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Go Explore Johnson County

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In March 2025, Halley Zitterkopf, Digital Engagement Manager for KC Parent updated this article to include the latest updates about Andretti Indoor Karting & Games.

Living history museums are a favorite local attraction, with several historical sites telling the area’s history through reenactments and hands-on education. Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm brings 1850s farming to life with tours and programs all year, including stagecoach rides, family programs and a working blacksmith shop. On Thursday evenings in June and July, enjoy free themed events. Shawnee Town 1929 is a slightly more modern village where families explore living history firsthand. Families also enjoy Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead. The 12-acre park is home to more than 200 farm animals, gardens, a dairy barn, pony rides and much more.

The Johnson County Museum is one of the metro’s best resources for local history. With award-winning long-term exhibits featuring local history, including the beloved 1950s electric house and displays remembering local businesses, as well as changing exhibits, the museum is a great place to spend a day. Little ones love the hands-on play space at KidScape where they can play and imagine they are grown up in a pint-sized village. This is a top pick for visitors who have come to town for an event at the Overland Park Convention Center. Nearby, be sure to spend an evening at Topgolf, an entertainment complex for golf enthusiasts.

For high-energy fun, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is set to open at Aspiria in summer 2025, featuring a multi-level go-kart track, laser tag, bowling, an arcade, and a full-service restaurant.

Adventure lovers enjoy iFly KC, an indoor skydiving facility. The indoor skydiving is a simulation of true freefall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel. Urban Air (with locations in Lenexa and Overland Park) is a favorite indoor trampoline park, with an indoor playground and fun for all ages with obstacle courses and games. Create family keepsakes at Ceramic Café and other paint-your-own pottery shops. Patrons select and paint their own ceramic masterpieces—anything from piggy banks to plates, mugs to picture frames. They offer glass fusing workshops as well. Explore textile arts at Harper’s Quilts or The Studio. Or, head to Dream Dinners where you can build freezer meals from scratch to enjoy with the family all month long.

Go Explore Midtown

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Visit Swope Park, Kansas City’s gem of a green space that is even larger than New York’s Central Park. Meet exotic animals at the Kansas City Zoo at Swope Park, where you can enjoy the new alligator exhibit opening this year. Be sure also to visit the camel feeding deck, touch stingrays, visit Berlin the polar bear and explore the Helzberg Penguin Plaza, Billy Goats Gruff, Sumatran Tiger Exhibit, Australia and the world-class Africa exhibit. Ride the train, carousel, boat, tram and Sky Safari to enjoy terrific views of the animals. Other favorite attractions at Swope Park include Lakeside Nature Center, a free nature center with exhibits.annaThe adventurous can spend a day at Go Ape KC, a two- to three-hour obstacle course that includes 40 crossings featuring rope bridges, five zip lines, Tarzan swings and net bridges.

The Country Club Plaza, boasting beautiful towers, sculptures, paintings and mosaics inspired by Seville, Spain, is one of the prettiest places in Kansas City and is home to many of the city’s most beautiful fountains. The holiday season is not complete without a visit to the Plaza to enjoy the Christmas lights. Nearby, visit the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. The museum houses a charming world of toys with interactive exhibits taking visitors on a stroll down memory lane. Also, take some time to visit the free Kauffman Memorial Gardens, where something is always in bloom.

Kansas City boasts many remarkable art galleries, with three of her finest open to the public for free! The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, one of the largest galleries in the United States, maintains a permanent collection representing art from throughout history and around the world. The Sculpture Garden on the lawn is a favorite place for outdoor photos and a walk through art history. For modern art enthusiasts, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art exhibits permanent and temporary collections with special events and workshops for families.

Go Explore the Crown Center District

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Visit Crown Center for many attractions, great shops and restaurants. Families enjoy skating at the Ice Terrace, the city’s original outdoor rink, throughout the winter. The Coterie produces professional children’s theater year-round. Kaleidoscope is a free kid-friendly art center where imaginations know no limits as kids create their own masterpieces. Sea Life Aquarium features a walk-through underwater tunnel and an enthralling journey from the fresh waters of the Missouri River to the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The Legoland Discovery Center provides a range of interactive play areas, including a 4D cinema, classes, an exciting Lego ride and one-of-a-kind Lego exhibits.

At Union Station, you may board the KC Streetcar for a free ride from Union Station to City Market with many stops along the way. Nearby, visit the National Archives of Kansas City with free history exhibits and staff on hand to assist with research projects. Enjoy lunch at a variety of restaurants nearby. For barbecue, enjoy Jack Stack, for Italian eat at Lydia’s and if you’re dining with kids, enjoy Fritz’s where trains deliver food to your table. Wanting to eat locally grown food? Try Unforked or, for steak, try Pierpont’s. These are just a few favorite restaurants in the area.

Spend a day at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, exploring the interactive displays, thought-provoking films and eyewitness testimonies that help guide visitors through one of the largest collections of WWI artifacts in the world. Then take a tour to the top of this iconic landmark, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of the city’s skyline. One of the most notable landmarks you’ll see is Union Station, home to Kansas City’s Science City with great hands-on science exhibits for children and the Gottlieb Planetarium, one of the largest 360-degree domed screens in the Midwest. Nearby, make a stop at the Money Museum, a free museum where visitors leave with a souvenir bag of shredded cash.

