Go Experience the Arts

Kansas City is home to many remarkable art galleries, with three of her finest open to the public for free! The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, one of the largest galleries in the United States, maintains a permanent collection representing art from throughout history and around the world. Visitors enjoy the galleries and, on sunny days, picnic or stroll the landscaped museum grounds and sculpture garden. For modern art enthusiasts, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit permanent and temporary collections with special events and workshops for families.

Create family keepsakes at Paint, Glaze & Fire, Ceramics Cafe and more paint-your-own pottery shops. Patrons select and paint their own ceramic masterpieces—anything from piggy banks to plates, mugs to picture frames and many holiday pieces, as well. BYOB paint-your-own-canvas shops are a fun trend across the city, each offering diverse calendars with a variety of masterpieces you can create following simple step-by-step instructions. Thirsty Palette in Leawood is one of our top picks. Customers sign up for a class, bring their own beverage and spend an evening creating a personal work of art to take home and display. 

One of Kansas City’s original favorites is the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, which recently underwent a magical transformation. From the first glimpse, visitors know they’re entering a charming world of toys with interactive exhibits taking them on a stroll down memory lane. They encounter treasures from Grandma’s attic, a vast collection of dollhouses, miniatures and toys of yesteryear. Toys enjoyed by generations are waiting to be discovered. This is a favorite attraction for families before heading downtown to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to enjoy a live show from the Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera, Kansas City Symphony and touring productions.