Annual Conference & Meetings
The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City
Order Your FREE Kansas City Visitors Guide! "Goin' to Kansas City" is the official Visitors Guide of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City.
International Site on Kansas City – Helpful information for international visitor
Missouri Division of Tourism –Vacation information for the State of Missouri
The Official Missouri Vacation Planner is your complete guide to all this state has to offer. Historic towns, show-stopping entertainment, world-class shopping, lodging, exciting outdoor adventures ... this book shows you how to find it all in Missouri.
Kansas Department of Travel and Tourism Vacation information for the State of Kansas
The Kansas Getaway Guide , a 172-page full color publication, is the perfect tool to plan your Kansas vacation! Ordering your copy of the Kansas Getaway Guide is simply a click away.
Kansas City International Airport – Flight updates, and information on the airport's Terminal Improvement Project.
Kansas City Visitor Online Coupons
The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City –Source for art and cultural information on the area.
Shopping/Dining/Attractions
About 50 specialty stores representing national chains as well as several local merchants on three carpeted levels can be found at Crown Center , the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards. At the southern edge of Downtown near Grand Avenue and Pershing Road, Crown Center offers gourmet kitchen accessories, unique fashions, and full salon service, among other unique shopping opportunities. The Crown Center area also features two world-class hotels, first-rate dining, live theater and cinema. You'll find over 70 unique places to eat and shop, and fun places to be entertained at Crown Center .
Hallmark Visitors Center . Open Tuesdays-Saturdays: See live technicians manufacture products using technology and craftsmanship; Watch a six-minute multimedia film presentation as you listen to Hallmark artists and writers explain how the creative process works; Browse through an exhibit of more than 250 Keepsake Ornaments including the famous Starship Enterprise® and Here Comes Santa; Press a button and watch a bow machine make a star ribbon gift bow in seconds. Admission: free.
Children's Theater : The Coterie is located on the lower level of Crown Center Shops “The Dinosaur Musical" Dates: June 28 - August 7, 2005
Union Station opened in 1914 and was fully restored to its original grandeur in 1999. Today, Union Station is home to the Science City museum, a giant-screen movie theater, a stage for live performances, restaurants, shops, traveling exhibits and much more.
City Hall Observation Deck - Ride the elevator to the 28th floor and walk up two flights.
Stretching over 200 acres, the Kansas City Zoo offers visitors the unique experience of seeing wild animals at home in the wild. The zoo is also home to the Sprint IMAX Theatre , featuring a 65-foot tall IMAX screen.
The Country Club Plaza blends a mix of European culture and design with a little Midwestern hospitality in the blocks surrounding 48th Street and Nichols Road in Kansas City, Missouri. Patterned after Seville, Spain, the outdoor shopping district is home to more than 180 unique shops, restaurants, and fountains. Plaza is lined with dozens of nationally known stores. The Plaza is the oldest shopping center in the country and attracts 10 million tourists each year. Along with some of the country's chic-est fashions and major labels, shoppers will find true Kansas City originals. More than 180 stores fill this 14-block area to make it a one-of-a-kind shopping destination.
Harley-Davidson Final Assembly Plant - Museum and tour center. Free tours (must be at least 12 years old and accompanied by an adult).
Take a tour of two of the city's most celebrated museums at the 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District . The 18th & Vine historic district was the center for black culture and life in Kansas City from the late 1800s-1960s. It was the hub of activity for homeowners, bussiness, jazz music, and baseball enthusiast. Just outside of the district stands the Paseo YMCA building, which was built as a black YMCA in 1914. It served as temporary home for baseball players, railroad workers, and others making the transition to big city life in the midwest. It was here that the Negro National League was founded in 1920. Although the district and the YMCA building were becoming blighted by the 1980s, they were recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
During the late 1990s, plans were underway by city officials to create a new home to showcase Kansas City's jazz heritage and to revitalize the Historic District. City officials and the mayor worked to raise over $20 million in bonds to build a new facility to host the new American Jazz Museum and a new, permanent and expanded, home for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. This new 50,000 square-foot building opened in September 1997 and the Baseball Museum opened in November.
