Westside - Nearby Kansas
Profile of major attractions in Overland Park, Shawnee, Bonner Springs, Olathe and other communities west of the Kansas State Line.

Independence & Liberty, Missouri
Several major historical sites and museums focused on

• President Harry S. Truman
• Joseph Smith and the LDS Church
• Jesse James - Legendary Outlaw

Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Plus several other key historical sites in the area.

Mormon Church Historical Sites
Several important sites and headquarters of the RLDS church throughout the Independence / Liberty region.

St. Joseph, Missouri
Located just under one hour up the Missouri River, famous old western town was the staging area for many wagon trains headed west and the starting point of the Pony Express.

Arabia Steamboat Museum
Over 200 tons of supplies recovered recently from a steamboat that sank nearby in 1856.

The Kansas City Museum
Many artifacts and exhibits about life on the plains.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Very large of collection of artwork includes many antiquities and rare exhibits.

Swope Park / Kansas City Zoo
Large downtown park and home to a nature center and zoo.

Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City
Very extensive collection of antique toys and dollhouses

Station Casino Kansas City
7777 N E Birmingham Road - KANSAS CITY, MO, US 64161
Open: Sun-Thurs 8AM-2AM / Fri-Sat 24 hours. (800) 499-4961;
Station Casino Kanas City's theme focuses on early transportation, displaying from trains to balloons to trolley cars. The complex includes two continuously docked floating casinos and features 200 upscale hotel rooms, including suites and meeting rooms.

• Over 3,000 slot and video poker machines
• 14 distinctively different restaurants
• Live entertainment nightly
• Kansas City 18 theaters
• Kids Quest supervised child care

Crown Center
25th & Grand, Kansas City, MO; (816) 274-8444;
Over 80 shops, restaurants, live theaters, cinemas, hotels, fountains, winter ice-skating, festivals and special events.

Country Club Plaza
Main & 47th St, Kansas City, MO; (816) 753-0100;
Over 185 shops, restaurants, theaters, hotels and special events. Spanish architecture, statues and fountains create a memorable atmosphere.

American Royal Museum
1701 American Royal Ct, Kansas City, MO; (816) 221-9800;
Open: Tues-Fri 10AM-4PM; Admission: Adult $3 / Child (3-12) $2;
Interactive displays and exhibits forcus on the agriculture and livestock industries.

Hallmark Visitors Center
Crown Center Complex, Kansas City, MO; (816) 274-5672;
Open: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM / Sat 9:30-4:30; Free Admission;
12 major exhibits that show the Hallmark story and how Hallmark produces certain products. Includes employees at work.

John Wornall House Museum
(816) 444-1858; Open: Tues-Sat 10AM-4PM; Admission: Adult $3 / Childe (5-12) $2;
Restored 1858 Greek Revival plantation house. Include period furnishings and a formal herb garden.

Kansas City Art Institute
(816) 472-4852; Open: Mon-Thu 8:30AM-5PM; Free Admission
Established 1885. Guided tours also available by appointment.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
4420 Warwick Blvd., Kansas City, MO; (816) 753-5784;
Open: Tues-Sun 10AM-4PM; Free Admission.
Collection of diverse art styles and works, including Georgia O'Keeffe, Robert Mapplethorpe and William Wegman. Guide tours Sunday at 2PM.

Linda Hall Library
University of Missouri-Kansas City; (816) 363-4600;
Open: Mon-Sat 9AM-4PM; Free Admission.
Giant repository of science and technology journal publications, some dating back to the 17th century.

American Jazz Museum
1616 E. 18th St, Kansas City, MO; (816) 474-8463;
Open: Tues-Sat 9AM-6PM / Sun Noon-6PM; Admission: Adult $4 / Child (1-12) $2.50;
Exhibits include audio stations, photos, video, and memorabilia of famous Jazz legends including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Elle Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker and others.

Negro League Baseball Museum
1616 E. 18th St, Kansas City, MO; (816) 221-1920;
Open: Tues-Sat 9AM-6PM / Sun Noon-6PM; Admission: Adult $5 / Child (5-12) $2.50;
Many exhibit displays recount the history of the Negro League Baseball. Lots of baseball memorabilia.

Worlds of Fun / Oceans of Fun
175-acre theme park and 69-acre water park.

Penn Valley Park
31st and Main Streets, Kansas City, MO; (816) 561-6630; Free Admission;
176-acre park includes lake, scenic drives and pioneer memorial statues.

Thomas Hart Benton Home - State Historic Site
3616 Belleview Ave, Kansas City, MO; (816) 931-5722;
Open: Mon-Sat 10AM-4PM / Sun Noon-4PM; Admission: Adult $2 / Child (6-12) $1.25;
Victorian-style house and carriage house studio was home (1939-75) of noted Missourian artist.

