When it comes to having fun, Kansas City has something for everyone. We have world-class museums and performing arts, professional sports teams, great restaurants and nightlife, and a calendar packed with special events.
Art museums & galleries
Kansas City has a rich and vibrant visual arts scene. In fact, Kansas City ranks 7th in the country for the number of visual artists. Here are a few of best places to see great art – and meet and mingle with other art lovers.
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art – The Nelson-Atkins is one of the country’s premier museums, with a collection of more than 33,500 works. Highlights include the museum’s fine collection of Asian Art, the Henry Moore sculpture garden, and the Hallmark photography collection. The museum’s classic Beaux Arts building dates to 1933, and its award-winning new expansion, the Bloch Building, opened in 2007.
- Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art – The Kemper boasts an impressive permanent collection of modern and contemporary art and presents 10 to 12 special exhibitions each year. From an initial gift in 1995 of more than 100 works of art from Museum founders Bebe and Crosby Kemper, the collection has expanded to include nearly 1,000 contemporary works.
- Crossroads Arts District – The Crossroads Arts District is one of the most concentrated arts districts in the nation, featuring an eclectic mix of boutiques, restaurants, creative businesses, studios and art galleries. First Fridays are especially popular, with art lovers from across the metro area filling the sidewalks on the first Friday evening of each month for gallery openings and special performances.
- H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute – The Art Institute is one of the country’s premier schools of art and design, and the H&R Block Artspace presents innovative, high-quality exhibitions of regional, national and international art.
Festivals & fairs
From the iconic American Royal, to celebrations of culture, music, and art from near and far, Kansas City has a busy calendar of festivals and fairs. In fact, according to a study by the Urban Institute, Kansas City ranks No. 3 among the country’s 50 largest metro areas in the number of festivals, fairs and cultural gatherings per capita. Here are a few of the festivals and fairs that take place in Kansas City, Missouri – with many more to choose from throughout the metro area.
- American Royal – Established in 1899, the American Royal celebrates and promotes Kansas City’s agricultural heritage. Held each fall, the Royal includes horse riding shows, rodeo and bull riding, livestock shows, concerts, a parade, and the world’s largest barbeque contest.
- Art Westport – Held each September in historic Old Westport, featuring work by more than 100 artists from the Kansas City area, along with food and entertainment.
- Brookside Art Annual – This art fair, which is held in late April or early May in the heart of the Brookside neighborhood, features more than 180 artists from around the nation.
- Kansas City Ethnic Enrichment Festival – Each August, this festival at Swope Park offers food, music, and performances representing ethnic traditions from more than 50 countries.
- Kansas City Filmfest – Each spring, the Kansas City Filmmaker’s Jubilee presents a five-day festival and juried competition of independent films.
- KC Indian Fest – Held in October at the Line Creek Community Center, this event includes an American Indian Market with works for sale by native artists, along with a cultural festival featuring food, music, and dance.
- Festa Italiana – Organized by the UNICO-KC, part of one of the largest Italian-American service organizations in the nation, this June festival at Zona Rosa in the Northland features Italian food, music, and wine tastings.
- Fiesta Hispana – This event honoring Hispanic culture features food, music, and dancing and takes place in September, which is National Hispanic Month, at Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City.
- Irish Fest – Held at Crown Center over Labor Day weekend, this popular festival features Irish music and dancing. Coinciding with the festival is the Kansas City Feis, an annual Irish dance competition, held on the Saturday of each Labor Day weekend.
- Plaza Art Fair – Each fall, this fair on the Country Club Plaza features more than 240 artists from around the nation, along with food and entertainment.
- Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival – Held in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District in October, this festival benefits the American Jazz Museum and celebrates three of Kansas City’s greatest traditions: jazz, blues and barbecue.
History & science museums
Kansas City is home to an impressive array of history and science museums – as well as a 200-acre zoo – offering exhibits and activities to appeal to every member of the family. Here are some favorites.
- American Jazz Museum – Located at historic 18th and Vine, the museum’s interactive exhibits celebrate jazz greats like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Charlie Parker. The museum’s Blue Room is both an exhibit and functions as a live jazz club several nights a week.
- College Basketball Experience – Opened in 2007 in conjunction with the new Sprint Center in downtown, this experience features basketball icons, exhibits and memorabilia and is home to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Harry S. Truman Library and Museum – Just 15 minutes from downtown Kansas City in Independence, Missouri, the Truman Library and Museum features permanent and special exhibitions and is one of 13 Presidential libraries in the nation.
- Kansas City Museum and Planetarium – Housed in a 50-room Corinthian mansion in the historic Northeast neighborhood, this charming museum interprets the history of the Kansas City.
- Kansas City Zoo – This 200-acre zoo, located in Swope Park, features extensive African and Australian habitats, a children’s Discovery Barn, and a Sprint IMAX Theatre.
