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Many people get confused between Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas because they share not only the same name, but also an invisible border.
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Kansas City, Missouri Not to be confused with Kansas City, Kansas, the 23rd largest city in the United States and known for jazz and barbecue. So if you like any of these things, this is the perfect place for you.
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If jazz or barbecue isn’t your thing, that’s okay too, because Kansas City has plenty of family-friendly things to do.
We took a red-eye flight from Los Angeles (LAX airport) to Kansas City, Missouri (MCI airport), landing in Chicago around 9:30 ready to explore. We love red eye flights!!
Aiden was so tired that I carried him on my back, also known as baby carrying or the African ‘baba’. You can watch the video below.
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As soon as we landed in Kansas City, we took a bus to a rental car location and rented a car from Enterprise. The drive from the airport to Kansas City was about 25 minutes without traffic.
Kansas City Streetcar – The Kansas City Streetcar runs through downtown Kansas City. The best thing about it is that it is completely FREE. We enjoyed the drive up and down.
Uber/Lyft – These car services operate in Kansas City and make it easy to travel without a car.
Scooter – If your kids are older and you want to get around the center quickly, I recommend BIRD scooters. They are very easy to find. To use them, just download the app and scan your ID.
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Tip: If you’re planning to visit Kansas City, Missouri, renting a car is probably the best way to get there, as they’re only about a 30-minute drive away.
We stayed at the Sheraton Crown Center in downtown Kansas City. It’s in a great location, just minutes away from the Liberty Memorial and Union Station.
You don’t even have to leave the hotel if you don’t have to, because the Sheraton Crown Center is also connected to the Crown Center, which has tons of restaurants and things to do.
There are plenty of things to do with kids in Kansas City. We had a long list and we fit the schedule as best we could.
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Legoland Discovery Center in Kansas City is an indoor theme park unlike any other Legoland park in the world.
Building Legos, Racing Legos and more. There are about three attractions and other activities around. If you’ve ever been to one of the indoor playgrounds at Legoland, you know exactly what to expect.
Even though everything is inside, if your kids love legos, then they are guaranteed to have fun here. We went on rides, played with legos and even watched a VR (virtual reality) lego race – it cost an extra $3 per person but was really fun and worth it.
Pro tip: They stop accepting people two hours before closing time. We got there at 4:05pm and the doors were locked even though the website said they close at 6pm. Keep this in mind when planning your trip here.
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If you visit the Legoland Discovery Center, don’t forget to combine this visit with a Sea Life excursion. Both are located in the same building, but the entrance doors are on opposite sides of the room.
We loved seeing the fish and Aiden even got to touch some starfish. We love going to aquariums and seeing all kinds of fish, so this was a fun activity.
Tip: If you plan to visit both Legoland and Sea Life, you can save money by purchasing a combo ticket.
The Kansas City Library is famous for its massive bookshelf, one of the largest in the world. We had to see it and check it out.
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When we got there, they told us about chess on the hill, and we were there. Playing chess is much more fun when there are bigger pieces. Aiden has been interested in chess and checkers lately, so this was fun for him.
Aiden wanted to check out the children’s books, but we couldn’t, so we walked around the library and left. He has a library card at home and likes to read. This is part of our homeschooling program.
The American Jazz Museum is located at 18th and Vine in Kansas City and presents the history of jazz music. We’ve seen Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and more. we learned about jazz legends like
Aiden’s favorite part of the museum is getting the chance to make his own jazz music. This station lets you make the sounds you want and teaches kids about the different instruments used to make jazz music.
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Aiden and I ended up scavenging around the museum telling us what to look for. Be sure to ask for it at the reception. It kept Aiden interested during our visit and he was excited to check things off his bucket list.
The Kansas City Zoo is huge and the exhibits are far apart, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time if you plan to visit.
It is famous for its exhibits on the Tiger Trail as well as the Kenya Trail. We came there during one of the tiger feedings and it was amazing to see them eating the meat.
They have a train that goes through the park and Aiden loved riding it. They also have giraffes, zebras, rhinos and more. There is a past African Sky Safari. You can buy a one-way or return ticket for both the train and the safari.
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There aren’t many museums in the United States that show what baseball was like when it was segregated. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum does a good job of showing a timeline and sharing important facts to help people understand what things were like in the 1800s.
Many people don’t know that many years ago during segregation, blacks were denied admission to minor and major league baseball, so they had to form their own teams. The first Negro League baseball game was played in New York in November 1859.
It was important to me to explain to Aiden why a Negro League baseball team was needed and why it was important. If your kids don’t know about it, add it to your list of things to do with kids in Kansas City.
The Kansas City River Market is perfect if you want to visit the farmers market, eat, or just walk around.
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There are several restaurants, especially ethnic food restaurants, flea markets, souvenir shops, flower shops, and even a museum of Arab steamboats.
Just a short walk from City Market is Betty Ray’s Ice Cream, which is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had.
The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art is known for its architecture as well as its extensive collection of Asian art.
We found all kinds of art in this museum, from African art to paintings to Buddha statues. There was much to admire here.
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Aiden’s favorite piece of art was the one below. He told me, “Mom, these kids have hair like me. He was thrilled to see this piece of art and it shows the importance of representation.
After enjoying all the art at the Nelson Atkins Museum, we headed outside for an art class lecture. This is a 9-hole mini gold course designed by an artist to interpret the artworks that can be found in the museum.
While we were there, we enjoyed being able to recognize the artwork we saw in miniature form outside. Aiden loves miniature golf and wanted us to play there all day.
Union Station in Kansas City is a large, historic train station that houses restaurants as well as permanent and temporary exhibits and a science center. There is so much to do in one place.
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The first thing I did at Union Station was the Stonehenge exhibit. The real Stonehenge is a world heritage site