Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Head to the historic district of 18th & Vine, which was the center for Black culture and life in Kansas City from the late 1800s to the 1960s, to take a self-guided tour of African-American baseballs rich history at the NLBM. The multimedia displays, collections of photos and artifacts, and film exhibits tell the complete story of Negro Leagues Baseball, from average players to superstars. Dont miss the field of 12 bronze sculptures and the museum store.
Leilas Hair Museum Is One Of The Quirky Museums In Kansas City
About twenty minutes east of Kansas City, in Independence, you will find what is probably one of the most unique museums in the world.
It is the only museum of its kind and while some might consider it distasteful, it is an interesting Kansas City attraction.
Leilas Hair Museum was founded in 1986 by Leila Cohoon. You wont find simple clumps of hair here. Instead, the walls are covered in framed Victorian art pieces completely made of human hair.
If you love visiting quirky places while on vacation, you definitely need to add this museum to your Kansas City bucket list!
Union Horse Distilling Co
The Union Horse Distilling Co. is an award-winning family-owned distillery that specializes in handcrafted artisanal spirits: three whiskeys and a vodka.
Their small batch distilling process from milling locally sourced grains to barreling and bottling, is done completely in house.
The distillery is also an event space with three state-of-the-art venues suited for up to 350 guests.
It is obvious when a facility pays attention to detail, and at Union Horse every element from tour to tasting has been designed to reflect elegance and style. I have visited many wineries, breweries, and distilleries during my travels, but the Union Horse experience with brand specialist J. Gallagher remains the most memorable to date.
Melody Pittman from Wherever I May Roam
I havent been paid a penny for product endorsement or placement, but my Union Horse T-shirt is the softest, best-fitting T-shirt ever, and I wear it everywhere in my travels. Pictured above at Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca in Santiago de Cuba.
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Harry S Truman Library And Museum
One of 14 U.S. presidential libraries and museums, this impressive memorial features vast holdings that include historical documents related to the Korean War and NATO, as well as the Berlin Airlift, and the Manhattan Project. In addition, you’ll find documents associated with desegregation of the Armed Forces. Permanent museum exhibits include Truman: The Presidential Years, which encompasses 10,500 square feet and features two ‘decision rooms’ where you’ll learn what considerations informed Truman’s actions regarding major issues and events of the day. Additional video and audio presentations also illustrate activities on the international stage during his presidency. Inside Harry S. Truman: His Life and Times, this exhibition covers his early years and family to his political career, and return to “Mr. Citizen.” It’s a comprehensive look at a pivotal presidency.
Recommended for Museums because: This library and museum provide a well-rounded and comprehensive look at the only president who came from Missouri.
Lisa’s expert tip: Check the web site regarding long-term special exhibits such as the current Saving the White House: Truman’s Extreme Makeover, which depicts his pricey and controversial 1,222-day renovation of the White House.
Recommended for Museums because: This museum continuously adds new art, exhibition space and exciting public programs. Be sure to see the new Bloch collection of 29 glorious Impressionist paintings.
Meet Lisa Waterman Gray
Persevering Despite The Lockdown: Interview With Founder Of Starvox Entertainment
Just over a year ago, a groundbreaking partnership between Starvox Entertainment and Show One Productions created Lighthouse Immersive to bring you the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. The world has changed significantly since Corey and Svetlana combined their efforts to create a permanent arts space in downtown Toronto, but Lighthouse Immersive perseveres
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Best Museums In Kansas City: Famous Spots To Visit
KC is known for many things, but did you know there are fun Kansas City museums you can visit year round?
Whether your family is into American history, the history of clothing & garments, or baseball history, theres a museum in Kansas City for nearly everyone.
Check out the best museums in Kansas City now for fun summer activities with kids:
John Wornall House Museum
As a traveling history buff, I never expected to find a Greek Revival antebellum home in Kansas City.
But I did.
At the time of its construction in 1858, the John Wornall House was situated on 500 acres of farmland, not surrounded by town like it is today. Mr. Wornall, a prosperous Baptist farmer and community leader, fueled by his desire to build the most pretentious mansion in his section, oversaw construction of the house with slave labor and red bricks fired on site.
Wornall suffered greatly at the hands of both Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers during the Kansas-Missouri Border Wars leading up to the Civil War. During the 1864 Battle of Westport, which has been dubbed the Gettysburg of the West, the house was commandeered by both Union and Confederate forces as a field hospital.
Visitors can experience daily life of a wealthy pre-Civil War family during one-hour guided tours of the home on select days of the week. The nearby Alexander Majors House and Barn is open on weekends, as well.Note: I was able to tour all seven of these Kansas City museums during two full days in town. Even so, I recommend that itinerary planners budget time allocated to each museum based on personal interests with consideration for museum hours.
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Ewing And Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden
The Kauffman Memorial Garden has provided an oasis to the residents of Kansas City since the spring of 2000, covering two acres within the Kauffman Legacy Park. The gardens include both perennials and annual beds, which are changed each season, as well as a variety of decorative and shade trees. The park is also home to several bronze sculptures created by artist Tom Corbin, as well as fountains and stone landscaping.
