What to do in Kansas City

I have family that lives near Kansas City, and every couple of years we go and spend some time with them in KC. I thought that I would write about a few of my favorite things that we have done there that would be good for a quick weekend trip.

Things to do:

National World War 1 Museum

I’m definitely a history nerd, and I love going to museums in other cities. The artifacts in this museum include anything you can think of that’s part of a war, like uniforms, vehicles, and full-sized trenches and blast zones. One thing that makes this particular museum interesting is that it has things about both the American and European forces. There is also a video shown between two of the exhibits that is projected onto a screen with a replica of no-man’s land below. When I went, we only had a certain amount of time, so I didn’t see all of the exhibits, but the ones I saw were very interesting and well put together. My favorite part was the videos explaining the war before seeing the different displays. While the museum is mostly for older children and adults, there are some interactive displays to entertain younger kids.

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library

I love going to presidential libraries. So far, I’ve been to the libraries for Clinton, H.W. Bush, W. Bush, and now Truman. I would say Truman is one of my favorites because it covered Truman’s political career, but many parts focused on his life too. Some presidential libraries focus on politics, and while that can be interesting, the presidents’ lives are more interesting to me. In the Truman Library, they had a small room dedicated to Truman’s family and his marriage. It had different love letters he and his wife wrote to each other. When I went, there was also an entire exhibit devoted to his service during World War 1. Did you know that to get into the military, Truman had to memorize the eye chart to pass the physical? He wore glasses, and you couldn’t be in the military if you wore glasses, so he took off his glasses and “read” the chart from memory. This museum has activities for small children like the WW1 Museum. Admission was also much cheaper than I thought to get in. For a certain period in the summer, veterans are free, and admission ranges from $3 to $8 for everyone else. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library is currently closed for renovations, but it will be open again around July 23, 2020.

Union Station

Union Station is a historic station with so many different things to do. This building is gorgeous and the Christmas decorations are amazing. We have a great family picture in front of their giant tree. One fun thing they have is a model railroad experience. They have the most elaborate model trains exhibits that I have ever seen. The Union Station website says that their model trains cover 8,000 square feet total. Another thing they have is a children’s science museum called Science City. I went to the kid’s museum when I was little, but I have no recollection of it. They also have temporary exhibits. Right now, I think they have a Genghis Khan exhibit. Union Station has a few theaters that show some movies and do some plays. There are a lot of shops and restaurants as well. In my opinion the best part of Union Station is the architecture and the Christmas decorations.

KC Chiefs or Royals Game

This past summer, I went to a KC Royals game for the first time. This was actually my first pro baseball game too. This game was against the Yankees. I’m not really a baseball person, so I wasn’t sure what was going on half the time, but going to the game was a fun experience with my family. Somehow while sitting mostly in the shade, I got horribly sunburned, so if you go to a game during the summer, I highly suggest you wear sunscreen so you don’t end up like me. What was really funny though, was that no one else in my family got even a little sunburned, so I guess that just shows how pale I am. I’m not sure how much the tickets ended up being, but the food was extremely expensive. Unless you just have to have something at the stadium, I suggest you eat either before or after the game.

Places to Eat:

Jack Stack Barbecue

This is my absolute favorite barbecue restaurant in the entire world. After eating here, I decided that Kansas City barbecue is definitely the best. Everything I got when I went here was delicious. I got a pulled pork sandwich, and there was enough meat for two sandwiches squished on one bun. I also got fries, but there wasn’t really anything special about them. They were still really good though.

The Big Biscuit

This is another place that gives you a ton of food. If you couldn’t tell by the name, this is a breakfast food place (which is my favorite kind of food). When I came here with my family, I had such a hard time choosing what to eat. Everything looked so good! I think I ended up getting a ham and cheese omelet with breakfast potatoes and a giant biscuit. Like the name, most meals come with a giant biscuit. It’s probably about the same size as two normal biscuits. I can’t wait to go back here!

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