When you and your youth team travel to or from Branson for a baseball tournament at Ballparks of America, why not make a baseball-themed vacation out of it? There are plenty of outstanding baseball attractions within a five-hour drive of Branson for you to visit.
See our list of the top ones with our guide! We’ll go in order from the closest to the farthest away, all within a five-hour drive of our beautiful city.
1. Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri
Home of the Springfield Cardinals and Missouri State Bears, Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri, hosts collegiate and AA-level baseball from April through early September.
The Springfield Cardinals, an affiliate of MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals, play in the Texas League. The TL has existed since 1888 as one of the oldest Minor League Baseball leagues currently playing in the United States. Your youngsters can see the Major League stars of tomorrow or even catch a current MLB player on a rehab assignment.
The best part of Minor League Baseball is that the venue caters to family-friendly entertainment. Your team could also get group discounts when you purchase them for a particular game. Talk to the group ticket specialist because the PA announcer might introduce your team over the stadium’s loudspeakers, or you might have a special presentation down on the field. Sit on the berm beyond the left-field wall if you want to catch a home run ball. And have your gloves ready!
The future MLB stars you see could be from teams not affiliated with the Cardinals. Other Texas League teams that you could see at Hammons Field are associated with the following:
- Kansas City Royals
- Minnesota Twins
- Seattle Mariners
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Oakland A’s (Moving to Las Vegas after the 2024 season)
- Houston Astros
- Texas Rangers
- San Diego Padres
Hammons Field is about 40 miles north of Branson, so it’s an easy trip to take in a fun game with the MLB stars of tomorrow.
But the Springfield Cardinals aren’t the only Minor League team close to Branson. The North Division of the Texas League features teams all over the area. And there’s a AAA affiliate within a five-hour drive of Branson, too.
2. Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas
About 100 miles south of Branson is Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas. It’s the home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. You can expect the same family-friendly atmosphere in NWA as you would at a Cardinals’ game in Springfield.
Look for theme nights at the ballpark, such as post-game fireworks, $1 hot dogs or bratwurst, and family Sunday promotions. Sometimes, usually in late March, the Major League club will put on an exhibition against the AA club. This has happened with the Springfield Cardinals and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. These fun games allow everyone to see their favorite Major League stars up close.
3. Dickey-Stevens Park in North Little Rock, Arkansas
Around 170 miles south-southeast of Branson is North Little Rock, Arkansas, home to the AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the Arkansas Travelers. As a North Division rival of the Cardinals and Naturals, you can expect to see one of the non-Texas teams playing at Dickey-Stevens Park on any given night.
Your youth team can find the best seats in the house close to a dugout or go for a more expansive view behind home plate. There’s also a splash pad behind the bullpens on the right-field side if you want to cool off.
4. Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
The closest Major League Baseball stadium to Branson is Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals, 210 miles from Ballparks of America. The K is currently located in Independence, Missouri, just east of KC.
With the change to MLB schedules, your youth baseball team can see their favorite American League or National League team, depending on who is in town. You can tour the stadium, visit the team’s museum, and take in the historic stadium, which is over 50 years old. Oh, and there’s top-level baseball being played, too, by some of the hardest-working players in MLB.
5. Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri
One of the most meaningful stories about Major League Baseball is told in Kansas City, thanks to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This one-of-a-kind experience 210 miles from Branson is designed as a tribute to some of the greatest professional baseball players in the first half of the 20th century.
Why is this museum in Kansas City? The Kansas City Monarchs, the hometown team in the Negro Leagues, was so popular on Sunday that churches would rearrange their service schedules so people would attend games dressed in their Sunday best clothes.
A trip to this museum is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that shouldn’t be missed.
6. ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Remember when we talked about how Texas League stadiums dot the landscape near Branson? ONEOK Field in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, is 220 miles southwest of Branson. It’s the home of the Tulsa Drillers, the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Like other baseball stadiums, look for group tickets for your youth baseball team. There is terrace seating in left field as well as berm seating in left-center and right-center field. Another perk of visiting Minor League ballparks is that there are plenty of hotels nearby for your team’s lodging, and ONEOK Field has a few budget options within a couple of blocks of the stadium.
7. Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri
Head northeast from Branson on Interstate 44, and eventually, you’ll arrive at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, about 250 miles from Ballparks of America. Home of the St. Louis Cardinals, this proud National League franchise plays in front of its faithful fans with the famous Gateway Arch rising above the Mississippi River a few blocks away.
The Cardinals are regular contenders for the NL playoffs (recent history excluded), and some of the most legendary players in modern baseball have swung their bats here. Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, and Scott Rolen all wowed home crowds with their stellar play.
8. AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee
About 270 miles east of Branson sits AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s the home of the International League’s Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Here, you’ll see Minor League baseball players on the cusp of making the big leagues. On any given night, you could see a player about to make their Major League debut or an MLB legend getting back into playing shape after recuperating from an injury.
Look for regular promotions, theme nights, group tickets, lawn/bluff seating in left and right field (bring your gloves to catch a home run or two), and a family-friendly atmosphere all game long. The Memphis Redbirds are as close to MLB as you can get without attending a big league game within Branson’s reach.
9. USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, Oklahoma City
Every June, college teams play the baseball and softball World Series. The eight-team tournaments feature the best collegiate men’s and women’s players in Omaha, Nebraska, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, respectively. That’s why a trip to the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in OKC is well worth a road trip about 320 miles west of Branson. Some of the world’s best fastpitch players compete here.
The venue hosts the Oklahoma City Spark throughout the summer as part of the regular season of Women’s Professional Fastpitch. You might also see Team USA on a tour stop when they prepare for the Olympics or other tournaments. Your youth baseball or softball team will love seeing everything this world-class softball complex has to offer.
Tips for Baseball Road Trips Going To or From Ballparks of America
If you want to turn your entire youth baseball tournament trip into a fun-filled, baseball-themed journey, we have some tips for you.
- Plan your road trip to happen before or after your stay in Branson. A tournament at Ballparks of America tournament can take up to a week of your time already. So, planning one of these road trips before or after your team competes in Branson is best. It depends on your preferences. You can plan a road trip before coming to Branson, so your team is fresh and not yet tired from competing. Or, plan for it afterward if there are snafus or unexpected delays caused by the extra stops before the tournament.
- Make sure family and parents know about the road trips well in advance. Travel youth baseball already takes a lot of time and effort. Adding a fun road trip to the mix also takes careful planning. Make sure parents of travel baseball players know well in advance about road trip plans, travel routes, ticket prices, accommodations, and more. The best thing to do is plan an itinerary with enough room for relaxing and free time with family.
- Leave plenty of time for the baseball road trips. You don’t want your travel youth baseball team to feel rushed. Baseball is fun! Leave plenty of time for your baseball road trip, no matter where you go. Consider spending at least three days in your chosen city. Research nearby restaurants, attractions, events, and activities that aren’t baseball-related so your team can have fun bonding outside of the sport that brought everyone together in the first place.
- Look for family-friendly areas. Many baseball-themed areas will have nearby attractions or a list of things to do. There are plenty of resources out there for the chosen cities you visit that will give you the best venues to attend. Yelp, Tripadvisor, and even Lonely Planet will have ways for you to gauge which spots are ideal for your youth travel baseball team to visit while you’re in town on a road trip. Gauge positive versus negative reviews. Not every venue near your ballpark or city will be 100% positive. How bad are the negative reviews? Do people seem to have legitimate concerns?
- Stay on top of the weather. It’s always a great idea to stay on top of the weather. Everyone in your party should have a weather app on their phone when traveling between cities. The National Weather Service, The Weather Channel, and Weather Underground all have apps to let you track the weather and receive alerts when severe weather is on the way.
- Discover things you can’t get to or can’t do in Branson. Branson has a lot of things to do when you’re here. Consider city-specific places to see. For example, Springfield has the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium. St. Louis has the Gateway Arch, Kansas City has its fountains and the National World War I Museum, and Oklahoma City has the First Americans Museum and the Conestoga Wagons & Teepees at Orr Family Farm. The point is that your youth baseball team should pick venues that you can’t see anywhere else on your current trip. The memories will be well worth it!
- Have contingency plans in place. Not everything goes as planned on your road trip. Always have contingency plans for vehicle breakdowns, emergencies, or when things take longer than expected. Leave extra time in your travel for these things. If your itinerary can take three days, leave five days of time so your youth baseball team and parents can take their time enjoying the trip.
- Most important: Have fun! Travel youth baseball should be fun! You want your players to be fundamentally sound and play their best baseball. But at its heart, baseball is a game. It should be enjoyed by everyone who participates, from parents and coaches to players and siblings. Make every baseball road trip something that everyone associated with the youth travel baseball tournament can look back on with fond memories.
Youth Baseball Tournaments From March to October at Ballparks of America
We live and breathe baseball at Ballparks of America. We want your youth baseball team to have fun during your stay and on the journey to and from our beautiful city!
If you have any questions or want to book your team for a tournament, contact us at Ballparks of America or call (417) 464-6333.