Parking and admission to the gardens are free, and tours can be arranged in advance by contacting the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation the entire park is wheelchair accessible.
Another excellent green space is the Jacob L. Loose Park, a 75-acre public park that features a 1.5 -acre rose garden, with approximately 130 varieties. It also offers recreation space, including tennis courts, fountains, and a spray park for kids to cool off in.
Address: 4800 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Garment District Museum
801 Broadway Blvd | Kansas City, MO 64105-1596
The provides 3,300 square feet for exhibitions, programs, and events, and it is adjacent to Garment District Place Park. In addition, the is across the street from the Historic Garment District Museum, a 1,000 square-foot space located at 801 Broadway in the historic Poindexter Building at the northeast corner of 8th St. and Broadway Blvd.
** No mention of 2021 on website.
7000 NE Barry Rd | Kansas City, MO 64156-1278
Nestled quietly on 80 acres out of the 1,000 acres that makes up Hodge Park. The museum has 21 structures with 17 authentic 19th century buildings dating from 1807-1885. Our historic log cabins and homes were relocated from surrounding counties to create a village setting.
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Museums In Kansas City Missouri
Kansas City is the largest city in the state of Missouri. It was founded in the 1830s as a Missouri River port at its confluence with the Kansas River. The town of Kansas was incorporated in 1850.
Shortly after came the establishment of the Kansas Territory and then the State of Kansas. Since then confusion between the state and city has ensued.
The name Kansas City was assigned to distinguish it from the Territory and the State of Kansas. Kansas City today sits on Missouris western boundary of Missouri next to the state of Kansas.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum opened its Euro-Style Bloch addition in 2007, and the Safdie-designed Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2011.
The Liberty Memorial, a World War I memorial and museum, was designated as the National World War I Museum and Memorial in 2004. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is near the Country Club Plaza District.
The home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum is in the 18th & Vine District, an internationally recognized cradle of jazz music and a historic hub of African-American businesses.
Swope Park, one of the nations largest city parks, features a zoo, a woodland nature, and a wildlife rescue center.
Hodge Park includes the Shoal Creek Living History Museum, a village of more than 20 historical buildings dating from 1807 to 1885.
The Downtown Airport was TWAs original headquarters and houses the Airline History Museum.
National Museum Of Toys And Miniatures
5235 Oak St | Kansas City, MO 64112-2877
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures inspires & delights adults and children. There are SO many toys to be seen through the museums collection and preservation of toys and miniatures.
** Now CLOSED to the public with plans to reopen in the fall of 2021.
4420 Warwick Blvd | Kansas City, MO 64111-1821
Kansas Citys acclaimed, FREE contemporary art museum, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is definitely worth a visit!
The Museum boasts a rapidly growing Permanent Collection of modern and contemporary works of art from around the world, and hosts exhibitions, installations, film and video series, lectures, concerts, workshops, and other creative programs.
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National Silk Art Museum: Weston Missouri
Housed in the old Bank of Weston, the National Silk Art Museum is truly one-of-a-kind. Local business owner John Pottie is the founder and curator, having collected silk art for over 40 years and accumulating over 500 examples of the art form. The museum opened in 2013 and rotates its collection regularly.
It includes pieces from over 200 years ago, from 19th and 20th century England, France, Germany and the United States. Though many of the works are reproductions of oil paintings, each took years to make and are each unique.
Many were created with the jacquard weaving technique, which used an intricate system of punch cards, a precursor to the calculator and computer. The museum has a jacquard loom from Germany on display, as well as information about the history of weaving.
They share examples of individual pieces regularly on Facebook, with information about the context and creation of each piece.
United Federation Of Doll Clubs Museum: Kansas City
Doll collecting is a fairly common passion shared by people all over the world, but did you know that the United Federation of Doll Clubs has its headquarters right here in Kansas City? In an unassuming industrial area near the Kansas City International Airport, theres a museum stocked with over 1,000 dolls and accessories.
The organization was founded in 1943 in New York, moved its headquarters to Missouri in the 1990s and into its current location in 2001.
This museum was made possible by donations from clubs and collectors and continues to expand. It includes models from all over the world dating back to the 1700s, though a majority of the dolls are either European or American made. UFDC shares videos examining the valuable dolls in the collection.
Many are exquisitely handcrafted, more sculptural than plaything some are mint-condition, mass-produced pieces from recent decades. There are dolls made of china, papier-mache, rawhide, cloth, wood, corn husks, shells, soap, nuts and even turkey wishbone. Drawers in the museum labeled open me share additional materials, such as doll dress patterns.
Cant get enough dolls? Youre in luck. Theres also the Doll Museum in St. Joseph, Missouri, and, of course, the exquisite dollhouse collection and vintage toys of the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures on UMKCs Volker Campus.
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National World War I Museum At Liberty Memorial
Kansas City’s National World War I Museum sits at the feet of the Liberty Memorial, an impressive Egyptian Revival-style monument erected in 1928 in honor of the men and women who served and died in the war. The museum’s collections include a wide variety of artifacts, letters, films, and other pieces of historical significance that were gathered between 1920 and today.
