About Kansas City

Crown Center/Union Station This is a great area for family fun. Located between Downtown and the Country Club Plaza, Hallmark Cards' Crown Center is an enclosed complex of more than 60 shops and restaurants, exhibits, live theater and the Hallmark Visitors Center. The outdoor plaza is home to numerous festivals and special events as well as a winter ice-skating terrace. Next door you'll find Union Station, a renovated train station that houses a science center, theaters, restaurants, touring exhibits and Amtrak. Just to the south is the National World War I Museum and Monument, the Liberty Memorial.

OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST:

Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
You don't have to travel far to find excitement in the heart of the city. Downtown will be buzzing with new dining, entertainment and nightlife options in the opened, nine-block Power & Light District this spring. Next door, the new Sprint Center arena and the National Association of Basketball Coaches' National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame will open in mid-2007. This new development, amid the area's skyscrapers and fantastic Art Deco buildings, is just blocks from the Kansas City Convention Center, downtown hotels, restaurants and historic theaters.

18th & Vine Historic Jazz District
There's no better place to learn about Kansas City's jazz legacy than in this neighborhood that was once the epicenter of the city's African-American community. Located just east of Downtown, the area features the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in a combined museum complex. The Mutual Musicians Foundation, Blue Room jazz club and Black Archives of Mid-America are also located here. To the north, the Goin' to Kansas City Plaza at Twelfth Street and Vine pays tribute to the song that made the intersection of 12th & Vine famous.

Country Club Plaza
No trip to Kansas City is complete without a visit to the Plaza. This 14-square-block outdoor shopping and entertainment district boasts romantic Spanish architecture, European art and dazzling fountains. Designed in 1922, the Plaza features boutiques and fashionable national stores as well as distinctive restaurants, outdoor cafés and nightlife hotspots. Two nationally renowned art museums are located nearby: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Crossroads Arts District/Southwest Boulevard
If you're looking for an eclectic gathering place, head to the Crossroads Arts District. This area has recently undergone an amazing transformation. Once-vacant buildings now house unique shops, restaurants and a thriving art scene. First Fridays are a local favorite, with galleries and shops remaining open from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Friday of each month. The adjacent Southwest Boulevard area offers shopping, dining and entertainment, including some of the city's most popular Mexican nd Latin American restaurants.

River Market
To experience a lively and unique Kansas City neighborhood, head to the River Market. Situated snugly between Downtown and the south bank of the Missouri River, the area features historic brick buildings, loft apartments, bars and restaurants and the Midwest's largest farmers market—the City Market—which dates back to 1856. The market is especially lively on weekends, when more than 140 farmers from throughout the region bring their goods for sale. You'll lso find the Arabia Steamboat Museum, ethnic food stores and antique shops in the area.

Westport
Locals know Westport as a popular nightlife district. However, in the 1800s, Westport stood as a bustling outpost offering the last taste of European civilization at the doorstep of the great West. Westport's 19th-century charm remains, with historic buildings, old-style lampposts and tree-lined boulevards. The area features diverse restaurants, fun and funky shops and a variety of bars and clubs, including Kelly's Westport Inn, a popular pub housed in one of the city's oldest buildings.

Northwest (Platte County, Missouri/Leavenworth County, Kansas)
Home to Kansas City International Airport, Platte County offers unique bed & breakfasts, a winery, championship golf, casino gaming, the Zona Rosa
shopping district and the Harley-Davidson Final Assembly Plant. It also features the TWA Museum and the UFDC Doll Museum. The charming towns of Weston and Parkville offer shopping, dining and antiquing in historic settings. Across the Missouri River in Leavenworth County, explore the Kansas communities of Leavenworth and Atchison. Leavenworth features vintage homes, antique stores, a carousel museum and a historic riverfront downtown. Visitors to nearby Atchison will find the birthplace and childhood home of aviator Amelia Earhart, as well as quaint shops and dining.

Northeast (Clay County, Missouri)
Clay County is home to the 1860 Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and Historic Site, casinos, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun amusement parks, lakes, trails and golf courses. The historic Elms Resort & Spa in Excelsior Springs lists Harry S Truman and Al Capone among its notable guests. The Jesse James Bank Museum in Liberty and his birthplace in Kearney draw visitors from around the world. While in Liberty, shop on the Liberty Square or tour the Liberty Jail, which is a historic Mormon site due to the five months Joseph Smith spent imprisoned there.

East (Independence, Missouri/Truman

Sports Complex)
Independence is home to 16 heritage sites however, the city is best known as the place President Harry S. Truman called home. Attractions include the Truman Presidential Museum & Library, the Truman Home, Victorian mansions, an 1850s jail, the National Frontier Trails Museum and a vibrant historic square. Religious sites include the Community of Christ World Headquarters and the Mormon Visitors Center. Nearby, Jackson County's Truman Sports Complex is home to major league sports action for the Kansas City Chiefs, Royals and Wizards at the side-by-side Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums.

Southeast (Jackson County, Missouri)
This area stretches across the southern part of Jackson County to include part of Kansas City, Mo., as well as the communities of Lee's Summit, Blue Springs and Grandview. Popular attractions include the Kansas City Zoo and Starlight Theatre, both located in the nation's second largest urban park, Swope Park. Neighborhood charm flourishes in Brookside and Waldo. Fleming Park, covering more than 7,800 acres, is home to Lake Jacomo, Blue Springs Lake and Missouri Town 1855. Nearby Longview Lake Park encompasses almost 5,000 acres. To the east, don't miss the beauty of the area's 915-acre botanical garden, Powell Gardens.

Southwest (Johnson County, Kansas)
This suburban Kansas county offers restaurants, hotels and convention facilities, as well as abundant shopping and entertainment options. Cities in Johnson County include Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa and Merriam. You'll also find great shopping at the Prairie Village Shops, Corinth Square, Town Center Plaza or the Great Mall of the Great Plains. Visitor destinations include the New Theatre Restaurant, Johnson County Museum of History, Old Shawnee Town, Overland Park Convention Center and Shawnee Mission Park.

West (Kansas City, Kansas/Village West)
Downtown Kansas City, Kansas, is home to the Jack Reardon Convention Center and gems like the Strawberry Hill Museum. On the western edge of the city, you'll find the booming Village West retail and entertainment area, located next to Kansas Speedway. The Legends at Village West, an outdoor entertainment center, offers specialty stores, unique retail, entertainment and dining venues like Dave & Busters and the T-Rex restaurant. Unique lodging options include the Great Wolf Lodge and Chateau Avalon. This area is also home to Cabela's and the T-Bones, and independent baseball team with the Northern League.