Best Picnic Spots in KC

It’s the best time of year in Kansas City! The dreary winter is over, so let’s put down our phones and iPads, pack up a picnic lunch and head out to enjoy the fresh air with our families. Here are some great picnic locations, as well as fun attractions your family can visit.

The Overland Park Arboretum (Overland Park, KS)

If you’ve been in the KC area for a while, you know about the beauty and vastness of our local arboretum. At 300 acres in size, the grounds invite visitors to tour endless gardens and walking paths and enjoy every kind of flower imaginable. Our family’s favorites are the children’s and train gardens. We’ve picnicked here many times and then spent the day touring other areas, such as the Marder Woodland Garden and Joshua’s Story Garden.

Be sure to check out the Enchanted Forest displays of gnome and fairy houses hidden along the paths. The arboretum hosts other summer events, including Sunday concerts in the park, Hot Summer Days, where kids can get wet and cool off, and GeoArboretum, a GeoKids treasure hunt!

Santa Fe Commons Park (Overland Park, KS)

All summer long, you can picnic while enjoying free concerts at Santa Fe Commons Park. The Overland Park Civic Band performs on Sunday evenings, and the KC Concession Food Truck sells food if you’d rather purchase your picnic dinner there. On third Fridays, free concerts from other local bands are held here. Alcohol is not permitted at Santa Fe Commons Park, but dogs are if they are on a leash. A picnic dinner, beautiful weather and free music? Sounds like a great family event in KC!

The Parkville Nature Sanctuary & English Landing Park (Parkville, MO)

Head to Parkville for a picnic this spring or summer! The Parkville Nature Sanctuary and English Landing Park are both ideal picnic locations. Covering 115 acres, the nature sanctuary contains 3 miles of hiking trails and endless opportunities to spy plant life and wildlife native to Missouri. Dogs are not permitted in the sanctuary.

Nearby, you also can picnic at English Landing Park. Local residents rave about the walking, running and biking trails, playground and areas to play sports such as volleyball, soccer and Frisbee. This park provides a great opportunity to picnic along the Missouri River with your family.

Looking for fun Parkville events to enjoy as well? Check out the vintage cars at Parkville Cruise Nights held in downtown Parkville this spring and summer. Also, right there at English Landing Park, you can visit the farmers market on Saturdays from 7:00 to noon and on Wednesdays from noon to 4:00. Grab some local produce to add to your picnic lunch!

Kaw Point Park (Kansas City, MO)

If your family loves to appreciate history while watching planes fly in the sky above, Kaw Point is a perfect destination. Known as a famous stopping point for Lewis and Clark, this area offers a beautiful view of Kansas City across the Kansas and Missouri rivers. Have a picnic lunch under the trees while watching planes land and take off from KC’s downtown Charles B. Wheeler Airport. After lunch, your kids can check out the Lewis and Clark statue and tour the educational pavilion where they’ll learn about the history that took place here. Tired of sitting? Take a walk along the gravel hiking trails to burn off some energy!

Loose Park (Kansas City, MO)

Known for its historic beauty and being one of KC’s largest parks, Jacob L. Loose Park encompasses 75 acres and includes a rose garden of 4,000 roses. If you picnic at Loose Park this summer, you might choose to do so on May 6 or June 10 so you also can enjoy Reading in the Roses. June 4 is another extra-popular popular picnic day for Loose Park, as this is the day of the annual rose show of the Kansas City Rose Society.

Learn a bit of history while you’re here. This park was the location of a major battle between Confederate and Union forces, so don’t forget to check out the Civil War cannon! On a hot day, kids can cool off at Loose Park’s spray ground, so wear your bathing suits and bring a towel. Then later, take a stroll around the lake and feed the ducks. This park has something for everyone.

The Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum

There’s no better place to have a family picnic than the Nelson-Atkins Museum grounds—the location for Kansas City’s annual “Big Picnic” held every summer. If you can’t make this picnic, no worries! Any day is good for quality family time at the Nelson-Atkins. The museum’s Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park is described on nelson-atkins.org as a “22-acre oasis” in Kansas City. The park offers endless room to picnic, walk, play sports and visit the many famous sculptures, such as Shuttlecocks and Standing Figures. Also, let your kids get lost in the glass labyrinth and find their way out!

Admission is free at the museum, so there’s no excuse to miss it! The Nelson-Atkins is very kid-friendly, offering activities such as the postcard game where kids can pick up a few postcards and search the museum for the images on the cards. They also can sketch their own artwork in the galleries. The museum offers preschool story times, teen programs and multicultural festivals. Your family is sure to enjoy a picnic and tour of the Nelson-Atkins this summer!

Richard Berkley Riverfront Park (Kansas City, MO)

This 17-acre is park is probably best known for Riverfest, Kansas City’s Independence Day celebration. But it’s a great place for a family picnic any other day as well. After you’ve filled up on lunch, you can burn off some energy while enjoying views of the river on Riverfront Heritage Trail. Also, make sure to walk across the Town of Kansas Pedestrian Bridge. This park offers beautiful views of both the KC skyline and the river.

For a fun event idea, don’t miss the “May the 4th Be with You” showing of Star Wars at Riverfront Park. As diehard Star Wars fans, my family can think of no better picnic idea than this one! Other attractions nearby include the Arabia Steamboat Museum and the downtown KC farmers market.

Swope Park (Kansas City, MO)

Swope Park is one of Kansas City’s time-honored treasures. Said to be the “crown jewel of the KC parks system,” this more than 1,800-acre park is home to a long list of attractions, such as an off-leash dog park, disc golf course, community pool, community gardens and a nature center. It got even better when Go Ape’s Treetop Adventure Course was added recently.

For other event ideas, visit our award-winning zoo (picnics welcome at the zoo) right next door or see The Little Mermaid or Mama Mia! at Starlight Theatre this summer.

The opportunities are endless in KC! Make some sandwiches and get your picnic on!