The American Jazz Museum pays tribute to America's top jazz musicians. The story of jazz and some of its greatest performers is told through dozens of exhibits and interactive stations.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum recreates the look, feel and sounds of Negro Leagues Baseball from the 1860's to the 1950's using 10,000 square feet of space featuring multi-media computer stations, several film exhibits, hundreds of photographs, Field of 12 bronze sculptures and a growing collection of baseball artifacts.
The Kansas City Museum is Housed in Corinthian Hall, a 50-room Beaux Arts style mansion, once home to the R. A. Long family. The museum features displays of regional and natural history, a recreated 1910 corner drugstore complete with working soda fountain, and a 50-seat planetarium.
The Kansas City Fire Museum is a historical Fire Station in downtown Kansas City, Missouri and is unique in its approach to providing education in fire safety and prevention within a historic, fire station museum. The educational programs and historic museum setting offer educators, children and their families a meaningful educational experience.
John Wornall House Museum In 1858 Kentuckian John B. Wornall built this elegant home in the Greek Revival style. Accurately restored to the period, its interior spaces and authentic furnishings demonstrate why the house was called “the most pretentious house in the section.” Now engulfed by Kansas City's Brookside neighborhood, the John Wornall House originally sat on the Missouri frontier, the center of a 500-acre farm. During the 1864 Battle of Westport, both Confederate and Union armies occupied the sturdy brick farmhouse and used it as an emergency field hospital. This significant part of the Kansas City landscape is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today guided tours take visitors through the house, where they experience the daily life of a prosperous, pre-Civil War family. Visitors may also wander through the Museum's historically accurate herb and perennial gardens.
Powell Gardens is located just east of Kansas City, Missouri, with the mission of inspiring people to appreciate, beautify and conserve our natural environment. The Gardens' peaceful setting on 915 acres provides opportunities for learning and reflection through a year-round education program, research and special events. Powell Gardens is known for its spectacular garden displays incorporating native plantings and its contemporary architecture by the architectural firm originally established by Fay Jones, now Maurice Jennings and David McKee Architects.
Worlds of Fun is patterned after Jules Verne's adventurous tale, "Around the World in Eighty Days." The park features five-themed continent areas: Americana, Africa, Europe, the Orient and Scandinavia. The park covers more than 175 acres with a wide variety of wild to mild rides and outstanding live entertainment, including daily shows.
Oceans of Fun . The Midwest's largest tropically-themed water park, Oceans of Fun features more than 35 attractions, including a million-gallon wave pool, adults-only pool with swim-up refreshment cabana, children's water playgrounds, Paradise Falls 4-story water playhouse, Hurricane Falls raft ride, and giant water slides.
City Market , Kansas City, Missouri. Thousands of pioneers disembarked from riverboats at this point to begin their overland journey, passing first through a lively market area, known today as the City Market. Farmers and vendors still offer home-grown produce in Missouri's largest open-air farmers market. Unique gift and antique shops, popular restaurants, a comedy club, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum are in this area.
The Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site Reflections of Thomas Hart Benton's life are present in both his home and his paintings. A renowned painter, sculptor, lecturer and writer, Benton had a gift for interpreting everyday life.
The Arabia Steamboat Museum features one of the largest collections of pre-Civil War era goods in the country. The steamboat originally sank to the bottom of the Missouri River in 1856. Over a century later, a portion of the ship and the majority of its 200 tons of cargo were recovered.
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art boasts a growing permanent collection of modern and contemporary art and presents 10–12 special exhibitions each year.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is the cornerstone of Kansas City's art community. The museum remains open during its $200 million expansion and renovation. Museum admission is free.
The Boulevard Brewing Company - brewer of ales and lagers. Free tours - reservations required.
Once a thriving town through which the California, Oregon, and Sante Fe trails passed, Westport marked the passage into the great western frontier and set the precedence for what is today a thriving entertainment and shopping district. This historical legacy allows visitors to travel back in time to the days of mountain men, wagon trains, and Civil War battles. Discover one of Kansas City's historical treasures. The Westport Historical Society gives tours of the area, runs the Harris-Kearney House, publishes intriguing documents and works with locals and business owners to keep Westport's history alive.