Wyndham Garden Airport
11828 NW PLAZA CIRCLE - KANSAS CITY, MO, US 64153
First class hotel, located 5 minutes from the Kansas City International Airport and 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City. Attractive quest rooms are carefully detailed for the business traveler. Hotel amenities include: Complimentary 24 hour airport shuttle, indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, spa, fitness center, laundry/valet services, complimentary parking, safety deposit boxes, restaurant, room service and lounge. Hotel is only minutes from fine dining, shopping and entertainment.

Arabia Steamboat Museum
400 Grand Ave, Kansas City, MO; (816) 471-4030;
Open: Mon-Sat 10Am-5PM / Sun Noon-5PM;
Admission: Adult $9.75 / Child (4-12) $4.75 / Seniors (60+) $9.25; Group Rates available;

Exhibit of frontier-bound cargo recovered from the wreck of steamboat Arabia tha sank in the Missouri River in 1856. 1989 excavations yielded over 200 tons of supplies including guns, clothing, bottled foods, jewelry and more.

The Kansas City Museum
3218 Gladstone Blvd, Kansas City, MO; (816) 483-8300;
Open: Tues-Sat 9:30-4:30 / Sun Noon-4:30; Admission: Adults $2.50 / Child (3-17) $2; Planetarium Admission: $3.50;

Exhibits depicting the history of life on the great plains. Special features include rivers, lands, Indians, explorers, trappers,

• 1910 corner drugstore
• Working soda fountain
• Corinthian Hall - 50-room mansion
• Planetarium
• Natural history hall

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
45th & Oak St, Kansas City, MO; (816) 751-1278;
Open: Tues-Fri 10AM-4PM / Sat 10AM-5PM / Sun 1PM-5PM / Closed major holidays;
Admission: Adult $5 / Child (6-18) $2 / Free Every Saturday.
Guided Tours: Tues-Sat 10:30 / 11AM / 1PM / 2PM;

58 gallery exhibits and 11 period collections. Diverse collection of Oriental, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, European and American artists. Also a 17-acre sculpture garden includes 12 large bronzes by English master Henry Moore.

Swope Park
Meyer Blvd & Swope Pkry near downtown Kansas City;

• Golf courses
• Tennis courts
• Picnic grounds
• Public swimming pool
• Lagoon: Fishing, boating in summer / ice skating in winter

Starlite Theater
Summer musicals and entertainment presented nightly in outdoor theater. Call for schedule. (816) 333-9481.

Lakeside Nature Center
Open: Tues-Sat 9AM-5PM / Sun noon-4PM; Free Admission. (816) 444-4656;
Houses native Missouri wildlife. Nature trails and injured animal recovery center.

Kansas City Zoo
Open: Daily 9AM-4PM; Admission: Adult $6 / Child (3-11) $3; Tues Special $2 / Railroad Fare $2; (816) 871-5700;

• Great Ape House
• Tropical Habitat Building
• Okavango Elephant Sanctuary
• Africa
• Australia Outback
• Great Cat Walk
• Wolf Pack Woods
• Gibbon Island
• Dairy barn and children's peting zoo
• Narrow-gauge railroad rides
• Paddleboat, tram, camel and pony rides - seasonally available

Sprint IMAX Theater
6800 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, MO; (816) 871-5800;
Admission: Adult $6 / Child (3-11) $4; Call for schedule;

Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City
5235 Oak St, Kansas City, MO; (816) 333-2055;
Open: Wed-Sat 10AM-4PM / Sun 1PM-4PM; Admission: Adult $4 / Child (3-12) $2;

Massive collection of antique toys, including 80 authentically furnished dollhouses. Many modern exact-to-scale miniatures on display. Several special exhibits.

Worlds of Fun / Oceans of Fun
4545 Worlds of Fun Ave, Kansas City, MO; (816) 454-4545;
Seasonal (Both) Open Daily: May 26-Aug 30 /
Seasonal (Worlds of Fun Only) Weekends Only: April 18-May 23 / Sept 1-Oct 18;
Admission (Oceans of Fun) : Adult $20.95 / Child (3-11) $14.50 / Parking $5;
Admission (Worlds of Fun) : Adult $27.95 / Child (3-11) $6.95 / Parking $5;

Worlds of Fun
175-acre amusement park with attractions, rides and shows divided into five distinct sections: America, Europe, Africa, Scandinavia and the Orient.

• Mamba - New roller-coaster rises over 205-feet high and whips you around at over 75 mph making it one of the tallest, fastest and longest rides in the world.
• Boomerang - The newest roller-coaster takes you several hi-speed loops and turns, first forwards then backwards.
• Berenstain Bear Country - Children's play area.
• Detonator
• Fury of the Nile
• Hurricane Falls
• High dive show
• Bird show
• Musical revues

Oceans of Fun
Probably the largest waterpark in the Midwest. 60-acre waterpark includes :

• Seven waterslides
• Million-gallon wave pool
• Crocodile Isle water playground
• Castaway Cove - adult pool and cabana area