Hot Tips for the Best Day at Crown Center
If you're looking to spend a day of fun locally, Crown Center is a great outing. Enjoy Crown Center's free attractions (free exhibits, Kaleidoscope, the Hallmark Visitor's Center), then splurge on a visit to LEGOLAND or Sea Life. Over the years, we've learned the tips and tricks for the best experience at Crown Center.
FREE Parking
Follow Crown Center's Driving Directions to get there, then park for Free! Parking is FREE at Crown Center on the weekends, and you get 3 hours free with validation on Weekdays (available at any Crown Center shop or attraction, including Kaleidoscope). If you need more time, you can go to Customer Service and have FREE parking for 6 hours with $25 in purchases at Crown Center Shops (which is easy to achieve if you do eat, shop, or attend a show at The Coterie). The most important thing is that you remember to have your ticket validated and that you don't lose your ticket. If you do lose a ticket, go to Customer Service and they'll help you out (and you'll still get free parking with receipts).
Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!
This summer, Crown Center's FREE indoor exhibit Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! on Level One is educational and fun! The exhibit is open during shop hours, but just like Kaleidoscope we recommend getting there early (whether you visit Kaleidoscope or the exhibit first, I recommend starting with one then heading directly to the other for the smallest crowds). Read our blog about the exhibit for details! Bonus: Enter our Curious George Party Giveaway!
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center!
Kansas City recently welcomed the grand opening of LEGOLAND® Discovery Center in Crown Center (2475 Grand Boulevard, KCMO. 816.471.4386). www.LEGOLandDiscoveryCenter.com, if you haven't visited this must-see attraction yet, it's a great addition to your Crown Center itinerary! LEGO® has long held a spot in the hearts of children as one of the must-have toys for creativity and now, LEGO® makes a home in Kansas City in this brand new larger-than-life attraction! Begin your journey on a ride into the unknown on laser chariots. Play with the world’s biggest box of LEGOS®. Watch a film in the LEGO® Studios 4D cinema and explore a miniature Kansas City that highlights 10 of our most popular local attractions in LEGO® MINILAND®. Your imagination will run wild in this new family favorite! Get the inside scoop on this attraction with our Review of LEGOLAND!
Sea Life Kansas City
Next door to LEGOLAND, you'll find Sea Life at 2475 Grand Blvd, KCMO. 816.471.4386. At Sea Life your family will be transported into an amazing underwater world with up-close views of more than 5,000 sea creatures! Come nose to nose with sharks in the walk-through underwater tunnel, experience the touch pool where you can hold a crab or touch a starfish, participate in educational demonstrations, watch animal feedings and explore this state-of-the-art home for many of the ocean’s most majestic creatures! www.Facebook.com/SeaLifeKansasCity
Kaleidoscope
Plan on attending the earliest session at Kaleidoscope possible. In the summer, we're all tempted to enjoy lazy mornings, so Kaleidoscope's FREE Walk-In Sessions for ALL Ages (perfect if you have multiple children with a span of ages as we do), tend to have the smallest crowds at the earliest sessions. On Mondays, they are starting sessions at 9:40am... our experience has been that these sessions have the smallest attendance because they are early, it's Monday (many moms stay in on Mondays after being out over the weekend), and the shops aren't open until 10am, so many people don't think of heading to Crown Center until then. Find the complete Kaleidoscope Calendar. If the sessions aren't crowded, they'll let you walk in a few minutes late or early and they won't require you to leave at the end of the session (this depends on the size of the crowd). Children love Kaleidoscope where creativity and imagination play in Kaleidoscope's magical hands-on world where children create masterpieces with super cool, super fun supplies, in a super amazing atmosphere all thanks to Hallmark. This is truly one of Kansas City's BEST family-friendly attractions! PLUS it is indoors... making it perfect for rainy days or days when you just need to "stay in the a/c"!
Hallmark Visitor's Center
Visit the Hallmark Visitor's Center next door to Kaleidoscope, another FREE attraction and one of our favorite "Watch it Made in KC" attractions. Children are given a scavenger hunt to follow as they learn the history of Hallmark, artists demonstrate their craft (we recently watched as an engraver prepared designs for greeting cards and watched the machines that assemble the cards), kids make their own bows with the press of a button, and the self-guided walk through tour almost always ends with a gift (frequently these are the music playing cards for the upcoming holiday, but we have even been excited to receive FREE recordable books for gifts). The Visitor's Center is especially nice if you are visiting with multiple generations (it is a favorite when grandparents are in town visiting) and you're able to enjoy it at your own pace.
Chip's Chocolate Factory
Enjoy "Watch it Made" fun at Chip's Chocolate Factory. From the delicious aroma of warm chocolate to the tasty samples, to the beautiful artistry of fudge makers preparing handmade confections in copper kettles and forming it on marble slabs, Chip’s is a delight for all ages. Demonstrations and samples are free. Learn more about Chip's here.
Eating and Shopping at Crown Center
Kids LOVE eating at Fritz's where trains deliver food to your table, but my personal favorite at Crown Center is d'Bronx Pizza. Street Car Named Desire also offers affordable lunches, and Panera (across the street in the Crown Center Square near the fountain) is another favorite. Toy Time, the Crayola Store, Hallmark, the Best of KC, and other shops are fun for everyone. Set a budget and rules before you head out. If you're in the mood for a picnic, there are outdoor picnic tables with umbrellas surrounding the fountains in the Square.
This is Just the Beginning...
ALWAYS Check the Crown Center Calendar. Throughout the summer, Crown Center offers many terrific events for families including FREE Puppet Shows, Concerts, Movies, and festivals. From June18 through August 4, Coterie Children's Theatre is showing Lyle, the Crocodile . Check the Crown Center Calendar before you head out to make the most of your fun!
NOTE: Playing in the fountains at Crown Center is no longer permitted as of summer 2012.