Go Explore Johnson County

Living history museums are a favorite local attraction, with several historic sites telling the area’s history through reenactments and hands-on education. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm in Olathe, KS, brings 1850s farming to life with tours and programs all year, including stagecoach rides, family programs, and a working blacksmith shop. On snowy Saturdays, enjoy horse-drawn sleigh rides on the property. Shawnee Town 1929 is a slightly more modern village where families explore living history firsthand. Families also enjoy Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead before it closes for the season in October. The 12-acre park is home to more than 200 farm animals, gardens, a dairy barn, pony rides and much more.  

Adventure lovers enjoy iFly KC, an indoor skydiving facility. The activity is a simulation of true freefall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel. The dream of flight becomes a reality! This is a top pick for visitors who have come to town for an event at the Overland Park Convention Center. Nearby, be sure to spend an evening at Topgolf, an entertainment complex for golf enthusiasts. Play point-scoring golf games for anyone from experts to children and enjoy the luxury of indoor play on a 240-yard outfield with dartboard-like targets in the ground. Urban Air, now with two locations, is a favorite indoor trampoline park boasting an indoor playground and fun for all ages with obstacle courses and games.

Creative destinations are found across the area with culinary classes offered at the Culinary Center of Kansas City and Lenexa Public Market. Make Pinterest-worthy projects at Board & Brush or Touch of Fun Art Studio. Paint your own masterpiece at Grapes & Paints or Pinot’s Palette. Create family keepsakes at Paint, Glaze & Fire, Ceramic 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. Explore textile arts at Harper’s Quilts or The Studio.

• Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm

  Visit the only working stagecoach stop open to the public on the Santa Fe Trail. Relive the adventures of early stagecoach passengers. Tour the home, blacksmith shop and farm. Mahaffie offers many events throughout the year, including hands-on pro...

• Shawnee Town 1929

  Shawnee Town 1929 is an active living history museum, where visitors of all ages learn what it was like to live in Shawnee, Kansas in 1929. Engaging and thoughtful tours, exhibits and programs will allow visitors to experience a typical day in an...

• iFly Kansas City

  When you come to iFLY get ready to be blown away – literally. It’s thrilling. It’s amazing. Experience the feeling of freefall as you float on a smooth cushion of air. There’s no parachute, no jumping, and nothing attaching you to planet Earth. It...

• Urban Air Trampoline Park Overland Park

  Urban Air Overland Park is an attractive solution to a common problem: needing one place to entertain kids of every age.

• 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!

• Ceramic Café

  Pottery painting and glass fusing. Walk-ins welcome. Great for birthdays and group events too.

• Paint Glaze & Fire

  Paint your own pottery, make your own mosaics or enjoy the coffeehouse.

• Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

  Visitors can see more than 250 animals and birds, learn about growing flowers and vegetables, or experience an Indian encampment, a one-room country schoolhouse and a turn-of-the-century main street.

• Overland Park Convention Center

  The Overland Park Convention Center is a unique facility located in Overland Park, Kansas. Our staff drives our efforts through first-class service, professional industry knowledge and attention to detail.

• Culinary Center of Kansas City

  A unique culinary arts center offering over 650 cooking classes annually, interactive cooking events and teambuilding, catered events, The Midwest BBQ Institute, All Hands for Hunger, Junior Chefs Academy, CookWell! wellness program, and more.

• Board & Brush Creative Studio

  DIY workshop for creating unique and personalized wood decor projects from scratch.

• Touch of Creativity Art Studio

  A Touch of fun is a destination At our studio, anyone can be an artist and have fun being creative - no art experience required! In two or three hours you can create a festive, whimsical and colorful painting while sipping on your favorite beverage.

• Grapes & Paints

  A social BYOB painting studio which caters to all ages.

• Harper’s Fabrics & Quilt Co.

  Quilting and sewing classes at local shop.

• The Studio Knitting & Needlepoint

  Stop in to see our wide selection of yarns, patterns, and hand-painted needlepoint canvases! Take a knitting, crochet or needlepoint class.

• Lenexa Public Market

  We are a year-round indoor public marketplace offering fresh foods and locally sourced goods from artisans and entrepreneurs.