- Liberty Memorial National World War I Museum – The National World War I Museum is the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of World War I. In addition, the Memorial provides a sweeping view of the downtown skyline.
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum – Located in the historic 18th & Vine District, this is the only museum in the world dedicated to preserving the history of the African American baseball.
- Science City at Union Station – This hands-on science museum, which is housed in historic Union Station, features immersive exhibits for all ages.
- Steamboat Arabia Museum – The lost Arabia sunk in the Missouri River in 1856 and was unearthed from a Kansas cornfield in 1988, providing a true time capsule of frontier life in the 1800s. Her treasures are now on display at this museum in the River Market.
- Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City – Located in a 38-room house on the UMKC campus, this museum boasts the largest collection of nostalgic toys, fine-scale miniatures and marbles in the Midwest.
Performing arts
- American Heartland Theatre – Located in Hallmark’s Crown Center, the Heartland Theatre provides year-round professional theatre, including family comedies, musicals, dramas and mystery.
- Coterie Children’s Theatre – Also at Crown Center, the Coterie is one of the best children’s theaters in the country.
- Folly Jazz Series – This series of jazz concerts in the historic Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City are a local favorite.
- Friends of Chamber Music – Founded in 1980, the Friends of Chamber Music offers four concert series each year, including its “What Makes it Great?” educational series.
- Harriman-Jewell Series – This nationally recognized arts program, presented by William-Jewell College at the Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City, has featured Luciano Pavarotti, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and the American Ballet Theatre.
- Heart of America Shakespeare Festival – Each summer, this festival presents a free professional production of a Shakespeare play in Southmoreland Park, near the Nelson-Atkins Museum.
- Kansas City Ballet – Offers an eclectic repertory from the traditional classics to contemporary ballets, including an annual performance of The Nutcracker.
- Kansas City Repertory Theatre – The KC Rep is the area’s premier professional resident theater company, with performances at Spencer Theatre, located in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Performing Arts Center, and in the new Copaken Stage, located downtown in the H&R Block Center.
- Kansas City Symphony – The symphony’s season runs from early August through May, and features more than 25 separate programs.
- Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts – The new $350 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts includes a 1,600-seat ballet and opera house, as well as a 1,600-seat concert hall and 250-seat Celebration Hall. Perched on a hilltop at the south end of downtown, the Kauffman Center was designed by world-renowned Moshe Safdie and a team of international experts in performing arts venues.
- Lyric Opera of Kansas City – The Lyric Opera, which celebrated its 50th season in 2007, is one of the nation’s premier regional opera companies.
- Starlight Theatre – Located in Swope Park, Starlight is the nation’s largest outdoor theater of its kind and offers a season of Broadway musicals and touring concerts under the stars.
- Theatre League – The Broadway Series at the Music Hall in downtown Kansas City presents Broadway musicals, plays and new works for more than 300,000 theatergoers each year.
- Unicorn Theatre – This intimate theater in Midtown produces adventurous, thought-provoking contemporary theater.
Restaurants & nightlife
Traditionally, Kansas City is known for its steakhouses and barbecue joints. We definitely offer the best of both, but when it comes to eating out, there are hundreds of possibilities to satisfy every craving and fit every budget.
Some of Kansas City’s most distinctive fine dining restaurants are located in iconic Kansas City locations, including Lidia’s Kansas City in the Freight House District, Pierpont’s at Union Station, and The American Restaurant, which sits atop Hall’s Department Store at Crown Center.
To explore the local restaurant scene, visit Kansas City Menus, Kansas City Originals, or the Restaurant Guide of Kansas City
After dinner, Kansas City has plenty of places to go for music, dancing, and socializing. Favorite hot spots include Westport, the Country Club Plaza, and the new Power & Light District in the heart of downtown.
Search events, live music, bars and clubs at The Pitch, Present Magazine, and Ink Magazine.
Sports
- Kansas City Chiefs – The tradition of tailgating and barbecue at Arrowhead Stadium, plus a winning tradition, have helped the Chiefs lead the NFL in attendance the past several years with 80,000 sold out seats.
- Kansas City Royals – The Royals play ball at Kauffman Stadium (the “K”), widely recognized as one of the most beautiful ballparks in major league baseball.
- Sporting Kansas City – As 2000 MLS Cup Champions, Sporting Kansas City, formerly known as the Wizards, present a brand of soccer that is entertaining, fast and fun. The team plays in the new Livestrong Park, which has a seating capacity of 18,467 seats.
- Kansas Speedway – The first NASCAR track in the Midwest, the Speedway is located in Kansas City, Kansas, and features Craftsman, ARCA, Indy, Busch and Nextel series.
- Sprint Center – The Sprint Center is a state-of-the-art multipurpose arena in the heart of downtown that plays host to a number of major sporting events. The arena, which opened in 2007, also houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and College Basketball Experience.
To discover even more things to see and do in Kansas City, Missouri, and throughout the metro area, check out visitkc.com
