Joplin Elks Lodge 501 was founded in 1899 and enjoys a heritage that is steeped with the best of Elk Traditions. The Elks is a fraternal organization whose mission includes charity work, community enhancement, and fellowship. The new lodge includes a dining area and bar, game room, office space, a lodge room that doubles as a storm shelter, and a large rentable banquet hall with a warming kitchen. The banquet hall has four sets of double doors that open onto a large patio which overlooks a sloping lawn in the city of Joplin.