Kansas City has long been lauded for its music, food and sports. A creative, defiant current sparks through the region, leaving a trail of world-changing moments in its wake. On both sides of the Kansas/Missouri line, intriguing museums, activities and sites are plentiful and make excellent off-site venues or downtime options.
One of the most notable museums in Kansas City is the American Jazz Museum. A showpiece of Kansas City and African-American culture, it houses incredible collections, from a comprehensive history of jazz music to one of the world’s best collections of memorabilia. Even art is included, with a curated collection in a 4,500-square-foot gallery. The gallery includes the stunning John Baker Film Collection, one of the world’s largest jazz music and African-American dance film collections, with footage dating back to the 1920s, according to Dhana Powell-Pope, special events coordinator for the American Jazz Museum.
“Guests are transported to a past era and experience a modern facility simultaneously when they visit the American Jazz Museum,” she said. “The Atrium, a soaring grand lobby, is expressly designed for special events and makes every gathering a night to remember. Event groups are welcomed to the facility with a custom jazz-vocal delivery that heightens their experience before they step one foot across the museum’s threshold. Live entertainment can be procured for any event from a cadre of KC’s best musicians.”
She added that it is such a unique facility in that it houses multiple types of collections, from museum-quality art, an archive of film footage and a museum with a comprehensive history of the art of jazz, all under one roof. The Blue Room is the museum’s working jazz club and exhibit area within the facility and is often added to museum events or rented as a stand-alone venue.”
More of the African-American experience can be found at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The facility shares event space with the American Jazz Museum in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, and features immersive exhibits ranging from multimedia stories about the players to the installation of 10 life-size bronze sculptures around a mock baseball diamond known as the Field of Legends. The museum is a heartfelt and fascinating tribute to some of the best players in baseball history.
Historic Presence
Two very different Missouri men of history are remembered in Kansas City as well: President Harry S. Truman and Jesse James.
Truman was the 33rd president of the U.S. and saw the nation through the end of World War II, the Korean War and the beginning of the post-war economic boom. The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum features an impressive 30,000 pieces of memorabilia and two complete offices. While one is an Oval Office re-creation, the other is the one Truman actually used. The facility can handle groups up to 10,000 for events and has a variety of spaces, including a theater, auditorium, atrium, White House decision room and its spacious grounds for outdoor events.
The outlaw Jesse James earned a different kind of celebrity. After the Civil War, he and his brother Frank robbed banks and trains and earned a strange status as folk heroes in the late 19th century. The James Farm and Museum features memorabilia from Jesse’s boots to Frank’s letter of surrender; Jesse is also buried at the site. The farm offers regular tours.
The bravery and sacrifice of veterans is also remembered in Kansas City at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Rotating exhibitions from the museum’s 100,000-piece collection are featured, along with permanent exhibits in the Great Hall. The most striking part, however, is the Liberty Memorial, a towering installation that was built in 1919 thanks to an astonishing outpouring of donations from the community. Kansas City citizens raised $2.5 million in 10 days, which is the equivalent of $34 million in today’s dollars.
The museum was built nearly a century later and features several spaces for group events, including an auditorium, a glass bridge, an observation deck and the Liberty Memorial Tower itself. The memorial is just a short distance from the Hilton President Kansas City, which features two on-site restaurants, a lounge and more than 12,000 square feet of flexible event space.
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Arts Appeal
Kansas City has a strong tradition of artistic expression, from the Kansas City Art Institute to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which features a stunning array of collections. The museum contains approximately 40,000 works of art and has galleries dedicated to European, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, Japanese and American art, plus much more.
Voted the Best U.S. Museum through Yelp reviews, the facility is a popular stop for groups and has several rooms and galleries available for rental, including Rozzelle Court, an interior courtyard with a two-story arcade that can accommodate up to 500.
Art is a living medium, and jumping into artistic community events is the best way to discover the local heritage and culture of Kansas City, according to Derek Klaus, senior communications manager for Visit KC.
“One of the best ways to experience the vibe of Kansas City is to enjoy one of our many outdoor festivals. No matter the visitor’s age or interests, I’d say there’s something for everyone at First Fridays down in the Crossroads Arts District,” he said. “The first Friday of every month, the entire 15-block area turns into one the largest art crawls in the country. Picture a bohemian street festival-like vibe, complete with art galleries, street performers, food trucks, pop-up restaurants and so much more. It’s kind of a perfect encapsulation of everything the city represents on any given Friday.”
The Kansas Connection
Across the state line, Kansas City, Kansas, also boasts amazing historic sites and museums for attendees to enjoy. Lewis and Clark Park at Kaw Point marks the spot where the famed expedition landed in 1804, and the 10-acre park highlights moments and the purpose of Lewis and Clark’s exploring through interpretive signs and trails.
Kansas City is also home to the ruins of Quindaro, a former township that became an important feature of the Underground Railroad. Quindaro was founded in 1856 and is now an archaeological area, helping the African-American history be preserved.
“In Quindaro, there are two museums, the John Browne statue and the Quindaro Ruins Overlook. All provide a window to the past and the history of the runaway slaves who found refuge in Kansas,” said Kerry Green, who is the meeting, group and event manager for the Kansas City Kansas CVB.
Another site exploring the city’s culture is the Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center, which offers original art, music and dance brought to the area by Eastern European immigrants in the early 1900s. The museum is normally open on weekend afternoons, but planners can arrange tours, receptions or dinners for anytime through the week. The Tea Room is an especially popular destination, featuring desserts with an Old-World flair.
At the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, the country’s farmers get their due. Interactive tours show the importance of the farmer in everyday life, while the Museum of Farming showcases 20,000 square feet of antique farm implements. In the Gallery of Art, attendees can see the plow used by a young Harry Truman.
The campus also features train rides, hay rides and many other activities. A group can easily spend most of the day exploring the grounds and various sites, and the facility can accommodate groups of up to 5,000 for a variety of events and meetings.
