Off the Beaten Path in KC

Got the travel bug, but can't go far? Try visiting a new part of town, where lesser known spots offer one-of-a-kind experiences.

Urban & Unique

Start your adventures where it all began: Kansas City's historic river front. Arrive early and stroll the produce and crafts stalls in the River Market (5th & Walnut). Then, visit the nearby food, antique and ethnic shops. Kansas City's historic Garment District, where local workers produced clothing sold around the world, is a few blocks north.

The Garment District Museum is in the heart of Kansas City's once robust clothing manufacturing district. The museum features changing exhibits of the fashionable clothes produced here during the 1920s through the 1960s. A commemorative park located across the street features a fountain and a 22-foot "Needle" sculpture.

Before returning your free parking ticket, stop by the five-story Central Library of Kansas City in the former National Bank of Kansas City building. Marble fixtures, chandeliers, the old vault (now a movie theater), historic artifacts and a spectacular rooftop with reading area and an over-sized chess set make an unforgettable impression.

Nearby: The Money Museum, located in the Federal Reserve Bank near 20th & Grand. Entry is free, and everyone takes home a bag of cash (Shredded—but but still, it's cash!). Interactive exhibits explain how the nation's economy works. View one of the largest cash vaults in the United States, design your own money and try lifting a solid gold bar.

Hungry? Options abound at the River Market and the Power and Light District (between 12th & 14th streets, and Baltimore & Grand), or park at Crown Center and validate your parking ticket at one of its restaurants/food court businesses.

The Northland

Gladstone and Parkville offer significant historic and recreational resources worthy of repeat visits.

Gladstone:

Enjoy a rural retreat in a growing suburban community. The Atkins-Johnson Farm and Museum, one of Clay County's oldest continuously occupied properties, makes its public debut April 27. The 22-acre farm includes the restored farmhouse, outbuildings, two barns and a cemetery. Visitors view part of the farm's 1826 log cabin and experience life on a typical early 20th century Missouri farm.

Nearby: Happy Rock Park, at NE 76th & Antioch, is a 79-acre park with a 1.3-mile fitness trail, picnic areas, tennis courts, ball fields, batting cages and three playgrounds. Oak Grove Park, at NE 76th Street & Troost, is a 17-acre park with a ½-mile walking trail and the permanent home of Gladstone's renowned Theatre in the Park. This year's program offers Guys and Dolls (July 5-7) and The Music Man (August 2-4).

Parkville:

Make a day of it and visit Parkville, a quaint riverfront town located 5 miles north of downtown. Parkville's historic architecture and eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and galleries are within walking distance of English Landing Park, a miniature golf course, a picturesque university and the Parkville Nature Sanctuary.

English Landing Park is a family-friendly recreational spot with picnic shelters and a playground; the 3-mile riverfront trail is a favorite among walkers, runners and bikers. Festivals and live performances are held throughout the spring and summer months.

The Parkville Nature Sanctuary, north of the park and the university, is a 40-acre wildlife preserve with several trails amid forests, wetlands and a waterfall.

Nearby: The neighborhood north of town has a variety of historic houses. A few blocks west is the Banneker School, the first African-American one-room schoolhouse in Platte County, built with help from Park University students in 1885 (8th & West).

Hungry? Parkville offers everything from pizza and sandwiches to specialty coffees and fine French cuisine. Restaurants are located along Main Street and west of the park in the English Landing Shopping Center.

Independence, Missouri:

Independence offers some unusual sites that take you off the beaten trail. Through July 31, the Puppetry Arts Institute features the most famous puppet in history: Pinocchio. Tour the museum's collection of locally-made Hazelle Inc. marionette and hand puppets and international puppets, then take in a performance and make a puppet.

Nearby: A truly unique experience awaits you at Leila's Hair Museum, with displays of more than 400 hair wreaths made before 1900, as well as jewelry and watch chains fashioned from hair.

Truman Home and Neighborhood: If you've just gotta see Harry, visit him at home. Start your tour at the visitor's center at 223 N. Main St.  Before or after your tour, explore the print or cell phone tours that showcase several buildings important to Truman throughout his life. The Truman Farm Home in Grandview is a 25-minute drive.

Hungry?  Stroll—Harry style—over to Independence Square, where local restaurants and shops offer a variety of casual to upscale fare. The Courthouse Exchange Restaurant, located below street level, is a favorite (113 W. Lexington Ave., 816.252.0344).

Fairway to Shawnee, Kansas:

Discover Johnson County's Native American history and its rural heritage.

The Shawnee Indian Mission Museum in Fairway preserves one of the largest Methodist missions established in the region to educate and minister to the Shawnee, Delaware and other nations from 1839 to 1862.  The stories of the missionaries and the students who lived here and attended the Manual Training School are presented at the 12-acre National Historic Landmark.

Shawnee Town 1929 is a recreated village reflecting life in Shawnee between 1840 and 1920. Recent additions focus on the market farming heritage of the 1920s. Several events are planned for spring/summer 2013, including a Farmstead Open House (May 4), Old Shawnee Days (June 8) and Garden Party (June 22).

Nearby: The Johnson County Museum of History and the 1950s All-Electric House.

Hungry? Many family-friendly chain restaurants are located along Shawnee Mission Parkway.  A modern version of wFritz's Railroad Restaurant, here miniature trains deliver your food, is located at 13803 W. 63rd St., about two miles from Old Shawnee Town.

Kathy Stump lives in Parkville, from where she and her family enjoy exploring the surrounding area.