Things to Do in Columbia Missouri for Free

At first one might think there is not a lot to do in Columbia, Missouri. It's not a huge city and it's in the middle of the state. Surprisingly though I have lived in this town for ten years and have found there are countless things to do. What's even better is that most of the fun stuff, unlike the big cities, can be done for free. Here is a short guide to get your started exploring the city of Columbia without hurting your pocket book.

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park (http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge.htm)

Just outside city limits on the south side of Columbia is a great little state park named after the natural rock formation that can be found there. Rock Bridge offers a great place to have a picnic lunch and explore. There are countless trails that are all fairly easy going. Also there are some great natural sites to explore like the rock bridge and beyond that The Devils Icebox, a sinkhole cave that gets its name from the temperature drop that happens as you descend down the hole. Don't worry about the decent taking too much out of you either, because there is a nice flight of stairs that takes you right down into the cave. The Icebox is actually an entrance to a vast system of caves that you can explore though I would not advise going to deep if you have no experience with that sort of thing. Tours that go deep down into the caves are offered but at a price.

The University of Missouri's Museum of Art and Archaeology (http://maa.missouri.edu/)

This museum has gone through a serious face lift in recent years. You can find it right in the heart of the University campus on the quad. Inside you will find multiple galleries with a wide variety of art that ranges from ancient Greece to modern America. This is not a vast museum like the ones you would find in the big city but they fill their galleries with high quality work. The museum is free to walk around in and the folks that work there are very helpful. There is even a museum shop where you can buy a memento of your trip with the money you have saved. The museum's hours are 9am until 4pm Tuesday though Friday. On the weekends it's open from noon to 4pm.

Downtown Art Tour (http://www.columbiagalleries.com/)

If you have not gotten your fill of art from the local museum than walk downtown and explore the countless galleries that exist on Broadway and 9th Street. There are seven galleries in the downtown area of Columbia known as the District. The District is the true heart of Columbia filled with great shops and restaurants. The galleries are placed in-between these great shops so you can window shop while you walk and then explore the galleries. They are all free to wander in. I have often made a morning of hitting each gallery and have found that the staff are very nice to every person that comes in to check out their gallery. My personal favorite is the PS gallery on Broadway. You can find directions to each of them and some other galleries in town on the Columbiagallaries website.

Stephens Lake Park (http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Parks/Stephens_Lake/)

If you have had enough of art and all that walking has made you hot. There is a place where cooling off is easy. Just head west from Downtown on Broadway and you will find the massive Stephens Lake Park on your left. Not only is this park one of the nicest in town with a very inventive playground and plenty of land to run around in. It also has a public beach and splash garden that is free to go to. The beach is a little small so on the right day it can get pretty crowded, but most of the time it is a fairly quiet little beach. The splash garden is a lot of fun and the lake is large enough so that everyone has room to swim.

These are just a few of the many things you can do in Columbia for free. I am sure as you explore you will find many more adventures you can have that won't hurt your pocket book. It really is a great little city so enjoy it.