Go on an Art Hunt

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Local cities and towns are recognizing the importance of public art more and more.

Did you know that Liberty, MO, is home to a giant pencil (the telecommunications tower at 312 Preston St is painted to resemble a #2 pencil)?

Or that Merriam, KS, is home to a sculpture of a bear family playing in a fountain?

Discover the most unique art in the area, and these municipalities have made it easier than ever:

  • Liberty, MO:annaThe city funds a rotating sculpture program, with three new works on display annually. Learn more about Liberty’s Sculptures.

  • Merriam, KS:annaThe town is home to many beautiful murals portraying the region’s history, as well as public sculpture including our favorite,annaMotherhood, a water fountain featuring a mother bear and her cubs (pictured above). Learn more as you explore Merriam’s Art.

  • Blue Springs, MO:annaThe city of Blue Springs has prepared a treasure hunt for visitors to discover their public art.

  • Olathe, KS:annaThis city’s public art collection is eclectic, ranging from modern pieces to art that tells the story of Olathe’s history. Download Olathe’s Art Map.

  • Lee’s Summit, MO:annaMurals and sculptures decorate historic downtown Lee’s Summit.

  • Independence, MO:annaThis city celebrates its heritage through much of its public art as the head of the California, Oregon and Santa Fe trails, as well as its hometown hero, President Harry S. Truman. Modern pieces are included in their collection as well. Discover Independence’s Art.

  • Lenexa, KS:annaLenexa’s pieces are both two- and three-dimensional, housed inside public spaces, as well as outdoors. Learn more atannaLenexa.com.

Go Explore the Northland

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Enjoy bothannaWorlds of FunannaandannaOceans of Funannafor the price of one ticket. Worlds of Fun boasts seven world-class roller coasters, including the Patriot, Mamba and Timberwolf, classic carnival rides and water rides like Fury of the Nile and Viking Voyager. Kids love Planet Snoopy where they enjoy more than 20 family-friendly rides and attractions. In addition to great rides, visitors enjoy live shows and meet-and-greets with the Peanuts Gang. Oceans of Fun offers fantastic attractions, including Aruba Tuba, Surf City Wave Pool, Buccaneer Bay, Coconut Cove and Splash Island, a 4,200-square-foot interactive water attraction!

Historic downtown Liberty, MO, is home to the Jesse James Bank Museum, site of the first recorded daytime bank robbery. On the square, enjoy local cafes, boutiques and shops, including Blanc Palette, a paint-your-own masterpiece studio where pet paintings are a favorite project. On the fourth Friday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00, meet local artists at the Artisan Market where you can browse and shop more than 500 pieces of original art. Check out new art events every fourth Friday.anna For entertainment, catch a live show at the Corbin Theatre, where you can enjoy musical theater, live music and stage shows. Throughout the year, catch a performance with the Liberty Symphony.

Couples enjoy getaways in the Northland where they experience Mystery Dinner Theater at Belvoir Winery in Liberty, MO, a beautiful inn, winery and garden with special events throughout the year. Or stay at the historic Elms Hotel and Spa in Excelsior Springs, hosting everyone from politicians to gangsters. Experience the area’s history on a weekend retreat. Weston, MO, is another great spot to spend the weekend. The town is home to numerous bed and breakfasts, local restaurants, shops, wineries, breweries and orchards. Another local favorite is Parkville, MO, with beautiful riverfront views, a historic main street with a variety of boutiques and restaurants, and local attractions.

Go Explore Kansas

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Head west to Legends Outlets for a day of shopping and local attractions. The shopping center features tributes to local celebrities with banners, statues and artwork. Catch a movie at the theater or listen to a concert on the Lawn. Then, visit Nebraska Furniture Mart, the largest furniture retailer in the region, and Cabela’s, an outdoor store with an amazing aquarium and animal exhibits. Top it all off with a Monarchs baseball game! Sunday Fundays in the summer are a great time to enjoy a game. Families love the day at the ballpark with inflatables, carnival games and player meet-and-greets.

The Cosmosphere in Hutchinson is one of the state’s finest museums. The museum is home to the largest combined collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world. The exhibits take visitors through the history of the Cold War and up through the modern era and include both the history and science of the space program. The museum houses Sputnik I and II, space suits, rockets, a moon rock and more than 100 artifacts. Stratacaannais a one-of-a-kind experience through an underground salt mine museum. Visitors are taken on a 650-foot journey underground to the 68-degree mine (bring a light jacket), where they discover the history of salt mining in Kansas.

Have you ever wanted to swim with penguins? Pet a sloth? Hold a lemur? Believe it or not, there is a magical zoo right in the heart of Kansas (near Wichita) where you can do all that and more! Tanganyika Wildlife Park is unlike any other zoo we’ve visited—this privately owned zoo is small and intimate, but every exhibit is beautiful, immaculate, and spacious and offers the most natural habitat possible for the animals. Visitors customize their park experience with the activities they book. You may elect to participate in all their “Wildly Different Experiences” or purchase the opportunities a la carte.

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