Must-See KC with Kids
Families visiting Kansas City will find a plethora of entertaining attractions and great sites to include in their plans.
Union Station
What You Need to Know: Once a bustling train station, Union Station is now a mecca for family fun. Within its 850,000 square feet and 900 rooms lie KC’s premier science center, Science City, along with the Gottlieb Planetarium, a bustling theater district featuring live theater and big screen movies, a permanent train exhibit known as the KC Rail Experience and world-class traveling exhibits. And just as was possible a century ago, visitors can hop aboard a train at Union Station’s very own Amtrak stop. Guests easily can spend a full day partaking of all the fun Union Station has to offer, but this destination pairs nicely with other nearby attractions, such as the Money Museum, or the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
Costs: Nearby parking garages cost a minimum of $5. The Money Museum is free; other attractions vary in price.
Helpful Tips: If you’re running short on time while trying to couple visits with neighboring attractions, breathe easy and hit Union Station first! Tickets to the National World War I Museum and Memorial are valid for two consecutive days.
Swope Park
What You Need to Know: At 1,805 acres, Swope Park is both Kansas City’s largest park and one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Home to more than a dozen different attractions, Swope Park draws more than two million visitors every year. Learn more about the largest Civil War battle to take place west of the Mississippi River at the Battle of Westport Museum and Visitor Center, take in a Broadway-style show at the nation’s second largest theater of its kind, Starlight Theatre, or view more than 1,000 animals from around the world at the award-winning Kansas City Zoo.
Costs: Admission to Swope Park is free. Special attractions, the KC Zoo and Starlight vary in price.
Helpful Tips: Regardless of where you roam within Swope Park, be sure to bring your shades, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. And don’t forget to check out Swope Park’s 39th Annual Ethnic Festival, taking place the third weekend in August. More than 60 nations will be represented through authentic food, beautiful art, music, dancing and more.
Crown Center
What You Need to Know: For more than half a century, Crown Center has graced the Union Hill district of Kansas City with a variety of entertainment and shopping venues and restaurants, making it a premier destination for family fun. Named after Hallmark’s signature logo, Crown Center includes the Hallmark corporate headquarters, along with three stories of restaurants and shops. The grounds include open-air fountains and an ice skating rink, while surrounding areas are replete with sculptures, gardens and green space. Crown Center connects to Union Station through a series of overhead walkways, making for a great destination pairing. Guests can explore the history of Hallmark within the Hallmark Visitors Center, while children can try their hand at arts and crafts next door at Kaleidoscope, Hallmark’s very own children’s workshop. Both attractions are free (though same-day reservations are recommended at Kaleidoscope). Take in a world-class show at the nationally-recognized Coterie Theatre, peruse the children’s exhibit hosted next door or watch as a fresh batch of fudge is made in Chip’s Chocolate Factory. And remember, no visit to Crown Center is complete without checking out Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center.
Costs: Hallmark Visitors Center, Kaleidoscope and the children’s exhibit are free. Other attractions have varied costs. Three-hour parking within the Crown Center parking garage is free with validation.
Helpful Tip: Get your parking pass validated when you first walk into any one of Crown Center’s shops or attractions so you don’t forget. And be sure to check out the fun activity room within the Crayola store!
River Market District
What You Need to Know: In the mid-1800s, pioneers would visit the City Market to stock up on supplies and outfit their wagons as they prepared to venture out West into the great unknown. Nowadays, visitors can make their rounds at the same market just a stone’s throw from the riverbanks of the Mighty Mo. With more than 600,000 guests annually, the City Market is one of the largest farmers markets in the Midwest. Guests can peruse more than 180 open-air stalls on weekends and Wednesdays during warm weather (30 permanent shops, selling a range of produce, flowers, baked goods and more are open seven days a week), all while taking in live cooking demonstrations and street musicians. The City Market finds itself situated in the center of the River Market District, a neighborhood listed in full on the National Register of Historic Places. Fittingly, Steamboat Arabia, a museum committed to the ongoing preservation of pre-Civil War artifacts unearthed from a sunken riverboat, welcomes guests to take in its vast collection just east of the City Market.
Costs: Admission to the City Market is free. Exhibits, concerts and special events vary in price.
Helpful Tips: Wear comfortable shoes, bring reusable grocery sacks and/or a cooler to store any perishable goods purchased and bring cash (many vendors don’t accept checks or credit cards). Looking for a fun way to get from here to there? Check out the KC Streetcar, a free transit system that takes patrons from the City Market as far south as Union Station.
Lauren Greenlee has the pleasure of calling KC home and loves nothing more than a good staycation. She writes and resides in Olathe.