We’re back with another streetcar progressive date!
First stop: Union Station/Pershing & Main
We enjoy being tourists in our own city, and the Kansas City Gangster Tour is one tour we can highly recommend! Kansas City has an interesting history, and this tour educates you about the Prohibition era (1920–1933) when gangsters ruled the city. You’ll learn about the reign of Boss Tom (aka Tom Pendergast) and hear about the 12th Street gambling district and “death corner” at 5th and Cherry. You’ll also get to see all the major landmarks of KCMO. This tour is entertaining, engaging and well worth the time and money! It starts and ends at Union Station and costs $35/person. Tours run year-round on Saturdays, start at 10:00 or noon, and last approximately 90 minutes.
Second stop: Library/9th & Main
Sometimes, instead of a whole pie, you just want a slice of pizza. And one of our absolute favorite places for that is Milwaukee Delicatessen Company. Their pieces are literally as big as your head and have perfectly crispy crust and loads of toppings with flavor and goodness in every bite. Not only is their pizza delicious, but their restaurant is located in a beautiful old building with fantastic architecture, murals, and marble floors, all original. And don’t miss the iconic black-and-white photo of horses dropping off the first delivery of beer after the repeal of Prohibition—it’s just one piece of the fascinating history of this place. You can read more on their website.
Third stop: River Market West/4th & Delaware
Betty Rae’s is probably KC’s best-known ice cream shop, and for good reason. They’ve been hand-scooping ice cream for almost 10 years now: The original location in Waldo opened in 2015, the River Market location set up shop in 2018, and they have since expanded to Olathe, Merriam and Prairie Village. They serve up 26 flavors of house-made ice cream daily. Their regulars include classics like cinnamon, strawberry, and cookies and cream. They also have more unusual flavors like goat cheese, candied apricots and walnuts; lavender and honey; and cereal and milk. They also offer other limited-time options on a rotating basis. The most unique one I have tried is Joe’s BBQ: vanilla ice cream mixed with Joe’s burnt ends, BBQ sauce, BBQ caramel swirls, and a dash of cayenne and brown sugar. And it’s actually not half bad! Honestly, everything we have had there has been amazing. Next time we go, I’m determined to try an ice cream sandwich. Or maybe a boozy shake.