KC's Memorial Day Weekend Guide

Kick-off summer fun with these great ideas for Memorial Day Weekend! Honor those who sacrificed for our freedom at the National WWI Memorial and Museum. Enjoy a community-wide picnic and live concert at Celebration at the Station. Start your summer off right with the family at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun. Pick strawberries at Fun Farm. Visit alligators at the Kansas City Zoo. Explore Crown Center's NEWEST free exhibit. And so much more!

Celebration at the Station

Join The Kansas City Symphony at Union Station on Sunday, May 29, as this beloved Kansas City tradition returns after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounds will open at 5 pm with food trucks, live pre-concert entertainment on the main stage, plus various vendors and booths in the Honeywell Veterans Place. A patriotic concert presented by the Kansas City Symphony, conducted by Music Director Michael Stern, and featuring special guest Oleta Adams will begin at 8 pm. The evening will conclude with Kansas City’s largest fireworks display, sponsored by Humana.

Additional details will be published at https://www.kcsymphony.org/celebration/

From Union Station president and CEO George Guastello: “We can’t be more excited for the return of Bank of America’s Celebration at the Station. The COVID pause of this most-anticipated community event was understandable, but it certainly left a hole in so many family traditions. To welcome it back to Union Station - the visual voice of Kansas City - is yet another significant affirmation of our community resilience. As Union Station worked hard throughout to remain vibrant and vital, we can’t think of a better way to welcome the upcoming summer season than with a resounding, patriotic concert performed live by the renowned Kansas City Symphony in front of Kansas City’s historic home.”

Honor Memorial Day at  National World War I Museum and Memorial

This Memorial Day, join us as we give special honor and recognition to the individuals who sacrificed their lives while serving their country.

Discount Admission for Memorial Day

• Admission to the Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel, while general admission for the public is half-price all weekend.

AVTT Traveling Vietnam Wall

• Thursday, May 19 – Monday, May 30: Southeast Lawn at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. This May, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute’s Vietnam Wall returns to the Southeast Lawn of the Museum and Memorial. An 80 percent scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., the wall measures nearly 400 feet long. The AVTT Vietnam Wall contains every name etched on the original memorial. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. have viewed the wall. New this year, AVTT also will display the Cost of Freedom Tribute – smaller tribute panels honoring American sacrifices in conflicts through the 20th and 21st centuries, including WWI, WWII, 9-11, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Flags of Forgotten Soldiers Display

• All Day; Tuesday, May 17-Monday, May 30. Walkway Terrace near Main Entrance at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that every 72 minutes, a service member takes their own life. This moving display of 140 U.S. flags calls attention to the fact that 140 veterans are lost to suicide every week. FREE to the public.

World War I Research Stations

• 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday-Monday, May 27-30. Outside Auditorium Lobby inside the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Find your connection to World War I during Memorial Day weekend through research stations at the Museum. With access to multiple databases including Fold3.com, Ancestry.com, the Museum and Memorial’s online collections database, the American Battlefield Monuments Commission, and the National Archives, discover how the Great War affected your family through records, photographs, and much more. FREE to the public.

Vintage Military Vehicle Display

• The Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) will display vintage military vehicles from World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Operation Desert Storm. MVPA members will be available to answer questions about their collection. Availability is subject to weather. FREE to the public.

Vietnam Era Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” Helicopter Display

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, May 19-Monday, May 30. Rectangular Drive outside the National WWI Museum and Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #243 will provide an iconic Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” helicopter for people to climb aboard and inspect. FREE to the public.

Memorial Day Ceremony

• 10-11 a.m.; Monday, May 30. National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard. A formal public program to include remarks from dignitaries and a keynote address from Lieutenant General Larry Jordan. ASL interpretation will be provided for the ceremony. FREE to the public.

Memorial Day Bell Tolling Ceremony

• Noon; Monday, May 30. National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard. We commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice with a bell tolling ceremony featuring a presentation of colors, a wreath-laying, and a moving reading. It was also tolled 11 times at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1926, during the dedication ceremony of the Liberty Memorial and again on Nov. 11, 2018, to commemorate the centennial of the WWI armistice. FREE to the public.

Walk of Honor Dedication and AVTT Vietnam Wall Closing Ceremony

• 2 p.m.; Monday, May 30. National WWI Museum and Memorial, Memorial Courtyard. New Walk of Honor granite bricks will be dedicated during a special ceremony. The Walk of Honor is divided into three sections: bricks dedicated solely to those who served in World War I; bricks dedicated to veterans of any military service; and bricks that honor civilian friends, family, or organizations. This year’s ceremony will also serve as the closing ceremony for the AVTT Vietnam Traveling Wall. FREE to the public.

