Looking for KC family fun on the cheap? Celebrate the season with these free and cheap Kansas City area ideas!
- Attend a Kansas City area Fall Festival.
- Go apple picking (set a budget of up to $5/person which is easy to do at the u-pick price)!
- Take photos in huge fields of sunflowers at Grinter Farms (tip: follow their page - linked here Grinter Farms - for instructions and rules).
- Spend a day at Overland Park Arboretum (Admission is $3 for visitors 13 and over, $1 for visitors 6 to 12, Free for 5 and under. AND each Tuesday, admission to the Arboretum is free!).
- Walk the Country Club Plaza and admire the art and fountains.
- Take a FREE tour of the Louisburg Cider Mill and watch as cider and apple cider donuts are made on site. For even more fun, attend Ciderfest (last weekend of September and first weekend of October). Spend just a little more and visit to the pumpkin patch ($6 M-Th, $10 Fri-Sun)
- Attend one of Shoal Creek Living History Museum's Fall events.
- Visit Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop (especially fun during their Wild West Days the Sept. 22 & 23)!
- Try pumpkin spice goodies at your favorite restaurant.
- Take a FREE tour of The Roasterie and learn about coffee.
- Appreciate art at FREE first Fridays in the Crossroads.
- Enjoy a picnic at one of KC's Best Picnic spots (the top of a downtown roof, near a waterfall, or at a great park).
- Stroll through the Farmers Market and find one new food to try.
- Tour the Truman home in Independence.
- Treat the kids to one of the Best Caramel Apples in Kansas City.
- Take a tour of Watkins Woolen Mill Historic Site the only 19th century textile mill in the United States with its original machinery still intact.
- Stroll through Kauffman Memorial Gardens for free.
- Go fishing.
- Explore the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Admission is free, there is a fee for parking.
- Enjoy autumn wildflowers and play among the trees at the Anita Gorman Discovery Center, a free nature center near the Country Club Plaza.
- Ride the KC Streetcar and visit the FREE KC Rail Experience at Union Station, play chess on the roof at the Central Library, and taste test a yummy treat at City Market.
- Learn about the Santa Fe Trail at Cave Springs Nature Center.
- Spend a day leaf peeping at one of KC's most scenic fall hangouts.
- Expore a Kansas City area waterfall.
- Share a Skyscraper at Winstead’s.
- Bring binoculars for bird watching at Burroughs Audubon Nature Center.
- Play “I Spy” at Lakeside Nature Center.
- Visit The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures where admission is just $5/ea.
- Create a masterpiece at Kaleidoscope, KC's FREE hands-on art center for children.
- Marvel at modern art at the Nerman Museum, where admission is free.
- Visit bison and elk at the FREE Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure.
- Take a tour of the Kansas City, MO, City Hall and go to the roof for amazing views of downtown.
- Hike at Ernie Miller Nature Center.
- Visit the National Archives of Kansas City and explore their free exhibits.
- Discover a masterpiece and take a photo with the giant spider at the free Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Get free (shredded) money at the Money Museum.
- Play at Penguin Park FREE.
- Discover Kansas’ most famous residents through the artwork at Legends Outlets.
- Explore the Central Branch of the Kansas City Library, because any library with a parking garage painted with classic books has to be cool.
- Bike Trolley Trail.
- Tour the FREE Hallmark Visitors Center.
- Hike the trails at the F.L. Schlagle Library and nature center in Kansas City, KS.
- Take a free class or explore the exhibits and trails at Burr Oak Woods Nature Center.
- Imagine you’re in the Wild West at Antioch Park as kids play in their village themed playground.
- Go Roller Skating (most local rinks offer a discounted family night).
- Treat the family to delicious pumpkin treats, apple pies, and other yummy fall flavors available at local bakeries, restaurants, and stores!
- Play at one of the best parks in Kansas City.
- Visit a new library. Kansas City is rich with exciting local libraries, try one beyond your neighborhood location.
- Eat out at one of our KC Kids Eat Free restaurants.
- And remember to search Free Events on our Kansas City calendar, where there are free (and cheap) things to enjoy every day. Also, check out our KC Coupon Page for savings on local attractions!
Tip: Fall in Kansas City wouldn't be complete without a visit to one of KC's BEST Pumpkin Patches. While admission typically exceeds $5/ea, you can find coupons for many of our favorite patches on our coupon page. AND, you can enter to win FREE tickets to local pumpkin patches on our Facebook page... we're giving away 50 Family 4-Packs to local patches!