Professional Sports
Kansas City is a great sports town with a variety of professional teams. During the summer, you can catch professional baseball, soccer, tennis and motorsports racing. The latter part of summer brings the return of professional football with the Kansas City Chiefs. And, over the winter months, sports fans can head inside to watch the Kansas City Comets at Kemper Arena.
Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. You can now buy baseball tickets online through the Royals' Web Site.
Kansas City T-Bones at Community America Ballpark. Minor League Baseball.
Tony Meola and the rest of the Kansas City Wizards will bring Arrowhead Stadium alive with Major League Soccer action.
The Kansas City Explorers , now entering their 11th season of professional tennis in Kansas City, play on select dates in July at the Plaza Tennis Center on the Country Club Plaza.
Racing enthusiasts can see some of today's top drivers at Kansas Speedway on select race dates from June through October. NASCAR action returns in October with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Kansas 400.
Daytrips:
Truman Presidential Museum and Library in Independence, Missouri . Harry S. Truman is recognized by historians, authors, world leaders and citizens across the country as one of the greatest American presidents ever. During your Independence visit, you can learn about the life behind this incredible man. Don't miss the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, Truman Home and the little known but very surprising Truman Courtroom and Office. It's all in historic Independence, Missouri.
There's so much to see and do in Independence. From unique shops to thirteen heritage sites that paved the future of our country, it's all here in a great hometown atmosphere. Independence is a place where great leaders made important decisions that shaped our lives. It's a place for fun where you can experience terrific shopping, wonderful restaurants, numerous accommodation choices, and a variety of exciting attractions.
The two-story 1859 Jackson County Jail , with its barred windows, double iron doors and leg chains, once housed Frank James, Jesse James notorious brother. Visitors are amazed to learn how James was treated like a hero and showered with gifts throughout his incarceration. Four feet away rises the back wall of the federalist-style marshal's house which was home for county marshals until the early 1930s. Special exhibits such as a collection of confiscated handmade weapons are available.
The National Frontier Trails Museum presents the history of the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails and the personal trials and adventures of the pioneers who opened the West. An award-winning film takes visitors from Independence to Oregon. Interpretive exhibits and artifacts. Merrill J. Mattes Research Library is recognized as the largest collection of books, documents and manuscripts on the Westward Expansion.
Historic Atchison, Kansas , is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Amelia Earhart, who was born in her grandparents' Atchison home on July 24, 1897. Today the Victorian house, built on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, is a museum operated by the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots established by Earhart in 1929. Another Atchison attraction with ties to Earhart is the International Forest of Friendship, also founded with the assistance of the Ninety-Nines. This forest sits on a gentle slope near Atchison's Lake Warnock and is comprised of trees representing the 50 states and over 35 countries. A walkway bearing plaques honoring over 700 men and women for their contributions to the advancement of aviation and aerospace winds through the forest. Trees with noted historical significance are also planted in the forest, including ones from George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, President Eisenhower's farm and the Moon Tree, grown from a seed which traveled to the moon aboard Apollo 14. Victorian architecture is showcased by numerous Atchison structures including the Evah C. Cray Historical Home, a 25-room Victorian showplace, and the Muchnic Art Gallery, housed in a gorgeous Queen Anne-style mansion.
One of the most popular (and convenient) ways to tour this picturesque city is aboard the Atchison Trolley, which begins its journey at the old Santa Fe depot. After leaving the depot, which now serves as a Kansas Visitor Information Center, the trolley drivers provide a narrated tour past 18 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The trolley also passes by the downtown mall, antique stores, museums and the city's massive stone courthouse and post office, both built in the 1890s. Visitors can step off the trolley at several points along the way. Visitors to Atchison will find a pleasant shopping diversion along the downtown outdoor pedestrian plaza. The shopping district is beautifully landscaped and is lined with antique stores and specialty shops.
