Best of May

Enjoy extraordinary shows, exhibits, and family fun. Our top picks for May in Kansas City are here:

For more inspiration, check out these seasonal guides:

• Kansas City's Festival Guide
• Strawberry Picking Season
• Farmers Markets

• Worlds of Fun

  All your favorite rides are back plus plenty of new attractions at Kansas City’s theme park.

  The high-speed fun has a new look on MAMBA® and guests will have a blast as they take off on the newly refinished Detonator! From roller coasters like Patriot® and Prowler® to the family-friendly rides at Planet Snoopy, there are always new fun things to do at Worlds of Fun. Get your 2022 Pre-K Pass and enjoy FREE admission for children all season!

  Bring your appetite! There are several new places to eat at Worlds of Fun this season! Like, ‘The All-American Shake Shop’ for all your ice cream needs. With plenty more new additions to our menus!

  Get your 2022 Gold Pass and prepare for another season of amazing with the return of Grand Carnivale, Halloween HAUNT® and the debut of the all-new Tricks and Treats Fall Fest! Make no bones about it, everyone in the family will have a spook-tacular time this season at the largest theme park in the Midwest!

• May Events at Kansas City Zoo

  The Zoo is ready to take a big bite out of summer with the addition of American alligators! The new habitat will be located near the Discovery Barn and Billy Goats Gruff Yard and will be home to six female alligators that will be transferred from a Florida facility.

  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.

  NEW Alligator Exhibit Opening in May: When fully grown, American alligators are at the top of their food chain so their only predators have been humans and occasionally other alligators. While susceptible to hunting and listed as critically endangered at one time, state and federal laws have protected the alligator and its numbers are now sustainable again thanks to these conservation efforts. The new alligator habitat is scheduled to open in May!

  The Kansas City Zoo is open year-round. Enjoy these upcoming events: 

  • Penguin March: May 21 & 22
  • Endangered Species Weekend: May 21 - 22 Learn about the Zoo's conservation initiatives and how you can get involved. Guests will receive an “Endangered Species Passport” upon entry, which you can use to discover different endangered species at the Zoo. Find them all and return your passport to Guest Services and you'll be entered into a special drawing to win a Zoo prize pack!
  • Hump Day Happy Hour: May 25 Dive into after-hours fun at Hump Day Happy Hour! Join us for the return of this popular 21-and-over event featuring five cash bars, food trucks, music, free carousel and train rides, trivia, games, and more. Hang out with the camels and chill with the penguins at this kids-free zoo function. Plus, proceeds will go toward our aquarium which is slated to open in 2023. Hump Day Happy Hour will be ocean-themed, so wear your favorite wardrobe with an aquatic flair!

• Pete the Cat

  Pete the Cat: thru May 22 at The Coterie. With its Beach Boys musical vibe and ’60s feel, this show will have everyone in the family strumming and strutting. The grooviest, guitar-slinging cat in town meets the Biddles and rocks their world. Pete, who normally lives in a VW bus, has been sent to the Biddle’s to learn some manners, much to the annoyance of Jimmy (the world’s most organized grade schooler). But it doesn’t take long before Pete turns house arrest into a crusade to help Jimmy pass second grade and take him on the inspirational road trip of a lifetime! The whole family will love Pete's hilarious, jazzy antics in this toe-tapping musical. Length: Approx. 55 minutes

• Mesner Puppet Theater

  Shows at Midwest Trust Center

  Enjoy these family-friendly shows at the Midwest Trust Center at JCCC:

  • Mesner Puppet Theater 'In the Workshop LIVE': May 14 & 15
  • MTC Kids Jam with Jim "Mr. Stinky Feet" Cosgrove: May 21
  • Judy Collins and Madeleine Peyroux: May 22

