Memorial Day Weekend Planner: 2013

7 Sensational Itineraries for Summer Fun!

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Kick off Summer Fun with celebrations at Kansas City's best Family-Friendly venues! Rock 'n Roll with the country's best children's performers at Jiggle Jam. Salute our Nation's Heroes at Celebration at the Station. Dive in to summer fun at local lakes and swim beaches. And celebrate opening day at the best pools in town!

Destination #1: Crown Center

Crown Center is THE PLACE to Be in Kansas City for Memorial Day Weekend! Visit the brand new FREE children's exhibit with Dinosaurs: Land of Fire & Ice, and our favorite Kid-Friendly Music Event of the year... Kansas City's very own Jiggle Jam, we can't think of a better way to kick off summer in Kansas City!

Jiggle Jam!

Jiggle Jam at Crown Center May 25th, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and May 26th, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 816.997.8511 www.KCJiggleJam.com. The fifth annual Jiggle Jam Family Music Fest giggles, wiggles and jiggles into Downtown Kansas City on Memorial Day weekend bringing generations and communities together to experience live music and educational activities in a fun and positive atmosphere that the entire family can enjoy. Kid Rockers, both local and national, present an incredible family music festival that's a rockin' good time for everyone!

Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!

Crown Center's BRAND NEW FREE Children's Exhibit  Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious!, sponsored by 3M and created by Minnesota Children's Museum together with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group. Based on the familiar characters in H.A. and Margret Rey's classic stories and inspired by the animated television series on PBS KIDS, visitors can operate wheels to help George climb a building, sort and weigh fruits and vegetables at the produce stand, use science skills to putt a hole of mini golf, have their picture taken with the rocket from George's space adventure and much more.  Open during Crown Center shopping hours. 816.274.8444. And, while you're there... be sure to follow our Tips for the BEST Day at Crown Center!

Visit the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center!

Celebrating a full year in Kansas City the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center is a favorite family attraction (2475 Grand Boulevard, KCMO. 816.471.4386). www.LEGOLandDiscoveryCenter.com, if you haven't visited this must-see attraction yet, it's a great addition to your Crown Center itinerary! LEGO® has long held a spot in the hearts of children as one of the must-have toys for creativity and now, LEGO® makes a home in Kansas City in this brand new larger-than-life attraction! Begin your journey on a ride into the unknown on laser chariots. Play with the world’s biggest box of LEGOS®. Watch a film in the LEGO® Studios 4D cinema and explore a miniature Kansas City that highlights 10 of our most popular local attractions in LEGO® MINILAND®. Your imagination will run wild in this new family favorite!  Get the inside scoop on this attraction with our Review of LEGOLAND! BONUS: Save $ with this exclusive LEGOLAND® Discovery Center coupon from KC Parent Magazine!

Explore Sea Life Kansas City

Next door to LEGOLAND, you'll find Sea Life at 2475 Grand Blvd, KCMO. 816.471.4386. Your family will be transported into an amazing underwater world with up-close views of more than 5,000 sea creatures! Come nose to nose with sharks in the walk-through underwater tunnel, experience the touch pool where you can hold a crab or touch a starfish, participate in educational demonstrations, watch animal feedings and explore this state-of-the-art home for many of the ocean’s most majestic creatures! www.Facebook.com/SeaLifeKansasCityBONUS: Save $ with this exclusive SeaLife coupon from KC Parent Magazine!

Destination #2: Union Station!

Spend the day exploring Science City (30 W. Pershing Rd. KCMO. 816.460.2020 ). Memorial Day weekend brings the opening of their newest exhibit! Produced by Global Experience Specialists Inc, (GES), Alien Worlds and Androids addresses the question that has fascinated man for centuries: “Are We Alone?” Through the use of robots, telescopes, space probes and high-tech laboratories, scientists have been studying the possibilities of life existing beyond Earth and what forms may take depending on the environment. In this interactive exhibition, visitors will join scientists in their search for alien life within and beyond our solar system, discover strange alien-like creatures found here on Earth, and learn about the technologies used to explore remote solar systems and extreme environments found on Earth. Alien Worlds and Androids highlights scientists’ studies and findings in nine areas: Are We Alone?, Looking for Life in Space, Alien Life on Earth, Artificial Intelligence and Robots, Robot Space Explorers, Explore the Solar System, The Robotization of Planet Earth, I-Cyborg and The Human Microbiome. Science City at Union Station is the host of the world premiere of Alien Worlds and Androids.Read our May feature on Science City.

