Sure that Summer job is great, but the pay.... well... it could be better. Bottom line? You're looking for summer fun, but money is tight. This summer, you can enjoy FREE Summer Fun at local attractions and sites just begging to be explored!
FREE Entertainment Under the Stars
FREE Movies in Kansas City
What could be better than watching your favorite flick under the stars? Watching it for FREE of course! Every Summer, Kansas City's local parks and attractions host FREE Summer films. Our top pick for Teens is Crown Center's Friday Night Film Series. Grab a blanket, pack a picnic, and head out for a night of free films with your friends. Read our a complete guide to FREE Summer Movies in KC for the full schedule.
FREE Concerts in Kansas City
Whether you prefer Rock, Pop, Country, Blues, Jazz or Gospel, Kansas City's local bands are performing your faves for FREE! Enjoy live concerts for free at local parks and venues where all you have to do is bring a chair and relax to the sounds of great music. Read our guide to FREE Summer Concerts in KC for the full schedule.
FREE Live Theatre
Every summer the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival puts on a tremendous summer of FREE Shakespeare in the Park with a preshow Renaissance Festival and an incredible live production of the Bard's most famous work. This summer, the Festival's 2012 season includes TWO productions; Antony and Cleopatra with John Rensenhouse as Antony and Kim Martin-Cotten playing Cleopatra and A Midsummer Night's Dream which will perform every other night in rotating repertory, June 19 - July 15. Bring a picnic and a blanket and curl up for a night of culture in Kansas City. www.kcshakes.org
Is Broadway more your style? The Gladstone Amphitheatre is offering two free musical productions this summer! Show begins at 8:30pm, however seating begins at 3pm. http://www.heartoftheweb.net/gladstonetip/planning-your-visit/driving-directions.html Hello Dolly is showing July 6-8, "It's the turn of the 20th century, and all of New York City is excited because widowed - but brassy - Dolly Gallagher Levi is in town. Dolly makes a living through what she calls "meddling" - matchmaking and numerous sidelines, including dance instruction and mandolin lessons." Then, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is performed August 3-5, "The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Joseph, his father's favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. He is purchased by Potiphar where thwarting advances from Potiphar's wife lands him in jail. When news of Joseph's gift to interpret dreams reaches the Pharaoh (wryly and riotously depicted as Elvis), Joseph is well on his way to becoming second in command. Eventually his brothers, having suffered greatly, unknowingly find themselves groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed but no longer recognize. After testing their integrity, Joseph reveals himself leading to a heartfelt reconciliation of the sons of Israel. Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock 'n' roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless."
FREE Fun with Friends
FREE Festivals & Fairs
Summer in Kansas City means Festivals! Local fairs offer everything from free concerts and live entertainment to parades, contests, shows and more. You will have to pay for food, carnival attractions, and vendors, but admission is almost always Free or Cheap! We have your complete guide go Summer Festivals & Fairs in KC!
FREE Bowling
Every summer, bowling alleys across America offer the Kids Bowl Free program. Simply sign up on their website and you'll receive 2 FREE bowling games every day (check with the alley to verify ages as it does vary from location to location). Mission Bowl 'n Olathe and Mission Bowl in Shawnee are our two favorite locations and they are offering FREE Bowling May 1 - August 24 for those 15 and under.They also offer discount packages for the entire family! You only have to pay for shoe rental, or provide your own pair if you have them! Register at Kids Bowl Free to receive coupons.
Team Scavenger Hunt at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art!
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is open Wed, 10 a.m.—4 p.m.; Thurs, Fri, 10 a.m.—9 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.—5 p.m.; Sun, Noon—5 p.m. (4525 Oak, KCMO) and admission is FREE. You will discover something new with each visit. Bring a group and host a Nelson- Atkins Scavenger Hunt on your visit. You can race against two teams to complete the scavenger hunt, or try to complete one as a family project. And, the hunt for young children features objects found in multiple works of art. Track how often you find any one thing or try the hunt more than once to discover there is more than one way to solve it.
Go on a Treasure Hunt... Geo-Caching!