Travel about 45-minutes west of downtown Kansas City and you'll be in Jayhawk country. Besides being home to the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas ., has established itself as a unique arts community - ranked 15th among the 100 best small arts towns in America. Lawrence has not only been influenced by artists, but is also home to a great number. The downtown district is lined with century-old buildings, eclectic boutiques, diverse restaurants, galleries and antique shops. A unique aspect to the downtown district is the Downtown Lawrence Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, the only outdoor sculpture exhibit of its kind in the United States, offering a fresh selection of various art styles annually from local, regional and national artists. Numerous art galleries and studios are located downtown, including the Lawrence Arts Center. Liberty Hall, a restored opera house, provides a beautiful setting for live entertainment as well as cinematic releases.
Lawrence is well-known as the home of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Several sites on the beautifully landscaped campus are open to visitors. The KU Natural History Museum features four floors of plant and animal exhibits, fossils, snakes, minerals and an active bee hive. The Spencer Museum of Art, comprised of eleven galleries, is considered one of the nation's top university art collections. The KU Museum of Anthropology is housed in the oldest building on campus, Spooner Hall, and features beadwork, artifacts, African masks, and a totem pole. The gift shop carries ethnic art from various countries. Lawrence is also the home of Haskell Indian Nations University. Founded in 1884, Haskell is one of the nation's oldest Native American educational institutions. The student population numbers roughly 800 Native American and Alaska Natives per semester. Haskell is home to a new Cultural Center, featuring artifacts and art exhibits.
During the Civil War, Lawrence was considered the hub of the Free State and leader of northern resistance against pro-slavery forces. On August 21, 1863, the infamous Quantrill's Raid resulted in the deaths of 150 unarmed Lawrence men at the hands of 300 cutthroat slavery supporters. Historians have called Quantrill's Raid the most atrocious attack on unarmed men to take place during the Civil War. The Old West Lawrence historic neighborhood includes a three-square-block area with beautiful homes built between 1860 and 1920. Many homes are survivors of Quantrill's attack and feature impressive architecture from Victorian to Italianate. Guided and self tours are available.
When most people think of Leavenworth, Kansas the "Big House" comes to mind. And while everyone wants to avoid the hospitality of the famous United States Federal Penitentiary, they do enjoy the hospitality, architecture and unique sites that the town of Leavenworth offers. This picturesque town is known as the "First City in Kansas," established in 1854 and located on the west banks of the Missouri River. Visitors enjoy browsing Leavenworth's historic riverfront downtown, which offers many antique and unique shops. The Carroll Mansion, built in 1882, is adorned with magnificent woodwork and beautiful stained glass windows. It is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday.
Adjacent to Leavenworth is Ft. Leavenworth, the oldest continuously-operating fort west of the Mississippi River. Today Ft. Leavenworth is considered one of the most beautiful and well-maintained forts in the United States. It contains several historical sites, including the Frontier Army Museum, Santa Fe and Oregon Trail cuts, the National Cemetery, Buffalo Soldiers Monument and the Berlin Wall Monument.
Both Leavenworth and Fort Leavenworth have Historical Wayside Tours (walking and driving). Waysides are interactive modules that feature unique local artwork depicting images of significant historical people, structures or events associated with that particular site.
The Missouri River has played a key role in the development of Lexington, Missouri since its founding in 1822. Steamboats made Lexington a frequent stop, unloading goods for pioneers heading west. Lexington was an important trading center and a major outfitter for the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails. By 1830, it was considered the largest and most important town west of St. Louis. Lexington's proud history is seen today in the numerous historic sites open to the public and the preservation of over 100 historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A tribute to pioneer women is located in Lexington. "Madonna of the Trail," a statue dedicated in 1928, looks up the Missouri River towards the west. The statue is one of 12 placed in the states crossed by the National Old Trails Road, a route taken by early settlers that stretched from Maryland to California.
Civil War and history buffs will be enthralled by the Battle of Lexington Historic Site and Visitors Center. This is one of the few Civil War battlefields that has never been cultivated. A self-guided walking tour reveals battle trenches still visible. A 15-minute video at the Visitors Center brings the "Battle of the Hemp Bales" to life. On the grounds of the Battle of Lexington Historic Site is the Anderson House, built by Colonel Oliver Anderson and restored and furnished with antiques from that period. The house was used as a field hospital during the battle, changing hands from North to South three times. Guided tours of the house are given hourly.
