What’s more fun than a family outing? A family outing with Grandma and Grandpa, of course! KC bustles with an array of high quality museums and star-studded attractions that are sure to appeal to everyone in your crew from oldest to youngest alike. Don’t believe me? Check these out!
Museums
Museums are a great way to stir up conversation among your party, particularly if they highlight an aspect of life that the older members of your crew experienced firsthand. The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Missouri, is one such place, providing the perfect opportunity for multiple generations to bond over one very common household item: toys! As the world’s largest collection of miniatures (as well as one of the largest collections of toys), the museum allows families to ooh and ah over rare finds as well as decades of nostalgic favorites. Avid adult collectors as well as young guests will find common ground at this local attraction. Tip: Consider getting a famous Skyscraper shake or soda at Winstead’s nearby as an after-visit treat!
Another nearby gem is the World War I Museum and Memorial, the world’s most comprehensive WWI collection. Voted Trip Advisor’s No. 1 attraction in Kansas City, the museum invites guests of all ages to walk through interactive exhibits, view immersive films and observe firsthand accounts of the “war to end all wars.” Hands-On History programming on Saturdays affords even the youngest of guests the chance to handle Great War artifacts, and a highlighted attraction, “The Little War,” exposes the impact the war had on children. The experience is a masterful way to engage in meaningful conversation over an incredibly transformative period with your whole crew. Note: World War I Museum is wheelchair accessible and offers audio guide players for blind or visually impaired guests.
The crown jewel of Kansas City is the free Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. In addition to galleries featuring art from around the world in this Missouri museum, visitors enjoy the lawn’s attractions. The most iconic sculptures in the city, the Shuttlecocks adorn the museum grounds in the sculpture garden stretching 17 feet in height and weighing in at 5,000 pounds each. In the summer, you may enjoy outdoor miniature golf as well.
Hands-On Activities
There is something for everyone at a u-pick farm. Traditionally, families enjoy picking pumpkins and apples in the fall, but many local farms offer seasonal fare beyond autumn’s harvest season. Consider picking strawberries in May at Gieringers Family Farm in Edgerton, Kansas, or Wohletz Farm Fresh in Lawrence, Kansas, gather blueberries in June or July at the Berry Patch in Cleveland, Missouri, and on Labor Day weekend, pick sunflowers at Grinter Farms in Lawrence. Guests can also indulge in decadent treats like local honey, seasonal fruit baked goods or freshly made slushies. Berry bushes like blueberries or blackberries are among our personal favorites because the bush spans the heights of both toddlers and towering adults, meaning everyone can contribute without exceeding their limitations. Bring a camera, comfy shoes, sunglasses and a water bottle. For those less inclined to hit the fields, guests can also purchase pre-harvested items on-site at a u-pick farm, or they can make the trek to one of Kansas City’s myriad farmers markets instead. At farmers markets, not only do guests support the local economy, but they also get to enjoy local impromptu concerts by a variety of musicians and artisans. City Market in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Overland Park Farmers Market in Kansas are bustling with options ranging from fresh spices and grass-fed meat to honey, flowers and standard fruits and veggies. For a comprehensive listing of farmers markets throughout the city, check out KCParent.com.
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National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
The Museum offers a rich and immersive experience, making it an ideal destination for multigenerational families, adults, and children alike. As you wander through the exhibits, you’ll be transported to different eras, each filled with unique charm.
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National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. Named one of the top 25 museums in the United Sta...
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Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is Kansas City’s favorite free attraction, as voted by readers of KC Parent Magazine! Discover masterpieces in the galleries, spend quality time together at a festival or drop in for a weekend art activity. Classes...
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Louisburg Cider Mill
A fall trip to the Cider Mill is not complete without a stop at our Family Farm! Venture through our 10-acre corn maze, and search for the perfect pumpkin to carve or for one of our special ones in our 10-acre pumpkin patch.
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Johnson Farms Plants & Pumpkins
Johnson Farms is a real farm in the country, but very close to your home. You pay one admission and only pay extra for anything you harvest, snack on, or seasonal items in the retail store.
