I’m going to Kansas City next week for business. I’ve never been before, and I’ll have a lot of down time. So, KC Dopers, What is there to do in the city that spans two states? What’s happening? What’s worth seeing/doing/hearing? Help me out, 'cause I’ve got two and a half days of complete freedom, plus a number of evenings in which to entertain myself.
KCMO, meet IMHO
IMHO, meet KCMO
KneadToKnow,
Thanks, I think you’re probably right.
Is there a mod who would like to move this over to IMHO?
If you’re going downtown, I HIGHLY recommend the Negro League Baseball Museum. It is incredibly informative and amazingly interesting. The building is connected the the Jazz Museum, which is also incredibly cool. Be prepared to for a lot of reading at the NLBM, and be prepared to spend a large amount of time at individual exhibits at the Jazz Museum. When I was there, we ran into Buck O’Neill, who is a local celebrity, who was the first black coach in MLB history.
If you liked the Jazz Museum, the Blue Room for drinks and Jazz after dinner is right down the block on 18th and Vine (famous jazz corner).
It looks like the Royals are out of town all week except this Sunday, so a MLB (if you can still call the Royals major league) is not an option. Too bad - there’s nothing like a day at a ballpark you’ve never been in.
The city market is good, if you’re there on the weekend.
Also, they have a new science museum, which is supposed to be incredible. I haven’t been yet, but have heard great things. There’s an IMAX there, which is always fun.
Other than that, get some BBQ (I recommend Gates, Zarda’s, and Arthur Bryant’s), have a Boulevard Beer (my brother likes the Wheat, I like the 10-penny), hear some jazz, and have a good time.
I’m sure some current locals will be around with more suggestions.
Of course, if I were going to Kansas City, I wouldn’t miss a chance to visit Wilbur Harrison’s 12th Street & Vine Big Joe Turner’s 18th & Vine.
I just never get tired of hearing that.
If you get a chance one night, I recommend going to the Lighten Up Theater. I can’t tell you exactly where it’s at, though. Close to the river. I played there a few years ago, and it was within walking distance of my hotel, which was the HoJo on Washington Street. It’s a comedy club, and they also do improvisational stuff there. Worth a look-see.
Well, a lot depends on where your coming from and what you like to do.
To me, KC still seems pretty limiting, coming from Boston, I’m used to a wider variety of goings on. But KC’s home now, so we grin and bear it.
I’ll second Arthur Bryant’s. It’s a pretty popular KC BBQ destination. Though be warned, it’s definitely not he cleanest place you’ll ever go. Not a huge selection on the menu, about 7 items total. Mostly sandwiches. But they’re usually generous and tasty.
The Plaza is definitely KC’s most popular attraction, and it is a pretty place to walk around and grab an ice cream (or better yet, get a custard. There’s a new hole in the wall place on 48th st (?) thats delicious ). Essentially though, it’s just an outdoor mall. And KC’s best fountain.
If you want a beer, Westport has the largest cluster of bars. Of course, it’s mostly younger kids down there, and it has gotten kind of shady down there within the past couple of years. Also a few nice coffee shops. I recomend the Westport Coffee house.
A better, off the beaten track place for a beer is the Velvet Dog on 31st St. Very good Martinis there, and not as much of the frat boy crowd. Next door to there is another pricier bar that plays random movies on a large (15ft?) screen in the lounge. Kinda fun to kick back and have a drink while watching a movie.
Speaking of which, KC does have it’s share of good theaters for seeing movies. There’s a nice one right in the Plaza for that matter. Good sound, comfortable stadium seating.
We do have a very good zoo, if that appeals to you. The African section is by far the best, as it features the animals in more open natural spaces, as opposed to other, older parts of the zoo which still have the animals is depressing little cages. There’s a very nice IMAX theater there as well.
If you like art, the Nelson Atkins Museum is rather nice. It’s under massive construction right now, so it may appear closed, but it’s not. It’s also free on Saturdays. A couple blocks away is another, smaller, contemporary art museum called the Kemper, which is free everyday.
And as far as getting around, you’ll definitely need a car, our else call a cab. Public transportation here is less than admirable.
Hope that helps!
If you give me a better idea of where you’re staying, or what you’re looking to do, I could be more specific.
If you’re into whirlin and hurlin’ there’s an amusement park in north K.C. (Missouri side) called Worlds of Fun. They have some pretty good rides, and if you go after 4 P.M. you get in for $17/adult.
Hey - this is my town!
I would add the following notes:
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The Arabia Steamboat Museum is a big hit according to clients that I have dirceted there.