Visit Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun 

Enjoy admission to both parks for the price of one. Worlds of Fun, Kansas City’s amusement park with 235 acres of family rides, thrill rides, and waterslides, including seven world-class rollercoasters, is open for the summer! Oceans of Fun is opening for the season on Memorial Day Weekend! With waves of fun from mild to wild, Oceans of Fun offers AMAZING for everyone in the family. Extreme water slides appeal to thrill-seekers and kiddos love our pint-sized slides, geysers, and foundations at Crocodile Isle. Float along on our Caribbean Cooler lazy river and catch some waves at fan favorite, Surf City Wave Pool. Enjoy Riptide Raceway, the world’s longest mat racing waterslide. From five stories high, racers will speed down 486 feet in enclosed, winding tubes and around a 360-degree loop before an epic, splashdown finish.

See Alligators at the Kansas City Zoo

The Zoo is ready to take a big bite out of summer with the addition of an American alligator habitat! The new alligator habitat will be located near the Discovery Barn and Billy Goats Gruff Yard, where the koi pond is currently located. That koi pond will be divided with the south side becoming home to six female alligators that will be transferred from a Florida facility. The habitat will also include a building that will provide indoor facilities for use by the alligators and their care specialists. While alligators can be outdoors most of the year, the building will include a viewing window that will allow guests to see the alligators when they are inside. The exhibit's outdoor design will allow our care specialists to train with the alligators while also presenting informational chats. American alligators are native to the swamps, marshes, and lakes of the southern United States, and can only be found in this country. They can grow to be 10-15 feet in length and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds, with males being larger than females. The average adult size for a female is about eight feet. The new exhibit will give visitors the chance to learn more about gators up close!

Our zoo is more than 1,700 animals on 202 acres. Take a spin on our Endangered Species Carousel, ride the train, then continue your journey on the tram to our award-winning Africa exhibit. Fly overhead to get a birds’­eye view of giraffes, hippos, zebras, and more on our Sky Safari, landing at “one of America’s best chimpanzee exhibits” as proclaimed by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall. Visit Polar Bear Passage, Helzberg Penguin Plaza, the Discovery Barn, and Stingray Bay. Stroll down Tiger Trail and get nose to nose with primates, orangutans, tigers, and more. Take a walkabout through a mob of kangaroos. Let your cubs run loose in the Tropics then catch the Sea Lion Splash and Wings of Wonder shows. Summer in Kansas City is not complete without a visit to the zoo!

Kansas City Monarchs Jazz in the Park

Enjoy some jazz and baseball at the Kansas City Monarchs' Jazz in the Park day on May 29! Along with Sunday Funday programming (carnival games, inflatables, and catch on the field) enjoy live Jazz music throughout the stadium. Bring your picnic blankets!

Memorial Day Weekend at Union Station

Explore Science City, enjoy the BIGGEST Summer Movies on the BIGGEST screen in town, watch Destination Solar System at the Planetarium and make incredible family memories at Kansas City's beloved landmark, Union Station!

Enjoy Strawberry Picking

Head to a local strawberry patch where you can enjoy picking fresh fruit from the farm. Fun Farm in Kearney is our favorite local patch with miniature horses, goats, turkeys, sheep, pigs, an INCREDIBLE treehouse playground, delicious strawberry donuts, jumping pillows, and fun for the WHOLE family. You'll find the scoop on local patches in our Strawberry Picking Guide.

Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!

Children will have more fun than a barrel of monkeys as they explore the world of Curious George in Curious George™: Let's Get Curious, the newest FREE exhibit on Leve I at Crown Center! This interactive exhibit presents key STEAM concepts and invites visitors to learn like George – through curiosity, experience, and mischievous fun! 

Hours: Open Monday – Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, Noon to 5 pm. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day, 10 am – 5 pm

Curious George television series merchandise © Universal Studios. Curious George and related characters, created by Margret and H. A. Rey, are copyrighted and trademarked by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company and used under license. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. All rights reserved.

Fortopia at Powell Gardens

May 26 - Oct. 16:  Fortopia, a playful outdoor exhibition comprised of awe-inspiring forts, invites explorers of all ages to discover Powell Gardens. This vibrant addition to summer in Kansas City encourages outdoor discovery and taps into the nostalgia of childhood fort building.   After opening a public request for proposals in 2021, a jury comprised of educators, architects, horticulturalists, and fabricators selected eight fort designs for inclusion in the exhibition. Designed to inspire an appreciation of the natural landscape, Powell Gardens is excited for visitors to experience its beauty through the variety of creative perspectives represented in the chosen forts. This year’s fort designers include a team of preschool children, artists, landscape designers, architects, and more. Visit the Gardens many times to experience the forts in a different light throughout the changing seasons! Nestled on the East Lawn, visitors are encouraged to enjoy the Gardens in a new and playful way.

