Make the most of your summer in Kansas City with these favorite local experiences:
- Get an amazing view of the city from the River Observation Tower as you gaze out over the vast Missouri River.
- Root for the Kansas City Royals and enjoy Friday night fireworks.
- Visit the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial and grab a free Family Guide at the entrance with a scavenger hunt for the kids. End your trip with photos at the top of the tower.
- Tour the Truman home and visit the Truman Presidential Library in Independence to learn about President Harry S. Truman.
- 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. TIP: Bring our Streetcar Scavenger Hunt from on your trip!
- Appreciate art at FREE First Fridays in the Crossroads. Boasting restaurants, galleries and live music, the district is one of the best places to enjoy Kansas City’s art scene.
- Spend a day at Crown Center, where children can play in free exhibits, touch sea creatures at Sea Life, explore Legos at Legoland Discovery Center and catch a free film on the lawn on Friday nights in the summer.
- Visit the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, where admission is just $5 each.
- Create a masterpiece at Kaleidoscope, KC's FREE hands-on art center for children.
- Savor McGonigle's ribs. Since 1951, the market has been selling some of the tastiest meats in the city. The smoker entices customers in the summer with the promise of juicy ribs and barbecue.
- Take a FREE tour of the Roasterie and learn about coffee.
- Create your own custom donut at Donutology in Westport.
- Cool off at Schlitterbahn Waterpark with a ride through the water coaster and interconnected river of rapids.
- Visit the big cats at Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary.
- Enjoy a free concert in the park. Visit KCParent.com for a complete list on our calendar.
- Spend the night at the Kansas City Zoo, where they offer overnights in the penguin and polar bear exhibits and campouts in Africa.
- Indulge in a hand-crafted soda or snow cone at Little Freshie, where customers revel in flavors like blackberry lavender, strawberry rhubarb and more.
- Explore Downtown Kansas City and take photos featuring public art on display.
- Tour the Harley-Davidson Factory and watch as a motorcycle is assembled from start to finish.
- Marvel at modern art at the Nerman Museum, where admission is free.
- Spend a Saturday in the West Bottoms, a perfect excursion to get creative juices flowing as you explore antique shops, boutiques and retailers in KC’s most eclectic shopping district.
- Head to Moon Marble in Bonner Springs and watch a marble making demonstration.
- Tour Kansas City’s wineries.
- Play at Antioch Park in their Wild West Playground.
- Ride the Mamba at Worlds of Fun and enjoy water rides at Oceans of Fun.
- Take a tour of the more than 200 fountains that grace Kansas City.
- Attend a free family fun night at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop (Thursdays in the summer), where history comes to life.
- Take a class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City.
- Get lost in the new glass labyrinth on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
- Ride the rails with the Belton, Grandview & KC Railroad, the Midland Railway or the KC Northern Railroad. All three offer great train rides on summer weekends.
- Enjoy stargazing at Powell Observatory, home to a 30-inch telescope, the largest available for public viewing in the Midwest.
- Take a tour of the Kansas City, MO, City Hall and go to the roof for amazing views of downtown.
- Learn about the Santa Fe Trail at Cave Springs Nature Center.
- Feed animals at the Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure in Fleming Park.
- Celebrate African-American baseball history at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
- Pick blueberries, strawberries and fresh fruit at Kansas City's u-pick farms. Visit KCParent.com for a complete guide.
- Take the family to a Kansas City T-Bones game and catch fireworks on Saturdays in the summer.
- Explore one of the area’s quaint shopping districts located on Main Street in KC’s surrounding suburbs and small towns.
- Watch a retro flick on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
- Ride the sky bike, a high-wire bicycle, at Science City and catch a show at the New 4K Gottlieb Planetarium.
- Learn the fine art of butchering at Local Pig, where they offer hands-on classes in everything meat.
- Discover a masterpiece and take a photo with the giant spider at the free Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Watch as homemade potato chips are sliced and fried in the machine at Price Chopper at 151st & Metcalf, then indulge in a bag of your favorite flavor.
- Discover Kansas City’s rich history aboard the trolley.
- Dine al fresco at one of the many restaurants offering patio seating at the Country Club Plaza, Brookside Shopping District, Briarcliff Village, Park Place or Prairiefire.
- Laugh at the live improv comedy at Comedy City.
- Dine with dinosaurs at T-Rex Cafe at the Legends Outlets.
- Rent a pedal boat at Shawnee Mission Lake or Lake Jacomo.
- Take a free trip to the Money Museum and leave with a bag of shredded cash.
- Visit KCParent.com and search our calendar for more ideas all year long!
