KC's Memorial Day Guide

Kick off summer fun with these great ideas for Memorial Day Weekend!

• Honor Those who Served, May 24-27 at  National World War I Museum and Memorial. As the commemoration of the Centennial of World War I continues, the National WWI Museum and Memorial serves as a fitting place to honor and recognize the men and women who sacrificed their lives while serving their country during Memorial Day weekend. The Museum and Memorial offers events throughout the weekend for people of all ages, including a free public ceremony on Memorial Day. General admission to the Museum and Memorial is free for veterans and active duty military personnel, and half-price for the public all weekend. For a complete list of activities, visit theworldwar.org/memorialday
• Guests to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun enjoy admission to both parks for the price of one. Worlds of Fun wants to thank the men and women who have served and who are currently serving in our country’s military. Veterans of the American Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard receive complimentary admission to Worlds of Fun on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. Oceans of Fun opens for the season Memorial Day Weekend.
• Attend Celebration at the Station May 26 at 8:00 p.m. at Union Station (30 W. Pershing, Kansas City, MO).  The Kansas City Symphony’s 17th annual patriotic concert event is the largest FREE Memorial Day weekend festival in the Midwest! From a moving Symphony concert to the city’s grandest fireworks display, nothing celebrates our military and veterans quite like Bank of America Celebration at the Station. Make it an all-day family affair with pre-concert musical acts, food trucks, Bayer Family Zone, the Honeywell Veterans Place with services for veterans, plus activities inside Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. At dusk, Kansas City Symphony Music Director Michael Stern leads a spectacular patriotic concert, including Tchaikovsky’s famous “1812 Overture” with live cannons and “The Stars and Stripes Forever” as a prelude to KC’s biggest fireworks display. The concert program honors veterans from all generations and those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Grounds open at 3 p.m.
• Challenge the family to a round of miniature golf at Art Course at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s lawn is a favorite place to play in Kansas City. The sprawling lawn is perfect for picnics and photo ops, and exploration of the Glass Labyrinth, and beckons visitor’s to explore the free art gallery. This summer, the museum is opening a miniature golf course nestled into the trees and terraces on the south lawn. The nine-hole course will be open from Memorial Day – Labor Day and will present a fresh interpretation of pieces from the museum’s collection. The course will inspire players as they will appreciate sights, sounds, and colors through the creative elements. Tickets for Art Course will be $14 for general adults, $11 for adults who are museum members, and $9 for children 4 to 12. The course is free for children 3 and under.  
• Visit the opening of Stonehenge at Union Station. Opening May 25, 2019, the 15,000 sq. ft. exhibition will premiere in the expansive Bank of America Gallery at Union Station for a limited time. Described as inspiring, magical and sacred, Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument inWiltshire, England and one of the most famous landmarks in the  United Kingdom. It consists of several rings of standing stones, the largest around 23 feet (7.0 m) high, nine feet (2.75 m) wide and weighing over 50,000 lbs (25 tons) each. Scientific analysis has revealed the stones that form the inner ring were transported an incredible distance from the Preseli Mountains in Wales, over 150 miles away, with no modern means of transportation. 
• Spend Memorial Day Weekend at the Kansas City Zoo! Early mornings at the Kansas City Zoo are here for the summer. Starting on Saturday, May 25, the Zoo will open at 8 am daily. On weekdays, the zoo will be open 8 am to 4 pm. On weekends, the zoo will be open 8 am to 5 pm. 
• Check out NATURE CONNECTS®: ART WITH LEGO® BRICKS at Powell Gardens thru July 28. Enjoy a unique exhibition featuring the LEGO® brick sculptures of artist, Sean Kenney. Explore our core gardens and encounter a dragonfly with an 8-foot wingspan, a six-foot-tall hummingbird, or a proud peacock with plumes nearly seven-feet wide!
• POSTPONED as of 5/21/19: It is with great regret that we must postpone Illuminated Waters because of the weather and flooded park. Mark your calendar for July 21. Our giant puppet show will be performed as part of The Big Picnic! Same place -Theis Park: Illuminated Waters (RESCHEDULED to July 21). This unique, free, two-day water festival will combine everything we have all learned to love—StoneLion's giant puppet play, food trucks from around Kansas City, interactive art, games, and music. Everything will be at Theis Park right next to Brush Creek. You’ll have the same fun you’ve always had, with Mother’s Day for Mother Earth—only this year experience new artists, strolling musicians and activities before the show, watch amazing giant puppets in a play, floating on the water, actually in the water and GLOWING. But wait, that’s not all – after the show participate in fun with a family-friendly glow party. Glowing art, glo performers, backlight fun, music and interactive games alongside illuminated puppets.
• Attend the FREE Salute to Veterans Corporation Airshow May 25 & 26 at Columbia Regional Airport, Columbia, MO. Salute to Veterans Corporation invites the public to their two-day airshow at Columbia Regional Airport over Memorial Day weekend. FREE admission and parking! 
• Local outdoor pools and spraygrounds open for the season. Our faves are featured in our KC Water Fun Guide.
• Enjoy Strawberry picking with the entire family. Check out our Strawberry Picking Guide for information.
• Visit one of Kansas City's attractions that you've never experienced before! Discover 500+ great local attractions in our KC Going Places guide.