The collections and exhibits present a rounded view of the war’s global impact, including exhibits like a re-creation of the crater left behind after a French farmhouse is struck by a howitzer shell. Visitors can walk through the crater and can also experience what it looked and sounded like inside the trenches with six reproduced scenes.
Other exhibits share compelling stories from those who experienced the war, both on the front lines and at home. Other items on display include a Renault FT-17 tank with damage from a German shell, weapons, uniforms, and personal objects that soldiers brought into battle. In total, the collection is one of the world’s largest, with more than 75,000 items.
Address: 100 W 26th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
National Museum Of Toys & Miniatures
I didnt turn any cartwheels when I saw the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures on my itinerary. I dont deny that there is still a 12-year old boy inside me, but compared with unearthed steamboats and world wars, how great could it be? I had toured toy and miniature museums before, and they were just okay.
Boy, was I wrong!
Recently reopened after an $8 million renovation and adding the term national to its name made it perfectly clear that the difference between a ho-hum museum and a world-class museum is the quality of presentation.
And during my travels I dont mind being pleasantly surprised.
The museum first opened in 1982, featuring the toy collection of and the miniature collection of Barbara Hall Marshall. Including new acquisitions, those combined collections now number more than 72,000 items. The largest piece in the museum is the 1864 Coleman Dollhouse, which in my opinion qualifies as both a toy and a miniature.
Perhaps the factor that most endeared the museum to me was the nostalgia it inspired. There is nothing like seeing your very own childhood toys on display to bring up long-forgotten memories and stories. Although they were not among my boyhood toys, as a roadtripper now, I especially enjoyed the vintage gas station and roadside diner set-ups.
Apparently, it doesnt take an act of Congress to add the word national to a museum name, but in the case of the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, it is well deserved.
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Money Museum Is A Unique Kansas City Museum
Another one of the most unique and free museums in Kansas City is the Money Museum. Found in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, this museum is more fun than you might originally think.
There are interactive exhibits about inflation, global currency, and fiscal responsibility. You will also see the Harry S. Truman Coin Collection.
One of the coolest exhibits allows visitors to lift a solid gold bar in a special case. The bar weighs 27 pounds and is worth over $400,000! It was cast in 1959 and is on loan from the U.S. Treasury.
When you leave the museum, do not forget to grab your free bag of shredded money!
The Original Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Is Coming To Lighthouse Artspace
The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit is taking over Lighthouse ArtSpace Kansas City. Located at located at the Grove at Zona Rosa Lighthouse Kansas City will be transformed into an unforgettable art experience where the art of Vincent van Gogh will come to life around you!
Renowned for transforming venues into unforgettable art experiences, the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit strives to highlight the unique architecture of its spaces while integrating influences from its history and community. Get ready to be transported the second you step inside.
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Interview With Composer Luca Longobardi
Alongside the launch of the playlist he curated for Spotify, Italian composer Luca Longobardi joins us to discuss his latest project: the soundtrack for the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. Coming off their highly acclaimed Atelier de Lumières exhibition in Paris, Longobardi once again partners with Artistic Director Massimiliano Siccardi to create an imaginative soundtrack for
History Reimagined At 21c Kansas City
Feed, nourish, and refresh your soul at 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City. Let contemporary art surround youin this museum, boutique hotel, and chef-driven restaurant, nestled between the Power & Light district and River Market in downtown Kansas City.
: 21c continues to follow the latest CDC guidelines in the fight against Covid-19. With cases on the rise and in compliance with the City of Kansas City Mandate issued on 8.2.21, we are asking all teammates and guests, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask in all public spaces. For the most up-to-date information about all of our cleanliness and wellness policies, designed with the safety of our teammates and guests in mind, .
Conde Nast Travelers Readers Choice Awards 2019, 2020, 2021
TOP HOTELS -IN THE WORLD
Conde Nast Travelers Readers Choice Awards 2021
Museum
Contemporary art is the core of 21c.
As North Americas only multi-venue museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting art of the 21st century, 21c Museum brings a new cultural resource to the citys vibrant art scene. From rotating, curated exhibitions, to site-specific installations and cultural programming, 21c Museum offers the local and traveling community unprecedented access to the work of some of todays emerging artists.
- Our Museum is open to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
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Pierponts At Union Station
The revitalized 1914 Union Station is a destination all of its own. This grand bustling railway station was closed in the 1980s and was doomed for demolition.
Rescued through a bi-state funding initiative, Union Station has been lovingly restored to her former glory. Now the station is home to museums, theaters, restaurants, a planetarium, and many other venues.
Pub grub is more my speed than fine dining, but I was delighted that my host reserved a table for lunch at Pierponts, named for railroad baron J.P. Morgan.
The blue crab and sweet corn bisque, filet mignon, sautéed asparagus, and bread pudding were heaven in the afternoon, and the sliding ladder along the 30 ft. mahogany bar kept me thoroughly entertained.
