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Kansas City Attractions & ActivitiesHistoric Sites
Ready to look into the past and learn about the heritage of this fascinating city? We list historic homes, plantations, battlegrounds, and churches that are rich in history and provide for an educational travel diversion.
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
During the roaring '20s, this swanky neighborhood, defying Prohibition's mandates, would swing and groove nightly to the smooth sounds of Charlie "Bird" Parker, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald at places like the famous Blue Room. After an extensive reclamation process, the neighborhood has again become a thriving part of the city, especially...
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 8701 E Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64133
Originally part of the Santa Fe Trail (a route used by pioneers for trade and transportation), Cave Spring, in its latest incarnation as an urban nature center, offers recreational and educational opportunities. Learn about the history and ecology of the area at the interpretive center, pack a picnic lunch for an outdoor meal, take a short hike,...
City Hall and Observation Deck
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 414 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106
Visitors to City Hall are in for a treat, twice over. First, they can marvel at exquisite Art Deco architecture and detailing, which lend one-of-a-kind, Depression-era grace to the structure. Decorative, elegant lines and indulgent materials like Italian marble and hand-pressed oak veneer paneling adorn the interior. Next, they can take the...
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 611 W 8th St, Kansas City, MO 64105
September 15, 1806. On this date, explorers Lewis and Clark stopped in what's now downtown Kansas City on the way back from their famed journey to the Pacific Ocean. Pausing at the spot now known as Clark's Point, William Clark noted that the location is "the perfect commanding situation for a fort." Views of Kansas, Missouri, and the area's...
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 223 N Main St, Truman National Historic Site, Independence, MO 64050
This historic site offers a glimpse at the 33rd president's life and career. The white, Victorian-style home looks much as it did in the early 20th century, complete with period antiques and family heirlooms. During the Truman presidency, the home was referred to as the "Summer White House." The site also features the homes of Bess Truman's two...
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 502 N Woodbine, Visitors Center, St. Joseph, MO 64501
Sited about 60 miles north of Kansas City, historic St. Joseph was formerly the starting point for Pony Express riders heading west to Sacramento. In town, visitors can see stables where "Wild Bill" Hickok and "Buffalo" Bill Cody saddled up for the daring, 2000-mile trip across the plains. Among the community's other attractions are the Jesse...
Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 3616 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, MO 64111
This two-and-a-half-story, late-Victorian house was home to the state's most significant contributor to 20th century art, Thomas Hart Benton, from 1939 until his death in 1975. The home and carriage house were then converted into an art studio and now contain 13 original paintings, as well as many of the artist's personal belongings.
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 12301 Blue Ridge Blvd, Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, Grandview, MO 64030
Dating back to the 1890s, the Truman Farm Home in Grandview was built by the 33rd president's maternal grandmother. Located in the center of what was once an expansive 600-acre farm, this quiet prairie home was the stomping grounds for a young Harry S. Truman, who worked the farm into his late teens. Guided tours of the house are free. Tours are...
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108
Originally the rail terminal for 12 main lines and 30 subsidiary lines, this circa-1914 building was renovated in 1997 as a $188 million entertainment center. The gorgeous facility was treated to an historically accurate restoration and now shines with dramatic turn-of-the-century architecture. Other station attractions include an interactive...
Category: Historic Sites - Kansas City Attractions & Activities
Address: 400 Baltimore , between Main St and SW Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64111
Westport Landing dates back to the 1830s, when wagon trains heading west on the California, Oregon, and Santa Fe Trails stopped for supplies and repairs. Nowadays, the rough, red-brick buildings house trendy boutiques and specialty shops, along with hip bars and upscale restaurants, making the Landing one of the hubs of Kansas City's social scene.