The Lexington Historical Museum, built in 1846 as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, contains extensive exhibits on the Civil War, Pony Express and other bits of Lexington's history. The Pony Express was financed by Russell, Majors and Waddell, a firm that was headquartered in Lexington. Lexington's Lafeyette County Courthouse is the oldest courthouse in continuous use west of the Mississippi. Built in 1847-49 in the simple classic-revival design of architecture, the courthouse is in excellent condition. One modification to the original structure is the cannonball embedded in the east column, a souvenir of the Confederate victory in the 1861 Battle of Lexington. Though the cannonball was intended for General Price's headquarters nearby, it made the courthouse its final resting place.
St. Joseph, Missouri is a contemporary city blended with over 150 years of colorful history. Established in 1826, the city served as a starting point for wagon trails filled with pioneers heading west. St. Joseph's most adventurous ride began on April 3, 1860 when the Pony Express sent its first daring rider from St. Joseph to Sacramento, California. Although the Pony Express lasted only 18 months, its legend lives on with the preservation of the original stables and headquarters in St. Joseph, the Pony Express Museum , and the Pony Express Monument. St. Joseph is also known as the town where the outlaw Jesse James met his ultimate fate. The small white frame house where he was shot and killed in 1882 by fellow gang member Bob Ford (to collect a $10,000 reward) marks the end of the trail for this notorious bank and train robber. A curious and fascinating mix of museums can also be found in St. Joseph: the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art houses one of the finest collections of 18th-20th century American art in the Midwest; the Glore Psychiatric Museum displays over 400 years of psychiatric history including the Bath of Surprise and the Tranquilizer Chair; the Missouri Valley Trust Bank Building, the Black Archives of St. Joseph, Mount Mora Cemetery, Twin Spires Museum and the Wyeth-Tootle Mansion. The Society of Memories Doll Museum houses 600 dolls from the 1840s to the present. Additional attractions include the Stetson Hat Factory Outlet and the St. Jo Frontier Casino. Getting around St. Joseph is easy aboard the popular First Street Trolleys - reproductions of turn-of-the-century streetcars that wind their way through the city with frequent stops at some of St. Joseph's most popular and historically significant attractions.
Weston, Missouri is set in rolling hills and is located just 30-minutes from downtown Kansas City. The 1837 Missouri River town works to preserve its heritage and celebrate its past. Weston as the "Town that Time Forgot" and welcomes visitors with antique shops, a winery, a 1,133-acre State Park on the Missouri River and a 22-block historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A trip to Weston is truly like taking a trip back to the past. The Platte Purchase of 1837 brought the influx of settlers to Weston from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, as well as emigrants from Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Weston became a thriving river port and wagon outfitting post. By 1853, Weston had a population of 5,000 and was the second largest Missouri port. Hemp and tobacco were among the most profitable early crops. Business was brisk as steamboats jammed the river and two large flour mills, a brewery, eight churches and 12 private schools flourished. In the years between 1853 and 1880, disaster struck Weston with two fires destroying a large portion of the business district and five floods, the last of which moved the river (and the port) two miles away. By 1890, less than 1,000 residents remained. Today Weston is home to the only tobacco market west of the Mississippi River and to the McCormick Distilling Company, one of America's oldest distilleries. The former German Lutheran Evangelical Church, built in 1867, houses the cellars of the Pirtle Winery, where wine tastings are conducted. At O'Malley's 1842 Irish Pub, visitors sample Irish beer in the cellar of the oldest brewery west of the Hudson River.
Numerous historic sites attract visitors year round. The Weston Historical Museum features artifacts depicting life in Weston from prehistoric times to World War II. The Price-Loyles House, an 1857 Federal-style home, is filled with original family furnishings and toys from the 1860s. This was home to four generations of Daniel Boone's descendants. The Herbert Bonnell Museum offers a glimpse into household and farm life during the 1800s. Nearby Weston Bend State Park, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, offers scenic overlooks, camping facilities and hiking and biking trails. Four tobacco barns are located within the park's boundaries and one is used to tell the story of tobacco production.
Religious Services
A complete listing of religious services can be found in the Saturday "Faith" section of The Kansas City Star.
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