• The Book of Kells

  The Book of Kells performed at Folly Theater May 13 & 14: Inspired by the iconic work of art, Störling Dance Theater premieres its newest one-act ballet, Book of Kells. Drawing from the true history of the exquisitely illustrated Book of Kells, the show bearing its name is set in a pagan village entrenched in human sacrifice as a means to appease their gods. Into this darkness, fearless monks arrive bearing the gift of beauty and hope. With this gift comes the creation of the book and its transformative message to a village in need of freedom and peace. “The more I researched and learned about the Book of Kells and its history, the more fascinated I became,” said Artistic Director Mona Störling-Enna. “I began to envision what it was like for the individuals in this village and how they were desperate for what the monks brought. I knew I had to create a new work.” While the Book of Kells contains its own dramatic history, including its capture in a Viking invasion, Störling-Enna brings the drama to the stage in this poignant story that combines beautiful choreography, live narration and Celtic music to craft a brilliantly detailed world where culture, sacrifice and forgiveness collide. Complete with handmade costumes, dramatic lighting and innovative production design, the world that sails to life on stage will captivate audiences while leaving them with the original inspiration the Book of Kells brought to the world. The Book of Kells is an artful masterpiece containing the four Gospels of the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It was created on the island of Iona by monks over the course of 200 years. Treasured for the literal gems it held, the Book of Kells withstood a Viking invasion and evasion of capture before finally landing in Kells, Ireland where it became known as the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells is currently on display in Dublin, Ireland. To purchase tickets to Book of Kells or for more information about Störling Dance Theater, visit www.storlingdance.org. Performances are Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 14 at 7 p.m.

• William and Jill DiMartino

  Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!

  Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! Opening May 9, FREE for visitors ALL Summer long at Crown Center! 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! This interactive exhibit presents key STEAM concepts and invites visitors to learn like George – through curiosity, experience, and mischievous fun!

  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.

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

• The Old Man and The Moon

  The Old Man and the Old Moon May 3-22 at Spencer Theater:  The Old Man and the Old Moon is a blend of resonant storytelling, spirited indie-folk music and inventive puppetry, creating a theatrical experience that will win over generations of theatregoers with its wit, style, and depth of emotion. Created by the endlessly imaginative PigPen Theatre Co., who were declared “a phenomenon” by the Boston Herald, and performed to sold-out houses across the nation, KCRep is thrilled to bring this uplifting and joyful production to Kansas City to close our 2021-22 Season

• Celebration at the Station

  Celebration at the Station: May 29: 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 5pm 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 8pm. The evening will conclude with Kansas City’s largest fireworks display, sponsored by Humana.

• Kansas City Monarchs

  Kansas City Monarchs at Legends Field

  Monarchs Games in May are going to be great! 

  • Fanfest May 8: Come out to the Kansas City Monarchs Fan Fest on May 8th at Legends Field. Enjoy inflatables, player autographs, catch on the field, skydivers, and more!
  • Opening Day May 13: Get your tickets to the Kansas City Monarchs' Opening Day! You won't want to miss the championship ring ceremonies, skydivers, and more!
  • Sunday Funday May 15: Come out to the Kansas City Monarchs' Sunday Fundays! Bring the whole family out to play carnival games, bounce on inflatables, and even play catch on the field with Monarchs players! Come one, come all to every Sunday Monarchs game.
  • Kansas City Monarchs Jazz in the Park May 29:  Enjoy some jazz and baseball at the Kansas City Monarchs' Jazz in the Park day! Along with Sunday Funday programming (carnival games, inflatables and catch on the field) enjoy live Jazz music throughout the stadium. Bring your picnic blankets!

• The Actor's Nightmare

  THE ACTOR’S NIGHTMARE  May 12th @ 7pm and May 14th @ 2pm & 7pm | Location: TCH Stage & Studio at Oak Park Mall

  The Actor's Nightmare is a short one-act comedic play by Christopher Durang. It involves an accountant named George Spelvin, who is mistaken for an actor's understudy and forced to perform in a play for which he does not know any of the lines.

• Lenexa's FREE Movie in the Park

  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 available.  Dogs are welcome. 

  2022 Line Up:

  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.)

  June 17: Flight of the Navigator (1986, Rated PG) A boy, David, goes missing in the woods and returns 8 years later without having aged, baffling the police, scientists and his family. NASA concludes he was taken by aliens, and David escapes in a ship piloted by Max, the ship's wisecracking computer.Location: Buffalo Meadows Park, 9650 Lone Elm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66220.Time: dusk (9:15 p.m.)

  July 22: Free Willy (1993, Rated PG). A heartwarming family drama about a troubled young boy's touching friendship with an Orca whale who is the star attraction at his local adventure park. Presented in partnership with Johnson County Library. Location: Electric Park, 9305 Loiret Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219. Schedule:  Yard games: 7 p.m. Live music: 8 p.m. Movie starts: dusk (9:15 p.m.)

  Aug. 26: The Karate Kid (1984, Rated PG). A bullied teen learns self-defense and self-confidence from a sage handyman. Location: Electric Park, 9305 Loiret Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219. Time: dusk (8:30 p.m.)

