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What's New in Kansas City

Spring / Summer 2019

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Kansas City’s favorite attractions and districts keep getting better! Check out what’s new in Kansas City this year:

Grande Carnivale  & Cotton Blossom BBQ at Worlds of Fun

Discover how the world kicks up its heels at World of Fun’s all-new Grand Carnivale (July 13 - August 4), a larger-than-life festival of celebrations from around the globe. This festival immerses guests in cultures from around the world with delicious foods, engaging games, unique crafts and fascinating sights, sounds and entertainment from all corners of the globe.

This season, Worlds of Fun also introduces a new restaurant, Cotton Blossom BBQ, located in Americana. The theming pays homage to the park’s history and is inspired by the three iconic boats that were centerpieces of the park when it opened in 1973. The dining area accommodates up to 316 guests. Led by executive chef Wesley Boston, the menu features an array of fresh selections, including authentic Kansas City barbecue, roastery chicken, home-style sides and desserts, as well as healthier options like salads and fresh vegetables. WorldsOfFun.com

Sea Turtle Rescue Center at Sea Life

Sea Life Kansas City recently opened the brand new Sea Turtle Rescue Center. Visitors get face to flipper with rescued green sea turtles! The Sea Turtle Rescue Center provides a home to rescued sea turtles that are no longer able to survive in the wild. This center enables guests to meet sea turtles up close and learn about the threats wild turtles encounter, teaching them how to make a positive difference. www.visitsealife.com/kansas-city/discover/sea-turtle-rescue-center/

Art Course at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Art Course rendering by Amber Mills

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s lawn is a favorite place to play in Kansas City. The sprawling lawn, perfect for picnics, photo ops and exploration of the Glass Labyrinth, beckons visitors to explore the free art gallery. This summer, the museum opens a miniature golf course nestled into the trees and terraces on the south lawn. The nine-hole course is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and presents a fresh interpretation of pieces from the museum’s collection. The course will inspire players as they appreciate sights, sounds and colors through the creative elements. Tickets for Art Course are $14 for general adults, $11 for adults who are museum members and $9 for children 4 to 12. The course is free for children 3 and under.  Nelson-Atkins.org

The Amazing Brain at Science City

Local students from Grandview are celebrating their achievement as Science City welcomes the newest exhibit champion from Burns & McDonnell’s Battle of the Brains competition this spring. The new $1 million exhibit designed by local students is now Science City’s largest indoor exhibit: the Amazing Brain. The inspiring interactive exhibit helps students explore the body’s command center. Visitors will experience 14 unique exhibit pieces designed to exercise your brain. UnionStation.org

Feeding Camels and Frolicking Tree Kangaroos

OPENED May 15, 2019: Kansas City Zoo guests love interactive exhibits! Visitors will be thrilled to enjoy the new camel feeding deck. The new deck is located on the northwest side of the camel yard so visitors will be able to watch the zoo’s dromedaries from the Discovery Zone and Australia. Visitors may purchase food from machines and drop the food pellets into tubes where it is transported straight to the camels.

Australia also welcomes the renovation of the Matschie’s tree kangaroo habitat. Visitors will enjoy a new indoor viewing area and new man-made tree and rock structures giving Gru and Puzzle, the zoo’s resident tree kangaroos, a new place to play and climb. KansasCityZoo.org

StopMotion Studio & The Great Lego Race at Legoland Discovery Center

Legoland Discovery Center welcomes two new attractions. First, lights, camera, action! Take a seat in the director's chair and recreate scenes or build your own using Lego bricks and mini figures in the all-new StopMotion Studio. Then watch as your mini-movie comes to life before your eyes. Next, participate in the Great Lego Race, a virtual reality experience where you buckle up and go for a spin inside the most incredible, exhilarating and fun Lego race ever created! Must be 6 years of age or older. Not included with individual admission price. KansasCity.LegolandDiscoveryCenter.com

Lake Olathe

Olathe’s great outdoors is becoming greater with improvements to Lake Olathe (between Santa Fe Road and Dennis Avenue at Lakeshore Drive, Olathe, KS). Phase I is anticipated early summer 2019 with terrific features including a nature-themed playground near Beaver Shelter, a swimming beach, a new marina and aquatics learning area, 4 miles of hard and soft surface trails, an amphitheater, sprayground, pond, waterfall, disc golf, dock and fishing pavilion, and special events plaza. This will be a terrific outdoor destination for family reunions and recreation. OlatheKS.org/LakeOlathe.

Stonehenge at Union Station

Opening May 25, 2019, the 15,000 sq. ft. exhibition will premiere in the expansive Bank of America Gallery at Union Station for a limited time. Described as inspiring, magical and sacred, Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument inWiltshire, England and one of the most famous landmarks in the  United Kingdom. It consists of several rings of standing stones, the largest around 23 feet (7.0 m) high, nine feet (2.75 m) wide and weighing over 50,000 lbs (25 tons) each. Scientific analysis has revealed the stones that form the inner ring were transported an incredible distance from the Preseli Mountains in Wales, over 150 miles away, with no modern means of transportation. UnionStation.org

FREE Hands-on Exhibits for Children at Crown Center

When you spend the day exploring the Crown Center district, one of the top picks for families with young children is the free exhibits on Level I. This year, enjoy one of these two fun-filled exhibits:

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