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Want to see a huge (more than 1,300,000 square foot) Mall? Oak Park Mall, on 95th and Quivera in Overland Park.
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The Zoo is nice, but hellishly hot this time of year. You are looking for serious heatstroke out at Africa…IMO.
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You could always try to meet a bunch of Dopers, at a convenient restaurant/bar…
I’ll second the Arabia Steamship Museum, and I’ll also recommend the Doll and Miniature Museum…some pretty intricate works there.
What a shame the Royals aren’t home when you’re going. Kauffman Stadium is a gem (even if the current Royals aren’t).
Man, I can’t wait until I have the vacation time to enable me to come back to KC.
wow- I’m here, too! incredible how many dopers there are here in K.C.
i’ll second worlds of fun, it’s not too bad if you like that sort of thing. (David’s sister says: Ride the Mamba! and buy fudge from the Fudge Shoppe in the of the park. it’s goood.)
i also reccomend Union Station; it looks really pretty now that it is refinished. they even have a nice little free exhibit about how they did it, with some interesting facts about the stuff they took out (such as that they got 15 gallons (i think) of mercury when they reprocessed all of the materials for dumping, and removed a goodly number of tons of bat shat from the interior). also, they have a special exhibit about the Titanic (if they havn’t changed it yet). i’ve been to it, and so far all of their special exhibits have been nice. however, the science center thing, “Science City”, is a bit of a write off. some interesting things, but not very much. just go for the architecture and the special exhibit. i think the IMAX is cheaper at the zoo, anyway.
David’s sister yet again: whoever you are, go to the farmer’s market! yummy food. also, starlight theater is a must! finally, we have some nice parks; the arboretum is great, and cooler than the zoo, too.
and on preview;
i forgot entirely about the Doll & Miniature museum! i second that!
I’m surprised none of the KC dopers have mentioned it yet, but if you’re a history buff, there’s the Harry Truman home (and presidential library) out in Independence, an eastern suburb. The home’s been kept pretty much as is since Harry died in '72, and it’s definitely worth an hour or two.
Thank you all for all the tips; keep 'em comming!
Anthracite, good idea! Any Dopers out there want to show a man from the mountains of Vermont the big city of Kansas City (that sounds horribly redundant, but I’m sure that’s right). I’ve got most of next week there, I’d love some company!
Oh, I’ll also have a rental car, so things in the outlying area are not out of the question.
well, “The Big City of Kansas City” is correct, but “The Big City of Kansas” also works because hey, the entire rest of the state has less of a population than K.C. and a few of it’s suburbs.
Someone asks for things to do in K.C. and people I never knew lived in KC come popping in from every direction. But you try to get a dopefest thread going and it’s like garlic and a vampire. Weird.
Anyway, here are a few suggestions just based on my day today:
Nelson Art Gallery
Riverboat Casinos
Westport (hang out/beer, coffee, alternative culture area)
L.C.'s!!!
You didn’t say if you get to expense everything.
I’ll second the Gates and Zarda for Barbecue. I find Gates has the perfect sauce for my taste, and it’s hard to beat a “Hi, may I help you” from the whole staff even when you’re not next in line. If you go with Zarda, they have a nice sampler platter, including my favorite, burnt ends.
If you don’t want to live on barbecue the whole time, there are several good, fairly-authentic Mexican restaurants, mostly in the same area. California Taqueria is my favorite, but others might recommend Manny’s or Ponak’s (sp?). I’m partial to the burrito spread. Stroud’s is over-hyped, but still very good “country kitchen” type food. For Italian, Garozzo’s is a favorite with many.
If you want some more refined dining, Yia Yia’s is casual, eclectic, and a bit trendy, but they have a nice filet with a wonderful glaze, and a white chocolate cheesecake to die for. There are several other fairly nice restaurants in that same part of town (Southwest). The Plaza, near the aforementioned Westport, has some nice restaurants, too. Both the Plaza and Westport have some venues with outdoor seating, which can be quite enjoyable if the weather is decent.
If you like blues, try and find out where Ida McBeth will be when you’re in town; she’s a local legend. I don’t know your age and musical preferences, but could help with nightlife if you’d supply those.
Unless you really like gambling, I’d stay away from the Casinos. They are pretty nice, but they don’t have much KC “flavor” to them.
You mean there is things to do in KCMO?
Guess I have been spending too much time on the internet.
When in Westport, try Torre’s Pizza. In the previous posts, Worlds of Fun sounds like a small city amusement park–it’s not. It’s a large, Six Flags-style theme park. Past its prime, but a very good park with several excellent roller coasters. Have fun…