A New Twist on Pizza Night

North, south, east, west—this is the pizza we like the best. Put a spin on the traditional pizza night by embarking on a fall adventure to celebrate National Pizza Month with family fun and delicious pizza across the metro!

North:

Yummiest Pizza Nearby: Pizza Ranch(116 Stewart Ct., Liberty, MO, 816.792.1111). Started in Hull, IA, in 1981, Pizza Ranch now boasts 180+ locations in 13 states. The menu is extensive and includes wraps, salads, chicken and, of course, pizza! In addition to traditional pies, Pizza Ranch offers breakfast pizzas as well. Tip: The buffet runs daily from 11:00 to 9:00.

Nearby Family Fun: The Patee House Museum (1202 Penn St., St. Joseph, MO, 816.232.8206) is an eclectic museum featuring a wide range of exhibits from a real steam locomotive to old-fashioned toys, inventions and local history. They even have "believe it or not" exhibits, like the full-size photo of the world's tallest man (8ft. 11 in.) visiting St. Jo, an exhibit children have fun "measuring up to."

Nearby Fall Fun: Pick apples at Schweizer Orchards (5455 SE State Rte. FF, St. Joseph, MO, 816.232.3999, SchweizerOrchards.com). This scenic orchard has been hosting families at apple time for four generations. Schweizer offers many varieties of apples to choose from every year. They also feature a large playground for kids with swings, slides, monkey bars and a giant wooden train. Picnic tables are available, and a gift shop offers other delicious treats, craft items and souvenirs. With a scenic view overlooking the Missouri River, Schweizer Orchards is one of the best apple orchards in the area, annually attracting visitors from across the Midwest.

South:

Yummiest Pizza Nearby: Pizza Shoppe (17041 Bel-Ray Blvd., Belton, MO, 816.331.5555).  Home to cracker-crust pizza and the famous “Pink Stuff” salad dressing, the Pizza Shoppe, an original Kansas City franchise for more than 40 years, is an affordable family favorite across the metro. Tip: On Tuesday, get a Family Feast (one king-size pizza, one order of garlic cheese bread, two salads) for $18.99.

Nearby Family Fun: Aaron's Family Fun Center (17070 Aaron Ln., Belton, MO, 816.322.0488, AaronsFamilyFunCenter.com). With miniature golf and bowling, this is a great place for a little friendly competition and exercise.

Nearby Fall Fun: The Belton, Grandview & Kansas City Railroad (502 E. Walnut St., Belton, MO, 816.331.0630, BeltonRailroad.org) hosts train rides every weekend, and October is Pumpkin Express month. Passengers ride out into a pumpkin patch where children select their favorite pumpkin as a personal souvenir of the ride. Costumes are encouraged, and the entire family makes memories on this historic 1920s-era passenger train.

East:

Yummiest Pizza Nearby: Next Door Pizza (3385 SW Fascination Dr., Lee's Summit, 816.763.1200, NextDoorPizza.com). Kids love to make pizza, but let’s face it…this is almost always a messy endeavor. At Next Door Pizza, you can have the fun and leave the mess behind! Children are provided ingredients to make their own pizzas: raw dough, sauce, cheese and toppings. Once the masterpiece is ready, it is taken to the oven. The menu features a signature Chicago-style deep dish pizza and thin crust pizza. Tip: Monday is Kids Eat Free Day (up to two children with purchase of large pizza when dining in).

Nearby Family Fun: Lea McKeighan Park (125 Chipman Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO). With a creative and inviting playground, this is one of the best parks in the metro. Younger kids enjoy an animal themed play area while older kids love the rope climbing, zip line, hammock swing and lion themed rock climbing feature. Other favorites include a merry-go-round, many fun jungle gyms for climbing, swing sets and balance beams, a skateboard park, volleyball court and the traditional park play areas.

Nearby Fall Fun: Summit Art Festival (Oct. 9-11, SummitArtFest.org). This outdoor art festival in historic downtown Lee’s Summit features more than 90 artist booths, live music and dance performances, a kid zone where children have an opportunity to create their own works of art and a student art pavilion featuring art from local junior and senior high school students.

West:

Yummiest Pizza Nearby: Minsky's Pizza (12920 State Line Rd., Leawood, KS, 913.317.9965, Minskys.com) has been serving gourmet pizza in Kansas City since 1976. Their fresh pizzas are made from scratch on hand-rolled dough with generous portions of fresh ingredients. They also make some of the best Buffalo wings in town and offer a gluten-free menu option. Live magicians and balloon artists perform on weekends (6:00-8:00 on Saturdays), dazzling kids with sleight of hand tricks (our girls’ favorite is the magical signature card on the ceiling of the restaurant!) and custom balloon animals. Enjoy Kansas City’s own gourmet pizza and live entertainment—the perfect family night out.

Nearby Family Fun: Thirsty Palette (11958 Roe Ave., Overland Park, KS, 913.669.0501). At Thirsty Palette, teachers walk you through step-by-step instructions to paint your own masterpiece on canvas. They offer adult, kids and mommy-and-me classes, and they do parties. With a selection of paintings to choose from ranging from locally inspired designs and pop culture trends to classic works of art and decorative pieces, there is something for everyone.

Nearby Fall Fun: October is the last chance to visit the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (13800 Switzer Rd., Overland Park, KS, 913.897.2360) for the year. The attraction is free Mon.-Thu., with $2 admission on weekends. The 12-acre farmstead is home to animals, pony rides, a one-room schoolhouse, fishing pond, gardens and play areas. Children learn about pioneer life, Kansas’ Native American heritage and early agricultural practices with hands-on learning experiences as they explore a tipi, mine for gold, feed animals and visit the dairy barn.

Kristina Light is a life-long Minsky’s fan, but her daughters are Pizza Shoppe Pink Stuff fanatics!