Our dream and vision is to:
They’re building it, so you have to come.
Anchored by Kansas City’s classic beacon, the Power & Light building, Kansas City’s new Power & Light District is designed with sidewalks that do not roll up at sundown. Pledging to bring nightlife to the downtown area, as well as shopping, offices and residential loft living, the district is rapidly coming together. Across the street from Kansas City’s new Sprint Arena on the east, and the Convention Center on the west, participation by key businesses, including H&R Block, AMC Theaters and an eye-popping variety of unique restaurants and shops point to inevitable success of the project.
for more information www.powerandlightdistrict.org
All Aboard the stunning restoration of Kansas City’s historic Union Station. Built in 1914, with all the romance and grandeur of a gilded era, Union Station is meticulously restored to include more than 50 interactive exhibits in Science City, IMAX presentations, the H&R Block live theater, shops, the stunning Gottlieb Planetarium, a range of four unique restaurants to suit any style or budget. Permanent exhibits include the KC Rail Experience, celebrating the station’s heritage and a stunning 3-D presentation of Norman Rockwell and his art. The building is open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight. And yes, you can still hop aboard an actual Amtrak train to L.A., Chicago or St. Louis.
for more information www.unionstation.org
As the nation’s first intentionally designed shopping mall, since 1927, the Country Club Plaza sustains its success with the finest shops and restaurants nestled within developer J.C. Nichols’ visions of romantic Spanish architecture. Beyond shops and restaurants, the Plaza offers hotels, entertainment and a constant flow of events. Its signature events are the traditional lighting of the holiday lights every Thanksgiving, and the annual Plaza Art Fair in the fall. But there’s always something going on in the Plaza – from free live music Courtyard Concerts to Dogs Night Out at the Classic Cup restaurant!
for more information www.countryclubplaza.com
Who wears the crown in Crown Center? It’s Hallmark Cards, of course, and Crown Center is the house that cards built! Envisioned by Joyce Hall, founder of the sentiment giant, the center surrounds the Hallmark headquarters with shopping, dining, entertainment, two world-class hotels and residential loft living. Completed in 1971, it is among the first examples of a mixed-use success story. More than 5 million visitors each year enjoy shopping, concerts, theater, movies and the Hallmark Visitors Center, including Kaleidoscope, a child’s hands-on art experience through the imagination machine.
for more information www.crowncenter.com
The site of Kansas City’s River Market was one of the earliest settlements in the area as a logical spot for riverboats to come ashore. Over the years, the market area has had any number of declines and rebirths. Today, it is a thriving neighborhood bustle of marketplace, dining, events, entertainment and residential condominiums. Every Saturday and Sunday mornings, the City Market is a teeming horn of plenty of Midwestern farmer’s fresh produce. Festivals, concerts and vintage car shows constantly rotate through the calendar, making the River Market a vital destination in the city.
for more information www.kansascityrivermarket.com
It’s the only national memorial in the U.S. to honor those who gave their lives during World War I. Dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926, it was intended to be the only monument to world conflict, but that distinction was not to last as World War II began just 13 years later in 1939. After a major restoration was completed in 2002, the new WWI Museum opened in December 2006 as an astonishing receptacle of exhibits, objects, documents, weaponry and uniforms of “the Great War,” as it was known until 1939.
for more information www.libertymemorialmuseum.org
An elegant museum with more than 33,500 works of art, the Nelson Atkins is also famous for its grounds, featuring a 22-acre Sculpture Park that contains more than 30 modern sculptures. Inside, find its unrivaled Chinese Art Collection, as well as the largest collection of Thomas Hart Benton’s paintings, superb American Indian textiles and more than 56 works of sculptor Henry Moore. Featured exhibitions that focus on a single topic continually rotate through the museum’s calendar, and a stop at the Rozzelle Court Restaurant is an absolute must.
for more information www.nelson-atkins.org/
It's not possible to capture the unique charm of Parkville in a few words. It's an idyllic, small college town/river city hidden away among the bluffs of the Kansas City metro area. Everything is one-of-a-skin vintage and artful shopping along Main Street, English Landing Park, charming events. Park University imbues the town with its intellectual air. It's a snapshot of history carefully preserved, with modernization subtly integrated to respect the town's heritage.
for more information www.parkvillemo.net
Since 1972, Worlds of Fun has been delivering the thrills, chills, laughter and big-time enjoyment only found at the highest level theme park. Constantly adding new features, particularly Oceans of Fun, the region’s splash central of water fun, the Patriot is currently the longest, tallest inverted roller coaster in the Midwest. To do it right, schedule a full day for each park to best soak in all the fantastical, fantasy worlds in this factory of fun.
for more information www.worldsoffun.com
Gates opened to welcome visitors to the 60-acre Kansas City Zoo in 1909. Today, at more than 200 acres, it is one of the largest zoos in the country. In 1991, city residents voted $50 million for the zoo, and the progress is remarkable, with completion of the Deramus Education Pavilion and Sprint IMAX Theatre in 1995. Each of the 800 animalistic residents of the zoo cordially invites you to visit, meet and greet.
for more information www.kansascityzoo.org
We'd like to send a special thanks to Sparker Publishing