Geocaching is all the rage for local teens looking for hidden treasure! Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt. A giant game of hide and seek. You can trek out on a local adventure with your friends to find new places and discover buried treasure too! Local teen, Annie Hall, shares the inside scoop on how to Geocache in Kansas City! Best of all? It is FREE!
Play a GIANT Game of Chess... On the Roof!
The Central Library of Kansas City is located in the former National Bank of Kansas City. The five-story library is absolutely breath taking with marble fixtures, chandeliers, the old bank vault serving as a movie theater, the Missouri Valley Room housing historic artifacts, a rooftop view (great for photography) and reading area complete with a GIANT Chess Set!! However, what makes the Library “odd” is the parking garage that is painted with gigantic books and features book shaped stairs leading to the pedestrian exit. If you haven’t visited this library yet, you’re missing out on a true treasure (14 W. 10th St., KCMO).
Explore Modern Art
Kansas City is home to two terrific FREE Modern Art Galleries. The Nerman Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Both galleries offer permanent and traveling exhibits, special events, classes, and programs. And, both are terrific places to explore if for budding photographers and artists. Bring a camera or a sketchpad and spend the day exploring the world of art!
FREE Fun you can ONLY Experience in KC!
Watch 'em build a Harley-Davidson Motorcyle!
Visitors 12 and up are invited to tour the Harley-Davidson Factory in Kansas City (11401 N. Congress Ave., KC, MO). 816.270.8023. FREE tours Mon.-Fri., 9:00-1:30, must be 12 years old at least. www.Harley-Davidson.com. Let's face it. It’s not every day that we get to see an American factory assembly line process in action, and the Harley-Davidson Factory is an incredibly efficient and fascinating tour for just such an experience. At the factory, workers build complete motorcycles from start to finish in 45 minutes (plus paint drying time). The tour begins with a short video, then each visitor is given safety goggles and a radio to clearly hear the guide on the factory floor, where you witness the entire process from robotic welding, to laser-cutting and frame-bending, to polishing and assembly. In the visitor’s center, you can sit on current production motorcycles and visit the gift shop. It is best to make reservations to avoid the potential wait walk-ins sometimes encounter. See their site for rules before visiting.
Watch the Maestro create a Violin
K.C. Strings 5842 Merriam Dr., Merriam, KS. Call 913.403.8999 to schedule a free tour. www.KCStrings.com. There is only one shop in America where professional level violins, violas, cellos and basses are crafted and it is located right in Downtown Merriam. In 1992, master luthier (maker of stringed instruments) Anton Krutz, his father Misha (retired bass player for the K.C. Symphony) and business partner and craftsman Rick Williams opened K.C. Strings where more than 20 craftsmen make world-class instruments. On the tour, Anton shares many of the traditions of his craft, but there is one secret he will never reveal: the formula for his signature opaque layer of mineral varnish, perhaps the most significant factor in the sound quality produced by his instruments. Visitors are shown each step in the process from the room where slabs of wood are stored for drying, to the wood working where master craftsmen shape the pieces of each instrument and ultimately assemble, varnish and sell them to orchestras around the world. The shop sells instruments for each level, from student to master musician. The tour offers an in-depth view into the science of stringed instruments and it is a wonderful outing for older children, teens and adults, especially those with a passion for music!
Take home FREE Money
Yes, you read that right... on a tour of The Money Museum (1 Memorial Dr., KCMO. 816.881.2683), every guest goes home with a FREE bag of cash (okay, so maybe it's shredded cash, but it's still cool!). The Money Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding Bank holidays for walk-in tours. There is no admission charge and reservations are not necessary. On a tour, you'll learn how the Federal Reserve Bank works and its role in the U.S. economy. Interactive exhibits explore banking, basic economics, and the financial policies effect your family. You'll also be able to take a peek into one of the nation's largest cash vaults, create your own monetary artwork, and view coins from each U.S. presidential administration. Read our review of The Money Museum.
Note: This list was compiled by the staff of KC Parent Magazine and may not be reproduced in print or online without permission. If you have an addition to this list, please email kristina@kcparent.com