  Sept. 16: Jumanji (1995, Rated PG) Two kids discover an old board game and when they start playing it they are greeted by a man who has spent years trapped inside the game since playing it at age 12. His only hope for freedom involves finishing the dangerous game. Location: Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, 87th Street Parkway and Lackman Road, Lenexa, KS 66215. Time: dusk (7:45 p.m.)

• Tulip Festival & Strawberry Festival at Fun Farm

  Join us this Spring for the first annual tulip festival with over 300,000 bulbs,30+ fun farm attractions and one-of-a-kind photo ops! Experience an endless sea of beautiful, picture-perfect tulips! In May, enjoy sweet fresh strawberries straight from the vine! Bring the family out to experience our u-pick strawberry fields,30+ fun farm attractions & more.*The tulip fields and strawberries are weather-dependent! Please check the website & social media pages for updates.

  Strawberry Festival tickets:  funfarmpumpkinpatch.com/strawberry-pricing

  Tentative Dates & Hours: May 21-June 19. Sat & Sun: 9am-5pm

• Tanganyika Wildlife Park

  Tanganyika Wildlife Park

  Forget We Bought A Zoo! This family built one from the ground up. Learn more about the fascinating origins of Tanganyika and how we built a world-class collection of animals.

• Photos courtesy of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

  Fortopia at Powell Gardens

  May 26 - Oct. 16: Fortopia at Powell Gardens: 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.

• City Nature Challenge 2022

  City Nature Challenge: April 29- May 2 It is part of the Kansas City Zoo’s mission to help the community understand the importance of wildlife and biodiversity so that we can better preserve our natural world. For the third year in a row, the Kansas City Zoo is proud to be co-hosting the City Nature Challenge from April 29 to May 2, 2022. The City Nature Challenge, hosted by the City of Kansas City, Missouri, the Heartland Conservation Alliance (HCA) and the Kansas City Zoo, is the perfect opportunity for the Zoo to work with local partners to engage residents in discovering and appreciating natural habitats and wildlife in the Greater Kansas City area.

  The City Nature Challenge is a world-wide collaboration that offers an opportunity to connect with nature in the Kansas City Metropolitan Region.  We’ll be looking for signs of life in local parks, neighborhoods, and backyards to see what plants and animals share our environment. An overarching objective is to celebrate connections with nature. This global challenge encourages as many people as possible to make and upload as many observations of wild plants, birds, and animals as they can find during the challenge period from April 29th though May 2nd.

• Wonders of Wildlife: National Museum & Aquarium

  The 1.5-million-gallon aquarium—showcasing 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles and birds—and immersive wildlife galleries that bring visitors eye-to-eye with the greatest collection of record-setting game animals ever assembled.

• Tick Tock Escape Rooms

  Enjoy family time at Tick Tock Escape Games: Quality and creativity is what separates Tick Tock® from the crowd. They use sound, technology, and other special effects to bring your game to life in an immersive experience you won’t soon forget. The puzzles are well thought out and blend seamlessly into the games. Rooms are themed to transport you into another world. When you want the best experience for your groups' special event, Tick Tock is here, ready to serve. Tick Tock Escape Games is conveniently located one block east of College and Metcalf just west of the Overland Park Convention Center. 

• Urban Air Trampoline Park Lenexa

  If you’re looking for the best year-round indoor amusements in Shawnee, Bonner Springs and Lenexa area, Urban Air Adventure Park is the perfect place!

• RoKC Olathe

  RoKC’s mission is to bring a state of the art climbing facility to the Olathe community, and provide a fun, adventurous environment, capable of teaching and challenging individuals of all ages and abilities.

• Backyard Specialists Pay For Play

  Backyard Specialists is the premier outdoor play spot in Olathe, and surrounding areas when you are looking for great outdoor fun! Plan a play date for your children and their friends at our amazing outdoor showroom.

  Play-for-Play Includes:

  • HUGE Outdoor display area, all fenced in.
  • Play on our Swing Sets, and Basketball Goals (don't forget your basketballs) Sorry, but the trampolines are not available for play
  • Snack area to enjoy a treat (you may bring your own food and drinks)
  • $2 Cash or $4 Credit per kid (ages 18 months & up)
  • Available Tuesday and Thursday from 10 - 5

  *Closed all major holidays.