Museums... More Than You Ever Imagined!
Class field trip day. Busloads of children file into a museum to look at musty artifacts while a tour guide spiels trivia in a monotone. You stand forever with legs cramping as you look at the artifacts, all old and obscure. You start to read the signs but determine your history textbook is more exciting. Students whisper and pass notes to kill time, and at the conclusion of the tour, file back to the bus for sack lunches. Does this sound familiar?
Unfortunately, for many adults, the word museum is often synonymous with boring, dull, old, irrelevant and educational (not in a good way). Consequently, family outings to museums are often non-existent or rare.
Thankfully, modern museum curators have come to realize that no one will ever discover the treasures behind their doors if they fail to create a place that is engaging and inviting, so today’s museums are interactive, imaginative, educational AND entertaining… but many families are still missing out because they don’t know there are many secrets that lie within.
Kansas City is home to many marvelous museums that engage visitors of all ages with hands-on exhibits and interpretive programs. Consider one of these for your next family adventure! But first, a few “Hot Tips”:
- This list is just the tip of the iceberg! See www.KCGoingPlaces.com for many more museums and ideas.
- Call museums ahead for hours and check calendars. You’ll always have the best experience during special events. Historic sites, in particular, are most engaging during events when reenactors are present to bring history to life.
- Follow KC Parent Magazine on Facebook for tips and tricks and ask questions you may have before embarking on your adventure.
Historic Sites:
Kansas City is rich with fantastic historic sites and it is simply impossible to mention all of our favorites! We decided to start with Kansas City’s roots… the pioneers!
Kansas City, Independence and Westport were gateways to the west for travelers on the Oregon, California and Santa Fe Trails, and many of our local historic sites tell the tales of the west in engaging ways.
- Missouri Town 1855 (8010 E. Park Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO, 816.503.4860). Missouri Town is an 1850s village comprising homes, businesses and buildings from the towns of western Missouri, all situated on 30 acres of land. Our family especially loves Sheep Shearing Day and Children’s Day when hands-on activities include rope making for children, numerous craft projects and living history demonstrations.
- Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm (1200 Kansas City Rd., Olathe, KS, 913.971.5111). Mahaffie offers wonderful interpretive programs all year with activities ranging from blacksmithing to pioneer games to concerts and cooking, but our hands-down favorites are the stagecoach rides and sleigh rides offered on snow days!
- John Wornall House Museum (6115 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, MO, 816.444.1858). See firsthand how Kansas City’s wealthiest founding citizens lived and discover the history of the 1850s on a Touch & Feel Tour. Check the calendar for hearth cooking demonstrations where ladies prepare authentic 1850s meals over a wood-burning fire.
- Shoal Creek Living History Museum (7000 NE Barry Rd., Kansas City, MO, 816.792.2655). This small village and living history museum showcase life of the 1800s through interpretive programs at a one-room school where children participate in pioneer lessons, a working mill, a historic jail, pioneer homes, working blacksmith shop, doctor’s shop and stately mansion.
Science:
- Wonderscope Children’s Museum (5700 King St., Shawnee, KS, 913.287.8888). Wonderscope is a hands-on museum for young children with wonderful interactive exhibits including the H2Oh! room where children experiment with water, Farm to Market where kids gather eggs, feed animals, and learn about crops, Healthy Kids where children learn about health and wellness, Raceways where youngsters play with gravity and motion, and many more interactive exhibits. This is a museum where touching is not only suggested, it’s required!
- Science City at Union Station (30 W. Pershing Rd., Kansas City, MO, 816.460.2020). Science City is Kansas City’s largest, most interactive science museum with something for visitors of all ages. Favorite exhibits include the Challenger Exhibit where you gear up as an astronaut for space flight, DinoLab where children dig for bones and watch as fossils are preserved, Echo Cave where children learn about nature firsthand, and exhibits about health, engineering, water, optical illusions and more. Top off your visit with a planetarium show for an unforgettable experience.
Miscellaneous Favorites:
- Toy & Miniature Museum (5235 Oak St., Kansas City, MO, 816.333.9328). The Toy & Miniature Museum is one of our family favorites. With hundreds of dollhouses, historic toys, model trains, an interactive marble exhibit, giant 3-D glasses and more, this is the most whimsical and nostalgic museum in town!
- Johnson County Museum (6305 Lackman, Shawnee, KS, 913.715.2550). The highlight of this free historic museum for our family is the interactive KidScape Exhibit, a child-size village complete with a hospital, theater, city hall, shops, park and more where children explore careers and life as adults through props, costumes and play buildings.
Kristina Light loves exploring Kansas City’s museums with her family and she’s happy to answer readers’ questions about local attractions on Kansas City Parent Magazine’s Facebook page or at Kristina@KCParent.com.