Go See Kansas City

GO SEE KC

The Country Club Plaza, the first shopping district designed for shoppers traveling by automobile, is the pride of Kansas City. Throughout the year, this district along Brush Creek is home to several festivals and fairs, including Illuminated Waters over Memorial Day Weekend, the Dragon Boat Festival in June and the Plaza Art Fair in September. With shops, restaurants, amazing architecture, numerous fountains and amazing art, this is a favorite attraction for locals and visitors alike. Nearby, visit the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. The museum houses a charming world of toys with interactive exhibits that take visitors on a stroll down memory lane. Country Club Plaza

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Kansas City boasts many remarkable art galleries, with two of her finest open to the public for free! The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, one of the largest galleries in the United States, maintains a permanent collection representing art from throughout history and around the world. Visitors enjoy the galleries and, on nice days, picnic or stroll the landscaped museum grounds and sculpture garden. Nearby, enjoy a stroll through the free Kauffman Memorial Gardens where something is always in bloom. For modern art enthusiasts, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art exhibits permanent and temporary collections with special events and workshops for families.

Visit the Kansas City Zoo where Berlin and Nuniq the polar bears, the Helzberg Penguin Plaza, Sumatran Tiger Exhibit, Stingray Bay, Australia, Africa and the Tropics are favorite attractions. This spring, the zoo welcomes two new koalas who will be visiting through November. While you’re there, ride the train, carousel, boat, tram and Sky Safari to enjoy terrific views of the animals. Other favorite attractions nearby include Lakeside Nature Center, Starlight Theatre, Swope Park Soccer Village and the Battle of Westport Museum. The adventurous can spend a day at Go Ape KC, a two- to three-hour obstacle course that includes 40 crossings featuring rope bridges, five zip lines, Tarzan swings and net bridges.

Spend a day at Crown Center enjoying great shops and restaurants. Weekender events throughout the summer feature free outdoor movies and live entertainment. Sea Life Aquarium is home to a walkthrough underwater tunnel and an enthralling journey from the fresh waters of the Missouri River to the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean. Legoland Discovery Center provides interactive play areas, including a 4D cinema, classes, rides and exhibits.

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Legoland Discovery Center

National World War I Museum and Memorial One of Kansas City’s most respected museums is the National World War I Museum and Memorial. After exploring the galleries, you may take a tour to the top of the tower for breathtaking views of the city’s skyline. One of the most notable landmarks you’ll see is Union Station, home to Kansas City’s Science City that boasts loads of hands-on science exhibits, and the Gottlieb Planetarium, one of the largest 360-degree domed screens in the Midwest. Nearby, make a stop at the Money Museum, a free museum where visitors leave with a souvenir bag of shredded cash. While you’re downtown, take a ride on the KC Streetcar to help you explore the area.

At Union Station, board the KC Streetcar for a free ride through downtown. Stop in the Power & Light District where you’ll find a variety of restaurants, shops and theaters. For an amazing view, head to the top of KCMO’s City Hall for 360-degree panoramas of downtown (Mon.-Fri. 9:00-3:00). Also explore the Central Library with its famous painted bookshelf parking garage and the River Market District where you can enjoy many tasty restaurants and fun shopping experiences.

GO SEE KC

The jewel of downtown is the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Audiences enjoy professional performances from the Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera, Kansas City Symphony and touring productions. Every summer, they host the annual Future Stages Festival (June 14), showcasing hundreds of young performers on the Kauffman Center stages and featuring a wide range of diverse performance styles and engaging arts activities. Throughout the year, both local and traveling productions include professional entertainers as well as educational programming from comedians to musicians, short plays to lectures. Before a show, enjoy a delicious meal in the Dining Experience that offers a three-course menu featuring modern-American cuisine. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum One of Kansas City’s most famous historic neighborhoods is 18th & Vine. Two museums in the district celebrate the city’s past. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum showcases the history of American baseball from the Black perspective, beginning in 1863, and gets you acquainted with many famous local baseball stars. Measure up against the life-size bronze statues of players in mid-game on the baseball diamond. Visitors can experience Kansas City jazz and celebrate our finest musicians at the American Jazz Museum and enjoy a live concert at the Gem or the Blue Room.