Lenexa Movies in the Park: Jurassic Park

May 27 at Electric Park in Lenexa: Pack your lawn chairs and blankets and bring your family to enjoy an evening under the stars at one of our Movie in the Park events. FREE admission. FREE parking. Restrooms are available.  Dogs are welcome. May 27: Jurassic Park (1993, Rated PG-13). Genetically engineered dinosaurs run amok on a remote island. It's up to a paleontologist, a paleobotanist, and a mathematician to outmaneuver the deadly beasts and find their way back to civilization. Location: Electric Park, 9305 Loiret Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219/ Time: dusk (9 p.m.)

America’s Monsters, Superheroes, and Villains: Our Culture at Play

Visit T/m from May 21- October 3, 2022, to enjoy a featured exhibition exploring how iconic characters both influence and reflect American culture from the 1960s to the 1990s. Monsters, superheroes, and villains have always been part of America’s cultural fabric: they scare us, thrill us, and help guide us through the most terrifying and exhilarating moments of our lives. More than ‘pop cultures,’ characters like Wolfman, Dracula, Wonder Woman, Luke Skywalker, and the Joker create a lens to examine the complex subject matter, including the Cold War arms race, the rapidly accelerating possibilities of science and technology, and America’s portrayal of women and people of color in our popular media.

Comprised of more than 350 exceptional objects from the private collection of David Barnhill-one of the largest toy collectors in the United States- the exhibition includes vintage toys, posters, packaging, TV commercials, and movie trailers. Visitors of all ages are sure to enjoy the nostalgic visual survey of American Identity in the 20th century.

The exhibition, America’s Monsters, Superheroes, and Villains: Our Culture at Play is organized by SuperMonster市City. At T/m, the exhibit is made possible through the generous support of Hallmark.

More

• Memorial Day Carnival: Parkville
• Sights and Sounds on the Plaza: Lee's Summit
• Alice in Wonderland! Dance Concert
• Blue Springs Summer Concerts in the Park
• Local outdoor pools and spraygrounds are open for the season. Our faves are featured in our KC Water Fun Guide.
• Visit one of Kansas City's attractions that you've never experienced before! Discover 500+ great local attractions in our KC Going Places guide.

• Crown Center

  Crown Center is the place for pure entertainment. With exciting events and unique attractions. A center full of locally owned shops and restaurants. And two luxury hotels so you can stay at the center of it all.

• Downtown Lee's Summit

  Downtown is and will continue to be the historic, present and future heart of Lee’s Summit. It is a commercially vibrant, cultural, spiritual, and educational family destination.

• nicole bissey Nicole Bissey

  Downtown Parkville

  A charming historic town that has everything for a perfect getaway - local dining, unique shops & boutiques, Airbnbs, entertainment venues, festivals & events, and outdoor escapes.

• Electric Park

  The shelter at Electric Park is 20’x28’ with a capacity of 55/48 seated. There are four 8-foot tables, electricity, lighting, two grills and nearby restrooms, a playground, open play area and sand volleyball courts.

• Fun Farm

  What started from an effort to sell pumpkins, quickly turned into over 300 acres of full-fledged, fun-loving experiences packed with family activities for all ages to enjoy together. Visit Fun Farm Pumpkin Patch this season!

• Historic Weston Orchard & Vineyard

  Enjoy a u-pick apple orchard, u-pick pumpkin patch, hayrack rides, apple cannons, rat racers, bouncing pillow, low ropes course with zip line, kids corn maze, vintage carousel, petting zoo and more!

• Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field

  We are creating a year-round sports and entertainment destination, to include: 50 home Monarchs games Over 100 concerts, festivals and community events Renovated stadium with new and exciting offerings

• Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium

  Explore the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, with nearly 10,000 animals on 202 acres, it's the most affordable family fun for kids of all ages! Travel all over the world without ever leaving Kansas City.

• National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

  The Museum offers a rich and immersive experience, making it an ideal destination for multigenerational families, adults, and children alike. As you wander through the exhibits, you’ll be transported to different eras, each filled with unique charm.

• National WWI Museum and Memorial

  The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. Named one of the top 25 museums in the United Sta...

• Oceans of Fun

  With waves of fun from mild to wild, Oceans of Fun offers AMAZING for everyone in the family. Extreme water slides appeal to thrill seekers and kiddos love our pint-sized slides, geysers, and foundations at Crocodile Isle.

• Powell Gardens

  Powell Gardens is a not-for-profit botanical garden located just east of Kansas City, Missouri. Our mission: to be an experience that embraces the Midwest’s spirit of place and inspires an appreciation for the importance of plants in our lives.

• dszc Getty Images/iStockphoto

  Union Station

  A place for great adventure. Where Kansas City Connects. All of these phrases – and more – are regularly used to describe Union Station. Visitors of all ages, from all places and for all reasons tie Union Station to special and magical moments.

• Worlds of Fun

  Kansas City’s amusement park with 235 acres of family rides, thrill rides, and waterslides, including seven world-class rollercoasters and admission Oceans of Fun, the city’s first waterpark.