Museums to See in Kansas City
A few of the most popular Museums are the Nelson-Atkins museum of Art, Science City, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and The American Jazz Museum. All of these museums has its own appeal and can provide hours of entertainment if you have an open mind. What isn’t great about seeing the history of the Negro baseball leagues and its hero’s or hearing about some of the greatest Jazz legends of all time in our very own city?
Well there is lots of information that you can check out before you decide which museum is the one you want to check out. The best part about these museums is they are all in Kansas City and you can get to them in about 45 minutes from anywhere in the city. So I will give you general information and the websites for these great museums, then you can go check them all out.
Science City is my favorite of all the museums, this is due to the fact that I have small nieces that I take with me and at science city they take a hands on approach to learning and fun. This is a museum unlike others where you can actually play with the exhibits and learn as you do. This place is great for kids, with so much for them to do; they always have special events and keep the museum fresh and entertaining so you can come back time after time. Science city has it all; they have an IMAX where they are always playing a variety of educational and inspirational videos.
Science city is open Tues-Sunday from 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. and are closed on Mondays. Admission to the Union Station building is free but attractions have a charge, depending on what you want to experience the prices vary. The best value is the round trip ticket which includes admission to all attractions in the building for $13.95. For the Science City attraction alone the cost is $7.95 which is about the cost of a movie, what better way to spend the day then with your kids at a place where they can have fun and also learn. There is so much more information at their website (http://www.sciencecity.com/), check it out for all their upcoming events and all other information you might need.
Another unique attraction to the Kansas City area is the Jazz Museum, Located in the historic 18th and Vine District in Kansas City, Mo., this is the place where jazz masters such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, and hundreds of others defined the sounds of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.
If you like music you will love the America Jazz Museum, they have special events almost every week and of course have exhibits of the most famous Jazz musicians in the country with pictures, movies, and recordings of the greatest Jazz ever played.
The Jazz Museum also has open air Jazz concerts that everyone can enjoy and has a school for students interested in learning Jazz. The Blue Room is another attraction, during the day its part of the museum but at night comes to life as a working Jazz club where you can go and enjoy the sweet sounds of Kansas City Jazz.
Check out the website for more great information about the museum and its upcoming events. They have a plethora of information about the Jazz community in the Kansas City area and lots of links and other helpful content. Check them out (http://www.americanjazzmuseum.com/).
Kansas City is also host to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which has some of the most interesting exhibits profiling the Negro League and its players. A good mix of history and culture makes this a must see museum in the Kansas City area. You can find out everything you ever could want to know about the Negro Leagues and their history. This is a must see for any baseball enthusiast, with a great deal of information and historical memorabilia. Check out the website (http://www.nlbm.com/ ), lots of good content and information about where they are located, so you can plan your trip today.
The Museum is open Tues-Sat from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Sundays Noon – 6:00 p.m., and are closed on Mondays. The cost for admission is $6 for adults and $2.50 for children 12 and under, children 5 and under – free. With prices like this you can’t miss this museum.
The Nelson Atkins Museum is by far my favorite of all the museums in the area, I don’t know if it’s the giant shuttle cocks in the lawn that depict some sort of giant game of badminton, or the reflective pool at the entrance but I love this museum. I have been about ten times from when I was 6 until now at age 24 and every experience was memorable. The last time I went was with a college art class.
They are currently adding on to the museum so often times some exhibits will be closed but don’t worry there is always plenty to see. Admission is always free (donations are accepted of course), except during traveling exhibits which then a cover charge should be expected. They often times bring in awesome traveling exhibits, not to long ago they had an Egyptian exhibit that included many historical findings that are associated with King Tut. Some really amazing stuff to see with your own eyes.
They have a good website with updated calendar of events and all other information you might want to know. Check them out and I highly recommend this museum, you won’t be disappointed. Their website is found at (http://www.nelson-atkins.org/).
Well these are just a few museums you can check out there are many others in the Kansas City area, don’t limit yourself to only these in this article. I hope you check out at least one of the local Museums our fine city has to offer.