Kansas City’s arts, antiques and dining districts roll out the red carpet all month long with special hours, sales and events on weekends. You’ll find a complete schedule of events on KCParent.com when you search “Weekend Guide.” Top picks include First Fridays in the Crossroads, enjoyed by more than 10,000 people who head to the cultural arts district for free peeks at galleries and studios, delicious treats from food trucks and restaurants and entertainment from street performers. Third Saturday Wine Walk on Delaware is an adult favorite in the River Market District, also home to the city’s largest farmers market.

“The Man from Missouri” and 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman hailed from Independence. You can learn about his childhood at the Truman Farm, his humble lifestyle at the Truman Home in Independence and his presidency. Visit other historic sites, including Vaile Mansion, the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, the Jail Museum and the National Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, many of which host special events throughout the year. On the Independence Square, enjoy dining at historic restaurants including Courthouse Exchange and Clinton’s Soda Fountain. You may also catch a film at The Pharaoh.

Bingham-Waggoner Estate

Downtown Lee’s Summit Downtown Lee’s Summit is the historic, present and future heart of Lee’s Summit. It is a commercially vibrant, cultural, spiritual, and educational family destination offering shops and boutiques, including bookstores, hobby shops, clothing boutiques, art galleries, cooking stores and more. Nearby, kids love Sky Zone the indoor trampoline park offering extreme fun. Main Event in Independence (additional locations) offers arcades, laser tag, obstacle courses, billiards, bowling and more family fun. Independence Center is a great family destination with their District Jungle and indoor ropes obstacle course.

Children love visiting Bass Pro, an outdoor store in Independence (additional location in Olathe) with so much to see. The centerpiece of the store is the wildlife display complete with an indoor pond and live ducks. The giant aquarium featuring freshwater fish is another fun attraction. You’ll find games, including an arcade-style target range, and a restaurant as well. Ice-skating is everyone’s favorite winter sport, but you can enjoy it year-round at the indoor Independence Community Ice Rink. With open-skate sessions offered year-round, along with lessons and clinics, this rink is perfect for any ability level of skater.

GO SEE KC

Shawnee Town 1929 Living history museums are a favorite local attraction, with several historical sites telling the area’s history through reenactments and handson education. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm brings 1850s farming to life with tours and programs all year, including stagecoach rides, family programs and a working blacksmith shop. On Thursday evenings in June and July, enjoy free themed events. Shawnee Town 1929 is a slightly more modern village where families explore living history firsthand. Families also enjoy Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. The 12-acre park is home to more than 200 farm animals, gardens, a dairy barn, pony rides and much more.

The Johnson County Museum is one of the metro’s best resources for local history. With award-winning long-term exhibits featuring local history, including the beloved 1950s electric house and displays remembering local businesses, as well as changing exhibits, the museum is a great place to spend a day. Little ones love the hands-on play space at KidScape where they can play and imagine they are grown up in a pintsized village. This is a top pick for visitors who have come to town for an event at the Overland Park Convention Center. Nearby, be sure to spend an evening at Topgolf, an entertainment complex for golf enthusiasts.

Johnson County Museum

If you’re looking for unique family fun, there are many great options. Adventure lovers enjoy iFly KC, an indoor skydiving facility. Urban Air Overland Park (additional locations) is a favorite indoor trampoline park, with an indoor playground and fun for all ages with obstacle courses and games. Ceramic Café is a local paint-your-own pottery shop where you may try your hand at clay building, ceramic painting and glass fusing. On select days, the shop offers Creative Story Time for little ones. The program features a favorite children’s book and a project inspired by the story. The shop also offers special events, parties and walk-in programs.

Legends Outlets Head west to Legends Outlets for a day of shopping and local attractions. The shopping center features tributes to local celebrities with banners, statues and artwork. You even can walk the Yellow Brick Road, a tribute to Kansas’ literary fame in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Catch a movie at the theater or listen to a concert on the Lawn. Play your favorite arcades and enjoy delicious food at Dave and Buster’s or enjoy Kansas City barbecue at Arthur Bryant’s. Then, visit Nebraska Furniture Mart, the largest furniture retailer in the region, and Cabela’s, an outdoor store with an amazing aquarium and animal exhibits.

The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson is one of the state’s finest museums. The museum is home to the largest combined collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world. The exhibits take visitors through the history of the Cold War and up through the modern era and include both the history and science of the space program. The museum houses Sputnik I and II, space suits, rockets, a moon rock and more than 100 artifacts. Strataca is a one-of-a-kind experience through an underground salt mine museum. Visitors are taken on a 650-foot journey underground to the 68-degree mine (bring a light jacket), where they discover the history of salt mining in Kansas.

