Hidden Gems of Kansas City
Kansas City is home to many icons: the National World War I Museum, Union Station, Hallmark, barbecue and, of course, the Royals. But it’s also a terrific place to make off-the-beaten-path discoveries. “Kansas City has a wide array of activities for families and visitors,” says Derek Klaus, senior communications manager for Visit KC. “It’s got a lot of well-known attractions, but it’s also home to some really cool, quaint attractions.”
From money to marble and miniature toys to top-rated eats, it’s hard to imagine planning a vacation to this city that isn’t worthwhile. Read on for some of Kansas City’s best hidden gems, those unique places that you won’t find on your first Google search of the area.
Museums & Historical Sites
320 S. Esplanade, Leavenworth, KS
Minutes from downtown: 40
The Carousel Museum is one of several First City destinations in Leavenworth, the first city established in Kansas. On display are four carousels, circa 1850 to 1950, as well as memorabilia, individual horses and exhibits. The museum also serves as the departure point for Leavenworth’s First City Trolley Tour, a one-hour guided historical tour of the city, which takes place Saturdays at 11:00, beginning in April.
Federal Reserve Bank & Money Museum
1 Memorial Dr., Kansas City, MO. 816.881.2683
Marketed as “a billion dollar experience,” KC’s Federal Reserve Bank & Money Museum offers educational opportunities for people of all ages. Tour a cash vault, complete the “Quest for the Lost Vault” scavenger hunt and even design your own money. Guided tours and special workshops and presentations are available.
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm
1200 Kansas City Rd., Olathe, KS. 913.971.5111
Minutes from downtown: 28
The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm is one of the few stagecoach stops that remains on the Santa Fe Trail, a 19th-century transportation route that connected the Midwest and Santa Fe. The original stone farmhouse, built in 1865, along with the original stone ice house and barn, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
5235 Oak St., Kansas City, MO. 816.235.8000
A niche museum that opened in 1982, the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures boasts the nation’s largest antique toy collections on public display. The museum is undergoing an $8 million renovation and will reopen to the public on Aug. 1. With the renovation comes new galleries, including one that explores the business of toys and another called “Toys from the Attic,” according to Tony Julo, the museum’s administrative and marketing assistant.
Restaurants
With three locations across the KC metro area, Fritz’s is the destination for hungry kids and families. Customers order by phone from their own booths, and train cars chug right to the tables to deliver your meal. (Don’t worry. Waiters still bring your drinks and serve you.)
Located in the Downtown Lee’s Summit shopping district and housed in an old Texaco station, the Filling Station is a locally owned barbecue restaurant where you may dine inside or outside at picnic tables. The nostalgic décor and Kansas City style barbecue draws a loyal following at this unique restaurant.
When it opened in the 1940s with a single store near KC’s historic 18th & Vine, Gates Bar-B-Q quickly gained recognition for its distinct sauce. Now with six locations throughout the KC metro area, Gates is the place for a quick-but-hearty taste of KC’s signature barbecue. The location at 103rd & State Line in Leawood sits adjacent to U.S. Toy, one of the area’s largest family-owned novelty toy and party supply stores.
900 W. 48th Pl., Kansas City, MO. 816.561.7136
Two years after a devastating fire ravaged their historic brick building downtown, Kansas City’s beloved steakhouse reopened in a new building across the street from its original location. The restaurant is hailed as one of KC’s top restaurants by the Zagat Survey. Try the Paco shrimp appetizer or JJ’s Pride, Kansas City’s prized steak. Fresh seafood is flown in daily.
Niche & Specialty
25825 Edgemore Rd., Paola, KS. 913.783.4300
Minutes from downtown: 50
A top destination for wakeboarders, KC Watersports hosts day camps, lessons for all skill levels and a challenging array of obstacles for experts. The site also boasts a beach, a snack shack and a pro shop with equipment both for sale and rental. Cable is open seven days a week from May to September, and weekends in April and October. The pro shop is open year-round.
600 E. Front St., Bonner Springs, KS. 913.441.1432
Minutes from downtown: 23
“Find your marbles at the moon” with a visit to the Moon Marble Company, a wooden toy and game board retailer that started making its own marbles in 1997. The company stocks machine-made marbles in a variety of colors and sizes, as well as marbles that are custom-made. In marble-making demonstrations, artisan and owner Bruce Breslow shares the process of crafting marbles with glass, along with marble history and interesting marble facts.
Parkville, MO
Minutes from downtown: 19
Just 10 miles northwest of Kansas City, this quaint town on the Missouri River supports an impressive array of shops, boutiques and restaurants. From art galleries to creative clothing retailers and accessory stores, Parkville is home to the quirky and the original—finds and eats you won’t stumble upon anywhere else.
2706 W. 53rd St., Fairway, KS. 913.384.3126
Minutes from downtown: 14
Heralded as the oldest independent bookstore in the KC metropolitan area, Rainy Day Books is celebrating its 40th year in business. The bookstore hosts more than 300 author events each year. Recent and upcoming visitors include Stephen King, Anna Quindlen and Sarah Gruen. The bookstore anchors the Fairway Shops, a quaint brick shopping district in Fairway just off of the Country Club Plaza.
328 W. 63rd St., Kansas City, MO
Minutes from downtown: 16
A community-oriented children’s bookstore that markets itself as “part museum, part community center, part retailer, part agitator, um educator,” the Reading Reptile strives to bring children and books together in creative ways. Check online for special summer classes and programs and ways to involve children in a love of books and reading.
816.640.2909 (Chamber)
Minutes from downtown: 39
Voted best day trip, best overnight destination and best small town in Missouri by a slew of magazines, this entire community has to make our list of Hidden Gems. Weston is known for its award-winning winery, shopping, food, historical flair and small-town atmosphere. Groove to live blues, country and Irish music or order a beer in the underground vault of an 1840s brewery.
Shopping. Eating. Playing. Reading. When you’re looking for fun in the heart of the country, it’s hard to go wrong.