Seven huge attractions in the Midwest you don’t know about

Mystic Lake Amphitheater

Shakopee, Minnesota, is home to many well-known attractions, including Valleyfair, Minnesota’s Renaissance Festival and Canterbury Park. This summer, they opened another crowd catcher. Mystic Lake Amphitheater is a 19,000-seat concert venue that opened in June 2026. That summer, they hosted a variety of artists, including 5 Seconds of Summer, Kesha, Toto, Guns N’ Roses, Chris Stapleton and John Mellencamp. Shakopee is less than 20 miles from the Twin Cities and tickets can be anywhere from $25 to $80.

View of Amphitheater stage from an upper level seat. The show hasn’t started yet but the seats are still full. Photo Credit: Kavya Nair

STL Zoo’s WildCare Park

The St. Louis Zoo has been a staple for Missouri’s tourists since it opened its doors in 1910. Its new WildCare Park is a safari park and conservation center where visitors will be able to see and learn more about endangered species for free. The WildCare Park is scheduled to open in 2027 and will expand the zoo’s acreage from 90 to 515 acres. Some experiences will include guided vehicle safaris through the savannah, walking safaris, an observation tower and public giraffe feeding.

Digital rendering of a safari ride featuring zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and addax. A boy in the truck points at the animals. Photo Credit: Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park (Digital Rendering)

Rushmore Tramway Adventures Scenic Chairlift

Everyone knows Mount Rushmore, but Keystone, South Dakota, offers much more than a simple viewing of the monument. For less than $20 per person, Rushmore Tramway Adventures offers a scenic chairlift that brings riders to the summit of the Black Hills and back down. This ride provides a view of the area that cannot be found any other way. The ticket also gives access to all of the flower gardens, decks, trails and George’s Grill, the restaurant at the top of the mountain.

An older couple in hats and sunglasses ride up the chair lift, the old man holds up a thumbs up. The view behind them consists of tall trees and buildings at the bottom of the hill. Photo Credit: Rushmore Tramway

Joslyn Art Museum

The Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, will celebrate its 95th birthday this November. What’s new, however, is a massive 42,000-square-foot expansion. This $100 million project included redesigning the 3-acre sculpture park, 10 new galleries and a brand-new pavilion. This renovation allows visitors to physically and culturally explore farther than ever before. General admission to the museum and its gardens is always free.

International Peace Garden

In Dunseith, North Dakota, balancing across the border between the United States and Canada, sits the International Peace Garden. This gorgeous park offers gardens, hiking trails, displays and a museum that guests are free to explore for only $12. Since opening in 1932, the garden has had many additions representing different countries, Indigenous tribes, and more. For example, there are lots of flag dedications to other nations and tribes, as well as culturally themed installations.

A band plays on a slightly raised platform within a brick courtyard. Surrounding the brick are trees, flowers, and other plants. Photo Credit: Josephine Leader Productions

Dr. Evermor’s Art Park and the Forevertron

Most people in the Midwest are familiar with The House on the Rock, the whimsical museum mansion in Wisconsin. But what people don’t know about is the free, outdoor alternative in Sumpter, Wisconsin. The Forevertron is the largest scrap-metal sculpture in the world, standing 50 feet tall and 120 feet wide. It was built in the 1980s by Tom Every, also known as Dr. Evermor. The sculpture park itself spans around five acres and features metal scrap art with something for everyone.

A large metal sculpture (The Forevertron) stands in front of a tall, white lookout tower. Photo Credit: Tya Kottler (Dr. Evermor’s Sculpture Park)

Big Things Small Town

Casey, Illinois, is another small town with huge attractions, literally. Casey allows you to climb inside the World’s Largest Mailbox or ring the massive windchime. Casey has 12 certified “World’s Largest Items” and more than a dozen other “Big Things”. Some of the records it has broken include World’s Largest Golf Tee, Rocking Chair and Teeter Toter. All of their record-breaking and otherwise large items are available to visit and photograph while costing the world’s smallest amount of money (none!).