Cosmosphere

The city of Topeka is just over an hour’s drive from Kansas City, making it a perfect family day trip. The Topeka Zoological Park is a great way to start the day. The zoo is located in Gage Park where you’ll also find a carousel, rose garden, animal land playground and train rides. Then, head to the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, a hands-on museum for young children. For a civics lesson, take a free guided tour of the Kansas State Capitol and learn the state’s history and about the legislative process. Step back in time with a visit to Old Prairie Town or visit the Kansas Museum of History.

GO SEE KC

Enjoy both Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun for the price of one ticket. Worlds of Fun boasts seven world-class roller coasters, Planet Snoopy, great rides and live shows. Classic rides include Cyclone Sam’s, Bamboozler and Fury of the Nile, the park’s ultimate water ride. For adrenaline junkies, SteelHawk takes flight at 301 feet above the skyline with views for miles around. Oceans of Fun offers 23 slides within 17 attractions, including the 1,034,364-gallon Surf City Wave Pool and 720-foot-long lazy river dubbed the Caribbean Cooler. This summer, the park welcomes Riptide Raceway, taking guests five stories high before they speed down four side-by-side tunnels atop a soft foam mat. Oceans of Fun

Weston, MO Couples enjoy getaways in the Northland where they can try Mystery Dinner Theater at Liberty’s Belvoir Winery, a beautiful inn, winery and garden with special events throughout the year. Or stay at Excelsior Springs’ historic Elms Hotel and Spa that has hosted everyone from politicians to gangsters. Experience the area’s history on a weekend retreat. Another great weekend option is Weston, MO, home to numerous bed and breakfasts, local restaurants, shops, wineries, breweries and orchards. Parkville, MO, with beautiful riverfront views, a historic main street with a variety of boutiques and restaurants, and local attractions, is another charming destination.

The Fun Farm Pumpkin Patch, in Kearney, is a favorite destination for strawberry picking in the spring, pumpkins in the fall, and their Winter Wonderland during the holidays. The treehouse village, jumping pillows, barn games, hayrides, trike tracks, cow train, beehive and petting zoo are just a few favorite activities to enjoy. Nearby, you’ll find one of the region’s most scenic campgrounds and historic sites. Watkins Mill State Park features a 100-acre lake, campgrounds, picnic areas, trails and Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site. There, you can tour a 19th-century threestory woolen mill and home to learn what life was like for families more than a century ago.

Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad

Enjoy fresh-made cider at Louisburg Cider Mill, where visitors watch as cider is pressed and cider donuts are made. Cedar Cove in Louisburg, KS, is an animal refuge for endangered or rescued big cats, including leopards, cougars, wolves, bobcats, a white tiger, black leopards and caracals. On Saturdays through October, visit Powell Observatory for a public stargazing session through one of the largest telescopes in the region. Every spring Miami County hosts a farm tour (May 8-9), where visitors are invited to tour 14 local farms and agricultural sites. Visit a pecan farm, bison ranch, alpaca farm, Hereford farm, goat farms, wineries and more. Johnson Farms in Belton, MO, is a beautiful agritourism attraction where you can shop the nursery and pick fresh apples in the late summer and veggies and pumpkins in the fall. Also in Belton, visitors love riding aboard the Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad, an excursion train offering a 5-mile, 45-minute round trip ride aboard a 1920s-era passenger coach or open-air excursion car behind a 1950s diesel locomotive through Old Towne Belton on weekends. Throughout the summer they offer theme rides, including hot dog, ice cream and holiday specials. Enjoy lunch at one of the local cafes or restaurants in the historic district.

Cedar Cove

The Overland Park Arboretum is a 300-acre attraction with 13 gardens, including a Monet garden, a whimsical train garden and beautiful trails to explore. This summer, enjoy Picnic on the Promenade and Stems: A Garden Soirée 2021, two events for grown-ups. The gardens are always affordable, but admission is free on Tuesdays. A few miles from the gardens, head to Rye Studio in Stilwell, KS, where you can take a photo with the You Have My Heart art wall. This is just one art wall in the metro; you’ll find directions to many more on KCParent.com.