlife Museum, opened in the fall of 2001. This interactive facility introduces guests to the natural wonders of the Ozarks. Fantastic Caverns is the only ride-through cave in North America. In Republic, just west of Springfield, is Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, site of one of the first major battles of the Civil War. Contact the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau for complete information at (800) 678-8767 or check out their website: www.springfieldmo.org.

All Around!
There is a bounty of lakes and rivers to be found in the Lebanon area – and one of the most popular activities on the rivers is canoeing. Outfitters can arrange float trips on the Gasconade, Niangua and Osage Fork Rivers, affording visitors the chance to enjoy the beauty of the Ozarks in a very special way. Make sure you bring that picnic basket for lunch on a sand bar.