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Historic Weston Orchard & Vineyard
Enjoy a u-pick apple orchard, u-pick pumpkin patch, hayrack rides, apple cannons, rat racers, bouncing pillow, low ropes course with zip line, kids corn maze, vintage carousel, petting zoo and more!
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Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch
Carolyn’s Pumpkin Patch is Kansas City’s Original Pumpkin Patch and a “must-visit” fall destination! Enjoy dozens of family-fun attractions and activities, including the historic Country Carousel, Little Bud’s Railroad, the Petting Barn, and more.
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Red Barn Ranch
Make the day memorable by taking your family on a fun, outdoor adventure on our working farm just south of KC. Red Barn Ranch in Harrisonville, MO, is a local family owned and operated farm that offers a charming country fall experience.
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Ceramic Café
Pottery painting and glass fusing. Walk-ins welcome. Great for birthdays and group events too.
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Embers Candle Bar
Embers Candle Bar is a Pour Your Own fragrance and candle experience. Define your fragrance.
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Kaleidoscope
At Kaleidoscope, children use their imaginations to make art with left-over materials from Hallmark’s manufacturing processes. Some materials are cut into shapes, while others are left just as Hallmark sends them.
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Coterie Theatre
The Coterie Theatre, named "One of the Five Best Theaters for Young Audiences" in the U.S. by TIME magazine, provides unique theatre experiences for families and young audiences.
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Starlight Theatre
Everything from Broadway shows to live concerts perform on the stage where thousands of guests can watch, listen and enjoy what they see!
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Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station
Combining interactive astronomy education with spectacular public shows and night sky viewing opportunities, the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium continues to be one of Kansas City's greatest connections to the night sky.
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Science City at Union Station
Kansas City’s Science Center, Science City at Union Station Kansas City, is a dynamic, hands-on science center featuring nearly 200 individual interactive exhibits and daily programming. Kids of all ages experience the amazing world of science fir...
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Union Station
A place for great adventure. Where Kansas City Connects. All of these phrases – and more – are regularly used to describe Union Station. Visitors of all ages, from all places and for all reasons tie Union Station to special and magical moments.
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Pennway Point
2485 Jefferson Street, Kansas City, MissouriThe unique collection of industrial buildings gives way to an urban playground for every season of the year.
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If you’re artistically inclined, KC has your outing covered! Guests of all ages can make custom ceramic and fused glass creations at Ceramic Cafe in Overland Park, Kansas, pour custom-scented candles at Embers Candle Bar in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, or make artistic masterpieces out of Hallmark’s remnant materials at Kaleidoscope in Downtown KC (free but reservations are encouraged).
Entertainment Attractions
KC boasts world-class theater options for the whole family. Check out Crown Center’s Coterie Theatre in Downtown Kansas City for a line-up of professional programs geared for the youngest members of your crew, take in a high quality Broadway-style show at KC’s premier outdoor theater experience, Starlight Theatre in KCMO’s Swope Park, or pack a picnic blanket and lawn chairs for a relaxed and family-friendly Theatre in the Park show in Shawnee, Kansas.
Union Station is an entertainment powerhouse downtown: home to Science City (Kansas City’s premier science attraction with over 20 exhibits), the Gottlieb Planetarium and the Extreme Screen Theatre, making for a day or even a full weekend of family fun.
Pennway Point is adding its own new spin on the downtown KC skyline—literally! This brand new family-friendly 6-acre district is home to a 50-meter-tall Ferris wheel that provides sweeping downtown views, miniature golf course, temperature-controlled gondolas, a winter ice-skating rink, outdoor volleyball, two live performance stages and a slew of enticing restaurants. Guests can take a walk through memory lane as they observe Neon Alley, a showcase of nostalgic KC business signs. Pennway Point seeks to relish KC’s unique past while embracing its exciting future and ensures guests an incredible place to gather together to enjoy both. Better yet, Pennway Point will soon have walkable access from the Crossroads and Union Station through the upcoming Greenline trailhead.
Lauren Greenlee is a mom of four who loves nothing more than exploring her beloved KC with her extended family in tow. She writes from her Olathe, Kansas, home.