Visiting Kansas City, The City of Fountains

Kansas City deserves more then a quick weekend, but lets say two days is all you have. When guests visit from out of town, I usually take them on a general tour of all the well known sites. My itinerary consists of a visit to the Plaza, Nelson Atkins Museum, Liberty Memorial, Union Station, Crown Center, and the River Market. 

The Country Club Plaza – This area is known for high end shopping and restaurants. Parking is generally free and easy to find, there are parking garages scattered throughout several blocks of the Plaza.

The entire area is designed to look like the city of Seville, in Spain, so it is unique in that aspect.

On Thanksgiving Day, thousands of people gather here for the popular Christmas Lighting Ceremony. For the lighting ceremony, there is a large stage with events and performances going on. At a specific time, a selected individual, usually a native celebrity will do a countdown and flip on the lights. Out of nowhere, the whole Plaza District is lit up with gorgeous holiday lights! 

Nelson Atkins Museum – I am not a huge fan of art or art museums, but I think the building and grounds of the Nelson Atkins Museums deserves a visit. Oddly enough, the grounds are famous for their giant shuttlecocks. The entrance to the museum is free but sometimes there are special exhibits that do require an entrance fee. From others that are really into all forms of art, I heard this is an incredible museum. 

Liberty Memorial – If you want a stunning view of the city, visit the Liberty Memorial. From here you can see the Union Station and skyline. Parking here is free, and you can walk from the memorial down to the Union Station.

The Liberty Memorial is home to the WWI Museum, a museum that is well worth visiting! Actually this is one of the more impressive museums I’ve ever been to. It has a lot of great information, artifacts, and displays. Visitors can also take an elevator to the observation deck.

Union Station – The Union Station is a Kansas City icon and seen in almost every picture of KC. I highly recommend visiting and venture inside. The Union Station is home to Science City and a lot of rotating exhibits come here.

Ask someone at the tourist information booth to show you the bullet holes on the outside. An event known as the Kansas City Massacre took place here. In 1933, there was a criminal being transported to Leavenworth. Upon arriving at the Union Station in KC, the escorts of the criminal were ambushed by a gang leaving four officers and the fugitive dead. Rumor has it that a criminal known as Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd was involved in the massacre. 

Crown Center – The Crown Center can be accessed from the Union Station. It is basically an indoor mall with shops and restaurants. During Christmas, there is a Lighting Ceremony here as well that really festive! 

The River Market – This was always my favorite place to be in Kansas City. I love outdoor markets, especially when food is involved. Many of the restaurants here are open 7 days a week, and during the weekends there is a farmers market. The River Market is gaining popularity, many of the old brick buildings are becoming apartments, cafe’s, shops, and restaurants. Attractions like the Steamboat Arabia Museum can be found here. 

Surprisingly, I don’t have any pictures of the River Market, I guess I was always to busy snacking my way through the restaurants and vendors.