Content Produced in Partnership with Visit KC.
Kansas City is the perfect long-weekend trip, with plenty to fill each day and night and enough to be sure you plan a trip back.
Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a perfect stop to start your trip. The world-renowned art museum is chock-full of art, sculptures and other historical treasures that will keep the family occupied for hours. The Bloch Galleries are a must-see and house the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection. The collection, which includes works y Degas, Monet, Manet, Picasso and more, hung in the home of Henry Bloch of H&R Block before he donated them to the museum.
The Nelson-Atkins also has rotating exhibits that are always a hit, and you’d be remiss not to spend time in the sculpture garden and walking the lush lawn that features four massive shuttlecocks. You can even pack a little picnic and just soak in the serenity of the environment. When we visited, a wedding party was taking photos on the lawn while the upper area was being set up for a reception––talk about a gorgeous venue!
When you’ve had your fill of art, head over to the National WWI Museum and Memorial, the only one in the country, for an incredibly thorough retelling of history. When you walk inside the museum, you almost immediately walk across glass that looks down on a field of thousands of poppies, a symbol of remembrance. The artifacts from the period, the films and the replicas of war vehicles are truly incredible to see, and you will only see them here. Then, walk outside to the observation deck and look out over Kansas City’s stunning Union Station and the rest of the skyline.
For some sports history, take a trip to the Negro League Baseball Museum, located in the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District, where you can see and hear about the impact the Negro Leagues had on baseball. Be sure to read up on the Kansas City Monarchs––the longest-running Negro League team, which played from 1920 to 1965––and check out the historic Monarchs baseball jerseys on display. Follow the museum as it takes you through the chronology of the league, and be sure to watch the film narrated by James Earl Jones while you’re there. The memorabilia on display is a testament to the love the city, former players and players’ families have for the museum’s mission: to preserve the story of African-American baseball and its impact. If you bring the kids, or if you’re just a big kid at heart, you can take the field on a scaled-down version of a baseball diamond in the museum, complete with bronze statues of former players.
If you want more baseball, try to catch KC’s two-time World Series champions, the Royals! Head to Kauffman Stadium for an experience that’s so much more than just a baseball game (as if you needed more than that). Kauffman Stadium, or “The K,” is named for businessman and philanthropist Ewing Kauffman, a name synonymous with Kansas City, and it’s a truly magnificent ballpark. Revamped in 2009, it has a number of full-service bars in addition to the tried-and-true hotdog stand types. Be sure to spend some time in the Craft and Draft lounge. With an open, unrestricted view of the diamond and 50 locally brewed bottled beers and 24 drafts on tap behind the bar, you could almost spend the entire game up here.
There’s also a whole area at The K especially for the kiddos. The Outfield Experience is basically a theme park that still allows the adults to catch the game. Think putt-putt golf, a merry-go-round, a jungle gym, children’s batting cages, a Russell Stover’s candy food truck and ice cream. It’s not just a kid’s dream come true, it’s pretty enjoyable for adults, too
Over the last 10 years or so, Kansas City has seen an explosion of arts, culture, food, drinks and overall vibrancy, so it’s no surprise that there’s now an awesome graffiti tour of some of the city’s most gorgeous street art. Even with a steady drizzle, the tour we took was packed full of excited visitors.
Navigating alleys and side streets to see larger-than-life murals is really incredible, especially since this type of art has historically been taboo and often created in the middle of the night. To think something like this was created in the dark is almost beyond comprehension, especially for someone who struggles to draw straight lines. This two-hour walking tour is well worth the $22, so book yours soon!
Before you head out of town, a trip to the farmers’ market in the historic River Market is a must. With three open atriums full of local meat, beer, wine, crafts, desserts and flowers, it’s a trip back to a simpler time where you can walk at your leisure, sip a bubble tea or coffee, and pick up some delicious fare. While this certainly was a packed weekend in KC, there's still more to do next time around. We're already planning our next trip, and you should too.