33 FREE Adventures to Have in Kansas City

First posted on 10-26-2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For vacationers on a shoestring budget, Kansas City offers many free adventures, including some of the city’s best known attractions:

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak St., KCMO http://www.nelson-atkins.org or 816-751-1ART
One of America’s most comprehensive general art museums, the Nelson features 30,000 items dating from 3000 B.C. to the present. Completed in 1933, this magnificent stone neoclassical structure is considered the most distinguished art museum in the Midwest. The museum has completed a major renovation and expansion with the new Bloch Building-the equivalent of a 67-story building lying on its side.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
4420 Warwick Blvd., KCMO http://www.kemperart.org or 816-753-5784
The Museum’s permanent collection features works by internationally renowned contemporary artists. The museum regularly presents temporary exhibitions, installations, performance work, film and video series and other programs. The Kemper also features a restaurant and museum shop.

Hallmark Visitors Center
2501 McGee Tfwy., KCMO http://www.hallmarkvisitorscenter.com or 816-274-3613
See more than 90 years of Hallmark Card’s history presented through fun interactive exhibits, displays and videos that enable visitors to understand the creativity and craftsmanship involved in making Hallmark products.

Kaleidoscope
2501 McGee Tfwy., KCMO http://www.hallmarkkaleidoscope.com or 816-274-8300
Free, hands-on, creative art experience where children use their imaginations and feel good about their own special ideas while making art with paper, ribbon, cardboard and other jazzy junk. Independent art sessions for children ages 5-12, family sessions for children of all ages, and special family workshops.

Harley-Davidson Final Assembly Plant
11401 N. Congress Ave., KCMO 877-883-1450
This plant produces Harley-Davidson’s Sportster, Dyna Glide and V-Rod families of motorcycles from fabrication and finishing through final assembly. Your visit includes an introductory film, a tour of the factory floor and the chance to sit on current production motorcycles.

Johnson County Museum of History
6305 Lackman Rd., Shawnee, KS http://www.jocomuseum.org or 913-631-6709
This museum explores the history of Johnson County and provides an excellent look at the history of suburban living and the changing idealized visions of the “good life.” Admission to the museum is free, but there is a $2 charge to tour the site’s restored 1950’s all-electric house.

Other free attractions to explore:

* Boulevard Brewing Company - 2501 Southwest Blvd., KC, Mo., 816-474-7095. Tour the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest. Free tours on Fridays and Saturdays; call ahead for reservations.
* Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center - 3700 Blue Pkwy., KC, Mo., 816-923-6226. A tribute to the city’s early African American pioneers.
* City Market - 5th and Main streets, KC, Mo., 816-842-1271. Saturday and Sunday mornings through November bring the largest farmers market in the Midwest to the City Market.
* Crown Center - 2450 Grand Blvd., KC, Mo., 816-274-8444. There’s always something going on at this entertainment center. Check out the free movies shown outdoors in July.
* Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead - 138th St. and Switzer Rd., Overland Park, Kan., 913-897-2360. A great place to see and feed an array of barnyard friends and other animals native to the area.
* Ernie Miller Nature Center - 909 N Highway 7, Olathe, Kan., 913-764-7759. Located on the west edge of Olathe, this center was created to heighten awareness of the natural world.
* First Fridays in the Crossroads Arts District - Crossroads Arts District, KC, Mo., 816-472-5701. This 60-gallery art crawl has quickly become a local and regional favorite, drawing thousands each First Friday of the month.
* Frontier Army Museum - Reynolds Ave., Fort Leavenworth, Kan., 913.682-4113. Focuses on Fort Leavenworth’s role in westward expansion. Check out the horse-drawn military carriages. Donations Accepted.
* Hall of Waters Spa and Water Bar - 201 E Broadway Blvd., Excelsior Spring, Mo., 816-630-0753. Enjoy free samples of mineral water from the longest water bar in the world.
* Kauffman Memorial Garden - 48th St. and Rockhill Rd., KC, Mo., With sculptures, fountains and colorful beds of exotic plants, this beautiful park serves as the final resting place of Ewing and Muriel Kauffman. The park is maintained by Powell Gardens.
* Lakeside Nature Center - 4701 E Gregory Blvd., in Swope Park, KC, Mo., 816-513-8960. Learn about the natural world around us through live native animal exhibits, a stroll through the groves and workshops. The center is one of two in the area equipped to care for injured and orphaned baby animals.
* Legler Barn Museum - 14907 W 87th St. Pkwy., Lenexa, Kan., 913-492-0038. Built in 1864, Leger Barn Museum stands as one of the few remaining limestone barns.
* Liberty Jail - 216 N Main St., Liberty, Mo., 816-781-3188. Historic location for both Clay County and the LDS Church due to the five months Joseph Smith spent there.
* Linda Hall Library - 5109 Cherry St., KC, Mo., 816-926-8747. Known as one of the largest privately endowed scientific and technical reference libraries in the country, the library also houses a gorgeous, free urban arboretum featuring a large collection of tree peonies.
* Line Creek Archaeology Museum - 5940 NW Waukomis Dr., KC, Mo., 816-587-8822. Located on a 2,200-year-old Hopewell Indian site, this museum houses artifacts from prehistoric Native American cultures.
* Loose Park Rose Garden - 51st St. and Wornall Rd., KC, Mo. One of the region’s best rose gardens; the park was named one of the Top 10 Lawns for Family Fun in 2004 by Briggs and Stratton.
* Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary - 407 N Lafrenz Rd., Liberty, Mo., 816-781-8598. Experience nature preservation through trails and the Nature Center.
* Museum of Anthropology - Spooner Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan., 913-864-4245. Learn the diversity of humanity at this unique facility.
* Overland Park Arboretum - 179th St. and Antioch Rd., Overland Park, Kan., 913-685-3604. A 300-acre park dedicated to the preservation of indigenous plants and wildlife.
* Pioneer Spring Cabin - Truman and Noland roads, Independence, Mo., 816-325-7432. Step back in time in this log cabin offering a pioneer history.
* River Trail - Parkville, Mo. Start your river walk just south of Parkville’s English Landing Park.
* Shawnee Indian Mission Museum - 3403 W 53rd St., Fairway, Kan., 913-262-0867. Once used as a school for Native American children, the buildings now serve as a museum.
* Shoal Creek Living History Museum - 7000 NE Barry Rd., KC, Mo., 816-513-7500. A village of more than 20 authentic 19th-century buildings dating from 1807 to 1885.
* The Woodlands - 9700 Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan., 913-299-9797. Live horse, wiener dog and greyhound racing.