10 Quirkiest Missouri Towns To Visit In 2025

A midwestern state in a state of constant quirkiness, Missouri has plenty of unique attractions for tourists in 2025. Yet some of the best oddities are far from the big cities. In fact, they occupy the tiniest communities. Options range from a small city where you dress as Mark Twain characters, a one-horse town with about 50 wild horses, and a slice of northern Missouri celebrating sliced bread. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily the quirkiest Missouri towns, but the quirkiest Missouri towns for a vacation in 2025.

Hannibal

Though the Twain on Main Festival has already passed, you can still catch National Tom Sawyer Days for a taste of Hannibal's Twainophilia. Said proclivity is justified when you know that the iconic writer grew up in this small Mississippi River town. Aside from dressing like Twain during annual festivities, you can walk in Twain's footsteps at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and the Mark Twain Cave, the latter of which is supposedly depicted in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. For quirky non-Twain attractions, hit up the Wild & Wacky Art Adventure on August 2 and the Big River Steampunk Festival from August 29 to September 1.

Rolla

Roll into Rolla on Old Route 66 to celebrate that infamous highway. Running in early June, the Route 66 Summerfest mixes hot rod cruising, tricycle racing, lawnmower drag racing, and other offbeat displays of locomotion. Do not fear burning out at such an event; it is encouraged, especially at the "burnout contest," where drivers vie for tire-smoking supremacy in their souped-up cars. Before admiring that microcosm of odd Americana, see a microcosm of odd Britannia. Rolla's Missouri University of Science and Technology campus boasts a half-scale Stonehenge. Appropriately, its nickname is "Stubby."

Carthage

Have precious moments in Carthage, headquarters of Precious Moments. Those are the angelic figurines that you may have seen at grandma's house. Carthage magnifies granny's cabinet with its Precious Moments Chapel and Gardens, a 9,000ish-square-foot chapel on 33 scenic acres adorned with Sistine-inspired murals and life-sized figurines. The property is set to host a number of festivities, including the Lighting Ceremony on November 21. Meanwhile, one can also spend some time exploring Carthage Municipal Park, which is perfect for a relaxing outing. Whenever you visit, combine precious moments with creepy moments at Red Oak II, a Route 66 ghost town just northeast of Carthage.

Camdenton

What is a list of quirky Missouri communities without an Ozark town? Sure, Rolla and Carthage are in the Ozark area, but Camdenton straddles the legendary Lake of the Ozarks. It is shaped like a dragon, which you can pretend to slay after you enter Ha Ha Tonka Castle on a bluff overlooking the lake. The broken dream of a wealthy businessman, Ha Ha Tonka lies in ruins but provides an awesome photo op, as does Bridal Cave, a nearby cavern that doubles as a weird wedding venue. Speaking of weird venues, cap off your Camdenton trip at Ozarkland, a regional chain store serving everything from fudge to knives.

West Plains

Buried even deeper in the Ozarks than Camdenton, West Plains, with around 12,000 people, is the "largest city within a 100-mile radius." Thus, an Ozark hub, it hosts several Ozark-oriented festivals. First up is the Heart of the Ozarks Fair, which runs in early June and features a carnival, truck pulls, and a demolition derby. Next is the Heart of the Ozarks Spring Bluegrass Festival, a celebration of regional tunes that begins a couple of days later. And last is the Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival, which plans to promote Ozark culture through music on October 17 and 18. There is not much plain about West Plains.

Hermann

Most people probably associate wine with Italy, France, or California, not Missouri. Yet, the Show Me State has multiple viticultural areas, most notable of which is the Hermann AVA. Centered by the namesake city of Hermann, and part of the "Missouri Rhineland," this area contains several German-inspired wineries and hosts several German-inspired festivals featuring wine. They include Maifest in May, the Wine & Swine & Vineyard 5K in June, and, of course, Oktoberfest in October. Too bad you missed the Wiener Dog Derby, a signature event of Hermann's March-held Wurstfest, which also features a sausage-making competition, sauerkraut-making class, and braunschweiger ball.

Branson

There is no end to the quirky oddities in the charming town of Branson. As an Ozark theme park masquerading as a city, Branson is quirky unto itself. Making it stranger, however, are the Hollywood Wax Museum, which displays life-sized wax figures of everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Snoop Dogg; Titanic Museum Attraction, a repository of Titanic artifacts several hundred miles from any ocean; and Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which is the ultimate oddporium. But Branson's "star" oddity is Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction, which involves thrilling equestrian stunts in a 35,000-square-foot arena stamped by the titular singer.

St. Robert

St. Robert is not that quirky, but its neighboring "town," Uranus, is perhaps the weirdest sight in the state. As you can guess by the quotation marks, Uranus is not actually a town. Rather, it is a collection of offbeat attractions owned by a single man, the "mayor of Uranus," Louie Keen. He oversees the Uranus Playground, Uranus Sideshow Museum, Uranus Fudge Factory, and other out-of-this-world oddities. Non-thematic Uranus landmarks include the World's Largest Belt Buckle, which has allegedly been certified by Guinness. Uranus sits off Route 66, of course, with an emphasis on "off."

Eminence

A veritable Ozark oasis, this super-small city is flanked by lush greenery, spring-fed streams, and wild white horses. You read that right. As you follow the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, you will be lucky to spot dozens of feral equines that supposedly descend from livestock neglected by Depression-era farmers. Although you might be tempted to try to mount one of those beauties and ride it to other fantastical features like the Alley Spring and Mill, that would put you in big trouble. The horses are federally protected via a bill signed by Bill Clinton in 1996. Keep the fantasy a fantasy.

Chillicothe

Chillicothe is the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact, it is reportedly the first place on Earth where pre-sliced bread was commercially available. The building where the Chillicothe Baking Company debuted its bread slicer in 1928 is now the Home of Sliced Bread Welcome Center. After visiting the center, check out the Home of Sliced Bread Mural and then see an old-fashioned bread slicing display at the Grand River Historical Society Museum. Although you will have to wait till 2026, do not miss Sliced Bread Day, an annual festival featuring a sliced bread pageant and a bread baking contest.

Finishing Thoughts

There is plenty of time left in 2025 to visit Missouri's quirkiest towns and their quirkiest attractions. Many are stationary, such as Rolla's S&T campus "Stubby" Stonehenge, Camdenton's Ha Ha Tonka Castle, and Chillicothe's Home of Sliced Bread Welcome Center. Others are temporary, like Hannibal's National Tom Sawyer Days in July, Hermann's Oktoberfest in October, and Carthage's Precious Moments Lighting Ceremony in November. When and where will you go?