Celebration at the Station is THE Memorial Day Celebration for the Midwest! May 26, 7:30pm-9:30pm at Union Station (30 W. Pershing, KCMO). This is a FREE Memorial Day Celebration. www.CelebrationAtTheStation.com. Celebration at the Station is a wonderful patriotic celebration as Kansas City gathers to pay tribute to Veterans and celebrate freedom at a marvelous outdoor concert. The Kansas City Symphony performs a 90 minute concert, and the Grand Finale of the evening is a magnificent fireworks display behind Liberty Memorial choreographed to patriotic music and a 21-gun salute to Veterans. Pack a picnic, or buy food from vendors, bring lawn chairs and bottle water, and prepare to wave your flags and cheer as Kansas City celebrates America, freedom, and what Memorial Day is really all about!

Destination #3: Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun

 This year, guests to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun enjoy admission to BOTH parks for the price of one! Oceans of Fun opens for the season this coming weekend and they have many new attractions you'll love! Oceans fo fun just installed a NEW waterslide - six new slideshoused on a giant 65-foot-tall complex overlooking Surf City Wave Pool. Worlds of Fun is a roller coaster enthusiast’s dream park! Worlds of Fun is home to seven world class roller coasters, including one of the tallest, longest and fastest roller coasters in the world, the Mamba, with a first drop of 205 feet! The Patriot is a giant inverted coaster with four inversions, all at a top speed of 65 mph. Enjoy a thrill as the entire family rides together on the Spinning Dragons, where the cars freely rotate along the track. Or ride the classic wooden roller coaster the Timber Wolf. And for the truly daring, you can pay an extra fee to experience the Ripcord, a SkyCoaster, where riders free- fall from 180 feet in the air at speeds of up to 80 mph. in a pendulum motion. And, in 2013, guests will enjoy Dinosaurs Alive! Visitors to Worlds of Fun can step back in time to the beginning of the “Age of the Dinosaurs” at Dinosaurs Alive! – an immersive and comprehensive Mesozoic experience – with the excitement of a tail thrashing, clawing and roaring exhibition with more than 35 life-sized, moving animatronic dinosaurs, but the opportunity for guests of all ages to actively engage in a unique learning experience.

Destination #4: Visit the Lake!

Kansas City Swim Beaches OPEN Memorial Day Weekend!

For land-locked Midwesterners craving a little sand between their toes, we can’t offer an ocean view, but we do feature several sandy swim beaches for affordable family fun in the sun! Tip: Kansas City's beaches open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend!>Visit beach websites for hours and admission rates.

Boat Rental at Kansas City area Lakes:

  • Jackson County, MO, offers boat rental at Blue Springs Lake, Longview Lake and Lake Jacomo (816.503.4870, www.JacksonGov.org, keyword: boating).  All three lakes offer pontoon, bass boat and fishing boat rental. Lake Jacomo also features pedal boat and canoe rental.
  • Johnson County, KS, offers boat rental at Shawnee Mission Park and Kill Creek Park (913.312.8847, www.JCPRD.com). Boat rentals include pedal boats, canoes, two-person sailboats and fishing boats.
  • Clay County, MO, offers rental of pontoons and fishing boats at Smithville Lake (816.407.3420, www.SmithvilleMO.org).
  • Wyandotte County, KS, offers fishing boat rental at Wyandotte County Lake (913.299.8488, www.WyCoKCK.org).

Great Fishing Spots in Missouri and Kansas:

Tip: Read Fishing in KC for great advice when fishing with kids.

  • Kill Creek Park (Olathe, KS)
  • Shawnee Mission Park (Lenexa, KS)
  • Antioch Park (Olathe, KS)
  • Heritage Park (Olathe, KS)
  • Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead (Overland Park, KS)
  • Englewood Lake (Kansas City North, MO)
  • Lake of the Woods in Swope Park (Kansas City, MO)
  • Blue Springs Lake (Lee's Summit, MO)
  • Lake Jacomo (Blue Springs, MO)
  • Longview Lake (Kansas City, MO)

Destination #5: Ride the Rails!

