Kansas City and Overland Park, Kansas
Kansas City and Overland Park
Find food, fun, and culture in this city’s areas.
Kansas City is a great place to visit with your family, your appetite, and your sense of excitement. This city is at the point where the Kansas and Missouri rivers meet. It’s famous for its barbecue, steaks, and culture, but there’s a lot more to see in the metro area that includes Overland Park.
Food, Beer, and Beef
High-quality beef is made in Kansas City, which is in the middle of the Midwest USA. You can find it at steakhouses all over town. You can find smoked beef, pulled pork, brisket, and ribs at dozens of places in the city. Around 1920, Henry Perry, who is known as the “father of Kansas City barbecue,” began selling smoked meats from a pushcart. This became a practice. Visit Arthur Bryant’s today to taste Perry’s heritage, but don’t forget to check out the food at other places too. Every steakhouse and barbecue joint in the city makes the city’s signature foods taste different. Try a craft drink from a local brewery, like Granite City Food & Brewery or Overland Park’s Brew Lab, to wash down the tasty food.
Districts that stand out
There are a lot of different things to do in Kansas City, which has more than 20 different neighborhoods. The downtown area is especially lively. The Strawberry Hill Museum & Cultural Center is in a Victorian building from 1887. People who are interested in history will enjoy learning about the area’s Slavic roots while visiting the building. In the Village West area, you can shop at Legends Outlet, eat, and have fun. You can watch a Kansas Speedway NASCAR race or a Kansas City T-Bones baseball game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark while you’re in the area.
In downtown Overland Park, which is about 20 minutes south of Kansas City, you can find a culture hub. You can look around in the 300 small shops, and every third Friday of the month there is live music and deals on food. At Kanza Hall or the Roxy Bar, you can see local artists play. Take some time to walk through a group of shops, like Prairiebrooke and InterUrban ArtHouse. You can see art at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art or see a show at the Carlsen Center of Performing Arts or the New Theatre.
Things to Do for All Ages: Families will have a lot of fun. Visit Kaw Point, a Lewis and Clark landmark and beautiful park along the Missouri River, to see views of downtown and hike along the trails. You can also visit the 121-hectare Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, which is full of plants and trees. Going to Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is like going to a farm from the 1900s. It has gardens, animals, a nature trail, a one-room classroom, and pony and wagon rides. The Cider Hill Family Orchard lets you ride a hayride, eat an apple straight from the tree, and taste a cookie made with cider. You can hike 24 kilometers of trails through the woody hills at Wyandotte County Lake Park. After your hike, you can fish in the 162-hectare lake. Visit the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame to see museum exhibits and live history shows. After that, go to Bonner Springs to see how marbles are made at the Moon Marble Company.