Discover Kansas City’s neighborhoods for dining, entertainment, and culture.
Kansas City, a dynamic community that takes pleasure in good times and pleasant, fun-loving people, is well-known for its jazz, BBQ, and fountains. Fantastic shopping, unique museums, and a vibrant arts scene all contribute to the city’s stylish, cultural aura.
These are 13 must-do activities in Kansas City that each traveler should schedule.
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Savor barbecue in the Kansas City manner.
There are more than 100 barbecue restaurants in the “Barbecue Capital of the World,” ranging from tiny, neighborhood favorites to barbecue icons like Bryant’s and Gates.
Play some live jazz.
Jazz gained its swing in Kansas City, and over 40 local bars frequently feature performances from this rich history.
Visit Kansas City’s Famous Fountains
Rome may have fewer fountains than any other city, but Kansas City is nonetheless dubbed the City of Fountains thanks to its more than 200 fountains.
Go to the American Royal
The largest barbecue tournament in the world, known as the “World Series of Barbecue,” takes place in Kansas City’s West Bottoms every fall.
Browse Country Club Plaza’s selection.
The country’s first outdoor retail area created with cars in mind opened its doors in 1922 and spans 15 blocks with Spanish-style buildings and eye-catching fountains.
Go to 18th & Vine.
Explore the past of this significant African-American community by visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum.
Tailgating at a Chiefs game: Although Kansas City is a true sports town, no custom is more well-known than supporters showing up hours in advance to grill out in the parking lots of the NFL stadium.
See the Crossroads Arts District in person.
Every month on the first Friday, over sixty art galleries and shops remain open late for one of the biggest art walks in the country.
See the National WWI Museum in America.
Congress designated this monument and museum as “America’s National World War I Museum” when it was dedicated in 1926. Reach the summit of the 217-foot tower to get a panoramic perspective of the city.
Have a picnic close to a shuttlecock
The 22-acre Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art features the greatest collection of Henry Moore sculptures outside of England in addition to four almost eighteen-foot-tall badminton “birdies.”
Live out the American West By way of Jesse James
See the house where Frank and Jesse James were raised. See the Jesse James Bank Museum, the scene of the first bank heist during daylight hours in peacetime.
Discover How to Make Greetings
In 1910, J.C. Hall founded Hallmark by selling cards at the neighborhood YMCA out of a shoebox. A century later, the Hallmark Visitors Center allows guests to see artists creating actual cards and get behind-the-scenes access to the greatest greeting card manufacturer in the world.
See Why This Is Where “The Buck Stops”
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, oversaw a turbulent period of history that included the decision to unleash the atomic bomb to end World War II and the beginning of the Cold War. Visit the Independence, Missouri, sights of his birthplace, including the Truman Home and the Truman Presidential Museum and Library.