Children, young and old, love trains. Screaming in the tunnels, listening to the rhythm of the tracks, and waving at passersby… memories of train rides are a highlight of childhood. A few highlights:  Kansas City Zoo FOTZ Members can upgrade to a Gold or Platinum Membership for unlimited train, tram, and carousel rides! The Belton, Grandview & KC Railroad is one of our favorites where you can enjoy rides on the weekends starting in May with 2pm rides on Saturdays and Sundays for just $8.50/person! In the summer they offer Ice Cream, Hot Dog, and Holiday Train Rides too! The KC Northern Railroad is only 50cents/each Memorial Weekend - Labor Day Weekend! On a rainy day, take your train lover indoors for a treat at Fritz's Railroad Restaurant where meals are delivered by train. And... the Midland Railway begins operation in June, but May is the month to make reservations for their annual sell-out event, "Day Out with Thomas" where fans ride with Thomas the Train and meet Thomas the Train characters! Bonus: If you plan to visit Branson this summer, consider staying at Caboose Junction where your kids will delight in sleeping overnight in cabooses turned campers! Read about our experience Camping in a Caboose for more information.

Destination #6: Dive In!

Many of Kansas City's local pools, water parks, and spraygrounds open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend! Our new ONLINE guide to Kansas City's Pools, Waterparks, and Spraygrounds includes maps, directions, and descriptions to find the best pool near you!  For many families, summer means swimming and our local water parks boast giant water slides for the adventurous, lazy rivers for relaxation (okay, it depends on WHICH lazy river you're in whether it's really lazy....), and toddler pools with water play for every water lover! 

Destination #7: Classic Family Fun!

Miniature Golf, Bowling, Arcades, GoKarts.... for many modern parents these are memories of youth. Now, you can make memories with your kids at Kansas City's family-friendly attractions.

Cool Crest is our favorite place to play and this Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27) they are offering great Cool Crest Memorial Day Specials! Classic family-fun can be enjoyed... whether you love gokarts, miniature golf, or arcades... Cool Crest is the place for fun. Cool Crest features 4 miniature golf courses with mechanical hazards, water traps, and decorations ranging from the Statue of Liberty to windmills and dragons. The dragon with the opening/closing mouth is every child's favorite. For 50 years, Cool Crest has been the prettiest mini-golf course in KC! Read about our Day at Cool Crest for the inside scoop on this popular attraction. Bonus: Use our exclusive KC Parent Cool Crest Coupon for great savings

Bowling enthusiasts love to hit the lanes at the family-friendly Mission Bowlwith two local locations! Start the summer off with bowling and continue the tradition all summer long. Mission Bowl is participating in the Kids Bowl Free Program... sign up on KidsBowlFree.com and your children may enjoy up to 2 Free games of bowling EVERY DAY all Summer long (shoe rental not included).

Paradise Park (1021 NE Colbern Rd., Lee's Summit, MO.) is one of our favorite family-friendly venues. With bumper cars, go-karts, mini golf, arcades, and a WONDERFUL Children's EduTainment Center for little ones - there truly is something for everyone! The Children's EduTainment Center offers many areas of imaginative play. The child-size village with a grocery store, pizzeria, bank, and home is the favorite for my chidlren. They love to pretend that they are choosing groceries for the family and ringing them up for customers. Somehow, every time we play at the Pizzeria the manager (a.k.a. my daughter) informs me that they are out of my favorite pizza but she can happily recommend another. The pretend play opportunities abound and kids love it! The favorite outdoor feature is the children's playground with unique hands-on activities for children. This isn't your ordinary playground! Kids dig for dinosaurs, climb giant webs, and "go fishing" (with magnets) in the pond. Other Attractions at Paradise Park include Miniature Golf , Go Karts, the Foam Factory, the Maze, Bumper Cars, 24 ft Rock Wall, Batting Cages, and a Game Room with 50+ arcades! Tip for the MOST fun at Paradise Park: If you visit more than once, it's worth buying a Family Adventure Pass. The Children's EduTainment Center is the place for young children, older children enjoy the other attractions. Choose for the age of your kids. We like to visit frequently with short visits each time (1-2 hours). If you purchase a Family Adventure Pass, you'll be invited to attend special nights throughout the year to enjoy all attractions for free (so if you purchase a pass for only the Children's EduTainment Center, you can try the other attractions during membership nights).  

Still looking for more great family fun ideas in Kansas City? Check out our Kansas City Calendar of Events and Going Places in Kansas City on KCParent.com.