Joplin, Missouri
Votes
2012 Best Small Towns in America
Contest ended: May 16, 2012
73 Votes - "Friendliest"
2 Votes - "Most Patriotic"
Description
In 2011, a tornado that could’ve destroyed Joplin only strengthened it. The experience united this community and revealed a spirit of resilience they’re now known for. The town’s adopted the motto “Rebuilding the Human Spirit,” marked by a monument and mosaic in the town’s park and exhibited at Joplin Museum and the Spiva Center for the Arts.
The Joplin Museum Complex houses five individual museums including the Sports Hall of Fame and Historical Museum, while the Spiva Center hosts three rotating galleries featuring regional and international art. Visitors can additionally take in history at Joplin Little Theatre, George Washington Carver park, Joe Becker Stadium or the Murphysburg District.
Joplin has a flare for fun food between the Candy House’s handmade sweets, Eagle Drive-In’s burgers and Big R’s Bar-BQ. For more fun, head to Route 66 Carousel Park for everything from go-karts and bumper boats to a ferris wheel and mini-golf. Check out a Joplin Outlaws Baseball game when they’re in season, too.
Joplin hosts several annual events including the Joplin Holiday Experience and Memorial Run, competitions in photography at PhotoSpiva and BMX racing at JoMoPro, and festivals like Boomtown Days with food and music and the Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center Water Festival with cardboard boat racing. See more of what Joplin has in store with these reviews!
Reviews
- Love to spend the day in this little town, closest thing to my native South, people are so helpful and hospitable.
- on March 24, 2013
- Joplin is a town full of hope! I'm so proud to say it's my home. The people are friendly and hard working. The best city in America!!
- on June 30, 2012
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Everyone talks about how friendly Joplin is......
Well i beg to differ. I live just outside of Joplin so I am not biased. Since Joplin was devastated by the tornado last year they have become a little less friendly. They are constantly voting against low income housing for those who still have no place to live. The rental property owners have doubled and sometimes tripled the rent on their properties making it impossible for some people to find someplace to live. Many have moved to surrounding towns for this reason. While there are some people who are very friendly overall this town is not. It has become snobby and selfish. So tell me why they deserve to be the friendliest town. - on June 21, 2012
- I have lived in the southwest Missouri area for 42 years. I moved inside Joplin city limits in 2003 and absolutely love living here. People are friendly and caring. Joplin is big enough to have anything you need to shop for and plenty of things to do for entertainment. Life is good in Joplin!
- on June 20, 2012
- I moved to Joplin 11 years ago and absolutely love it! I LOVE the school system, and absolutely LOVE IRVING school! They have the nicest and friendliest staff ever. Joplin offers a lot of family events that we love to attend. We have been blessed with so much help from people from Joplin that are just plain strangers since last year's devastating disaster. I don't believe if that had happened to us in any other city, that we would've been blessed like we have been from Joplin, from family, friends, our church, and residents. My husband's from here and has always said he can never see himself moving. We LOVE Joplin!!!!!!
- on June 20, 2012
