Go Explore Crown Center District

Visit Crown Center for many attractions, great shops, and restaurants. Throughout the winter, families enjoy skating at the Ice Terrace, the city’s original outdoor rink. The Coterie produces professional children’s theater year-round. Kaleidoscope is a free kid-friendly art center where imaginations know no limits as kids create their own masterpieces. Sea Life features a walk-through underwater tunnel and an enthralling journey from the fresh waters of the Missouri River to the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The Legoland Discovery Center provides a range of interactive play areas, including a 4D cinema, classes, an exciting Lego ride, and one-of-a-kind Lego exhibits.

Spend a day at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, exploring their interactive displays, including temporary exhibits this fall on topics including World War II and the Holocaust. Thought-provoking films and eyewitness testimonies help guide visitors through one of the largest collections of WWI artifacts in the world. Then take a tour to the top of this iconic landmark, where you’ll enjoy a  breathtaking view of the city’s skyline. One of the most notable landmarks you’ll see is Union Station,  home to Kansas City’s Science City with great hands-on science exhibits for children and the  Gottlieb Planetarium, one of the largest 360- degree domed screens in the Midwest. Nearby, make a stop at the Money Museum, a free museum where visitors leave with a souvenir bag of shredded cash.

At Union Station, you may board the KC Streetcar for a free ride from Union Station to City Market with many stops along the way. Nearby, visit the National Archives of Kansas City with free history exhibits and staff on hand to assist with research projects. Enjoy lunch at a variety of restaurants nearby. For barbecue savor Jack Stack, for Italian eat at Lidia’s and, if you’re dining with kids, enjoy Fritz’s where trains deliver to your table. Wanting to eat locally-grown food? Try Unforked or for steak try Pierpont’s. These are just a few favorite restaurants in the area.

• 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.

• Sea Life Kansas City

  This aquarium experience will get you up close and face-to-face with amazing underwater creatures such as sharks, octopus, our green sea turtle named Gertrude, stingrays, sea stars, seahorses, jellyfish and thousands of colorful fish! A favorite a...

• LEGOLAND Discovery Center

  Legoland Discovery Center Kansas City offers a fun, highly interactive and educational 2-to 3-hour indoor experience. Based on the ever-popular Lego® brick, Legoland Discovery Center provides a range of interactive play areas.

• Crown Center Ice Terrace

  Enjoy ice skating at Kansas City's original outdoor rink, open annually November-March.

• J Robert Schraeder

  Coterie Theatre

  The Coterie Theatre, named "One of the Five Best Theaters for Young Audiences" in the U.S. by TIME magazine, provides unique theatre experiences for families and young audiences.

• Kaleidoscope

  At Kaleidoscope, children use their imaginations to make art with left-over materials from Hallmark’s manufacturing processes. Some materials are cut into shapes, while others are left just as Hallmark sends them.

• 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.

• 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...

• Science City at Union Station

  Kansas City’s Science Center, Science City at Union Station Kansas City, is a dynamic, hands-on science center featuring nearly 200 individual interactive exhibits and daily programming. Kids of all ages experience the amazing world of science fir...

• Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station

  Combining interactive astronomy education with spectacular public shows and night sky viewing opportunities, the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium continues to be one of Kansas City's greatest connections to the night sky.

• Federal Reserve Bank & Money Museum

  Tour Kansas City’s Federal Reserve Bank and learn about the U.S. Monetary System. Children can make their own money and leave with a shredded souvenir!

• National Archives at Kansas City

  Kansas City has one of the 11 branches of the National Archives. The collections include historical, diplomatic, genealogical and military documents, artifacts and exhibits.