What To Do In Excelsior Springs Mo
Excelsior Springs, Missouri, sits about thirty minutes northeast of Kansas City, which means you can visit without committing to a full vacation or buying a fanny pack. It’s a...
Excelsior Springs, Missouri, sits about thirty minutes northeast of Kansas City, which means you can visit without committing to a full vacation or buying a fanny pack. It’s a town built on mineral springs, old-school wellness, and the charming belief that drinking water can fix almost anything. Spoiler: the water is very fancy, but you’ll still need sunscreen.
The name comes from the Latin word excelsior, meaning “ever upward,” which is a lot of pressure for a town with such excellent napping potential. Founded in the 1880s after settlers found mineral springs, it became a health resort destination. People once flocked here to “take the waters,” a polite way of saying they drank strange-tasting water and hoped for the best.
Soak Up the Hall of Waters
Start at the Hall of Waters, an Art Deco building that looks like a municipal palace designed by a very optimistic pharmacist. It’s famous for having what’s often called the world’s longest mineral water bar, which is exactly what it sounds like. You can order water at a bar without a bartender rolling their eyes, and that alone is worth the trip.
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The building dates to the 1930s, when Excelsior Springs was a serious spa town. It housed different mineral waters for different ailments, because nothing says “healthcare” like a marble counter and a glass of iron-flavored H2O. Today it’s a historic landmark, visitor stop, and a great place to pretend you understand geology.
Sleep Like a 1920s Health Nut at The Elms
The Elms Hotel & Spa is the town’s grand dame, and it has the haunted-hotel energy to prove it. The current building opened in the early 1900s after fires did their dramatic thing, and it has hosted everyone from gangsters to presidents. Al Capone allegedly stayed here, probably not for the cucumber water.
The best story? Harry Truman went to bed at The Elms on election night in 1948, convinced he’d lost to Dewey. He woke up as the newly reelected president, which is a better wake-up call than any hotel alarm clock. You can book a spa treatment, wander the elegant halls, and ask the ghost politely to hold your robe.
Wander Historic Downtown
Downtown Excelsior Springs is made for slow strolling, window shopping, and buying a candle you absolutely do not need. You’ll find antique shops, boutiques, cafes, murals, and old buildings that look great in photos and even better after coffee. The Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives is a solid stop if you want the real stories behind the pretty facades.
Excelsior Springs, MO Tourism
Grab lunch at a local diner or BBQ spot, then walk it off while pretending you’re not going to get dessert. The town is small enough to feel cozy, but not so small that you accidentally become the mayor. If you find a shop selling vintage postcards, buy one and mail it to someone who still checks their mailbox.
Get Outside and Act Like You Enjoy Fresh Air
For a town famous for water, Excelsior Springs is also surprisingly good at land-based fun. The Excelsior Springs Golf Course is an old-school public course that lets you slice balls into the trees with historic dignity. Nearby Watkins Mill State Park offers trails, a lake, and a preserved 19th-century woolen mill that makes you appreciate modern fleece.
If you’re into history with a side of outlaw drama, the Jesse James Birthplace in nearby Kearney is a short drive away. Fishing, picnicking, and aimless wandering are all acceptable activities here. Just remember: in Missouri, “a short drive” can mean twenty minutes and three cornfields.
Eat, Drink, and Question Your GPS
Excelsior Springs has a nice mix of comfort food, small-town cafes, and local bars where everyone might know your name by dessert. Try Wabash BBQ if you want smoked meat in a historic train depot setting, because nothing pairs with brisket like railroad nostalgia. Vegetarians can survive, but they may need to be creative and very fond of sides.
Excelsior Springs, MO Tourism
After dinner, catch a show, listen to live music, or just sit on a patio and watch the town do its thing. Nightlife here is less “neon chaos” and more “friendly conversation with a side of crickets.” That’s not a bug; it’s the ambiance.
Plan Around a Festival or Invent Your Own
The town loves a good festival, from summer water celebrations to fall maple-leaf fun and holiday strolls downtown. Waterfest, seasonal farmers markets, and Christmas events give you a reason to come back beyond the mineral water. Check the local calendar, because small towns are sneaky about having excellent parades.
If nothing is scheduled, congratulations: you’ve unlocked the VIP experience of a quiet Missouri town. Browse, sip, stroll, and let the pace slow down until your phone battery feels overworked by comparison.
Excelsior Springs won’t overwhelm you with skyscrapers or traffic jams, and that’s the point. It’s a weird, warm, historic little place where water is entertainment and ghosts might have hospitality opinions. Come for the mineral springs, stay for the BBQ, and leave wondering why your own town doesn’t have a water bar.
