Must-See Museums
Kansas City has an abundance of outstanding museums to visit, but here are some not to be missed!
National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
First established in 1982 as the Toy and Miniature Museum, this national gem is located on the University of Missouri Kansas City campus and contains more than 33,000 square feet of childhood nostalgia. Recently remodeled and expanded, this fun museum houses the largest collection of fine-scale miniatures in the world. The craftsmanship and intricate, detailed work involved in making these tiny, exquisite masterpieces ignite the imagination of young and old alike.
This museum also houses an exceptional toy collection—one of the largest in the nation and one that spans the centuries from the 1700s to the present day. Visitors can take a well-curated, interactive journey through childhood, culture and the toys that defined each generation. The toy exhibit is educational, entertaining and hands-on. The doll and doll house collections are especially impressive. Visitors can see examples of dolls, their clothing and accessories and how they changed through time. The museum has dozens of well-preserved and well-loved doll houses on display—and they range in size from the miniscule to the magnificent. The attention to detail in every room is remarkable—hours could be spent looking at all the clever details. The curators of this collection have created a truly special place for children and adults to learn—or reminisce—about the past and the origins of beloved playthings.
Living History Museums
Shawnee Town 1929 offers a great calendar of events planned for the year. Just a few options to choose from are the History on Tap lecture series for adults that takes place in Town Hall. In the town farmhouse, you can enjoy varying period food preparation demonstrations throughout the year, and weekly, on summertime Tuesdays and Thursdays, the always popular Time Travelers Children’s Program engages youngsters. Bring the kids and learn a new period craft or participate in a farm chore or special event! In the summer, they also offer the musical outdoor series Jammin’ on the Green.
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site is another great living history museum. Mahaffie offers a plethora of programs for all ages. Visitors can take a ride on a real stagecoach and relive the days when the farmstead was a stop along the Santa Fe, Oregon and California trails to the West. Guests can also watch the blacksmith at work, or sample a meal that would have been prepared for stagecoach passengers in the cool basement kitchen that doubled as a dining hall. Be sure to check out the Calendar of Events on their website!
Kansas City Museum
Originally built as an opulent residence by the influential Long family in 1907, Corinthian Hall opened in 1940 as a museum dedicated to showcasing the history of Kansas City. In 2019, extensive remodeling of the estate was completed, and it reopened to the public in fall 2021. The new and improved museum features four floors of exhibits, galleries and art installations, as well as a café and a revamped soda fountain in the basement. The ground floor of the home-turned-museum is a step back in time to what the mansion looked like when the Long family lived there. The second floor showcases an excellent exhibit tracing the history of Kansas City from its earliest beginnings to the present. The third floor has a movie theater for films related to the history of the museum and exhibits, as well as an evolving gallery for local artists. Be sure to take in the spectacular view of the Kansas City skyline from the lawn before leaving—the museum sits atop a hill overlooking Kessler Park and Cliff Drive.
Nearby, visit the Historic Garment District and Museum, where Kansas City fashion icons like Nelly Don manufactured their clothing lines.
University of Kansas Natural History Museum
There is so much to explore on the four floors of this fascinating museum! A working biodiversity research center on the University campus, this museum has been popular with schoolchildren on field trips for several generations. Discover something exciting or unusual on every floor, from the fossil of a T. rex, to rocks that glow in the dark and even a live bee colony! Younger children will love Bugtown, a cute playroom where they can view and learn about different insects. The large-scale animal habitat panorama is usually the first stop for most visitors and is most impressive in its size and scope. On the third floor, take a journey through the Late Cretaceous period to the Last Ice Age and examine fossils of dinosaurs and mastodons up close. Throughout the museum, there are hands-on learning stations for visitors to explore a topic or subject more in depth. Children can also complete a fun and educational scavenger hunt and receive a prize upon completion. What is truly special about this natural history museum is that the majority of its specimens were found in our region or discovered by university students and research teams.
Located a short walk behind the Natural History building is the Spencer Museum of Art. While in Lawrence, make time for this other must-see museum. The art collection at the Spencer is awe-inspiring with more than 45,000 works of art, many of which are well-known paintings or works by famous artists. The museum was established in 1917 and is committed to sharing man’s creativity with new generations through its state-of-the-art exhibits and education programs. On the third floor, you can currently see works by Thomas Hart Benton, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Pablo Picasso, for starters. The exhibition galleries change seasonally, and works from different genres, eras and artists are often displayed together. More than 5,000 years of art from six continents are represented at the Spencer, and the exhibits are regularly rotated and updated.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum
In the summer of 2021, the Truman Library reopened after a major renovation and upgrade. The focus of the updated museum is on a cinematic immersion into U.S. and world history. Tru History is a sound-and-light theater production that relates some of the most dramatic chapters of WWI and Cold War history in a new and exciting medium. The new exhibitions also include more than 230 artifacts (including some never before seen from the Korean War) and hundreds of documents, letters and facsimiles. Other new features include a 14-foot interactive globe, a role-playing Cold War game and new exhibits on Truman’s family life and legacy.
While in Independence, another must-visit museum is President Truman’s longtime home, now the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site.
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Harry S. Truman Presidential Library
One of 15 presidential libraries, visitors are able to experience engaging exhibits and programs, the library aspires to reach a broad and diverse audience in a continuous effort to keep President Truman’s life and legacy alive.
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KU Natural History Museum
Four floors of exhibits help you explore the life of the planet. You will discover the animals and plants of the Great Plains, see a live bee colony and a toothy mosasaur fossil.
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Kansas City Museum
The Kansas City Museum is a history museum. It is the City’s leading institution on local and regional history with the collection, capacity, mission, and vision to share the robust multicultural stories of Kansas City and its people.
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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...
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National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
The Museum offers a rich and immersive experience, making it an ideal destination for multigenerational families, adults, and children alike. As you wander through the exhibits, you’ll be transported to different eras, each filled with unique charm.
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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...