KC Fun Facts

The most famous celebrity from Kansas City is not a person at all.

Walt Disney was sitting in his Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City when he met a mouse who would visit his desk and beg for crumbs while he drew. Walt said, “I grew particularly fond of one brown house mouse. He was a timid little guy. By tapping him on the nose with my pencil, I trained him to run inside a black circle I drew on my drawing board. When I left Kansas City to try my luck in Hollywood, I hated to leave him behind. So I carefully carried him to a backyard, making sure it was a nice neighborhood, and the tame little fellow scampered to freedom.” It was that mouse that inspired one of the world’s most famous icons and beloved characters: Mickey Mouse. Mickey has influenced generations of children, captivating their imaginations as the irresistible character everyone can relate to because he is so very human…especially for a mouse!

We have more fountains than we can count.

It was the dream of 20th-century city leaders like August Meyer, George Kessler and J.C. Nichols that Kansas City would have "more boulevards than Paris, more fountains than Rome." Now, if you ask the City of Fountains Foundation how many fountains you’ll find in Kansas City, they’ll tell you that they don’t know. They have registered 200 fountains in the metropolitan area, not including fountains in private gardens, homes, businesses and subdivisions. Every year, the fountains are turned on with a ceremony during Fountain Day (on April 8 this year).

And more barbecue restaurants too.

With more than 100 barbecue restaurants in Kansas City, each with a very loyal local following, Kansas City boasts more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other city in the nation. Dry rubbed meats and a sweet, spicy and tangy sauce are Kansas City signatures, dating back to the to the 1920s when Arthur Bryant’s opened as the first barbecue restaurant in town. Since then, the fan base has grown, and now the Kansas City Barbeque Society is the world's largest organization devoted to the art and science of barbecue.

We’re not home to the world’s tallest skyscraper, but we are home to the world’s tastiest.

At a mere 42 floors and 623 feet in height, One Kansas City Place, our tallest building at 1200 Main, pales in comparison to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 160 floors and 2,717 feet tall. True, the buildings of our metropolis may not impress world travelers, however, Kansas City’s most famous skyscrapers will impress! Served in gigantic glasses with extra-long straws, Skyscrapers have been dished up by Winstead’s since the opening of their first restaurant on the Country Club Plaza in 1940. At the original location, the treat is delivered to your table with a tambourine and a jingle.