There are many family attractions in Kansas City. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, Kansas City has no shortage of family fun attractions to keep you busy. From zoos and theme parks to museums and botanical gardens, there’s something for everyone. Here are 23 of the absolutely BEST (and top recommended) attractions that will please everyone in your group. Be sure to add at least one (or all) of these destinations to your itinerary when planning your next visit to KC!
The 23 Best Family- Friendly Attractions In Kansas City
The Kansas City Museum comprises unique exhibits that will keep the entire family entertained for hours. The Kansas City Museum protects, interprets, and celebrates Kansas City via collections, exhibitions, and daring programs that reflect the city’s evolution and character and engage visitors in learning about the city’s vibrant history, cultural heritage, and pride.
The Crown Center shopping and entertainment complex features a variety of activities for all ages. Crown Center is a shopping and entertainment complex highlighted by its namesake mall, which sits over an ice rink and plaza. It has many family-friendly attractions, including the Hallmark Visitors Center and the Coterie Theater, which hosts classic and modern shows.
The Kansas City Zoo is one of the most well-known attractions in Kansas City. It is a 200-acre home to over 1700 animals worldwide and has many activities, attractions, and shows to enjoy as you visit. It is known for being one of the best zoos in the midwest! The Kansas City Zoo also hosts many activities, events, camps, and tours for your family to enjoy as well.
Worlds of Fun is a 235-acre entertainment complex in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the Midwest’s largest amusement park and water park filled with rides, water fun, great food, and more! Families travel near and far to visit this family-friendly attraction in Kansas City.
Science City is THE location for our youngest explorers and beyond to get a firsthand look at the incredible world of science. It is personally my favorite attraction in Kansas City, and we visit often! There are indoor and outdoor exhibits that are enjoyable and engaging, as well as educator-led workshops and activities. Here is where your lifetime passion for science, learning, and discovery begins.
Union Station is a 104-year-old train station in Kansas City owned by a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving its historical monument and its stories, inspiring lifelong learning, and creating lasting memories for our community. Kansas City’s internationally-awarded Science City, the new Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium, the Regnier Extreme Screen Theater, the famous Model Railroad Experience, City Stage featuring live theater, and a selection of unique shops and restaurants are all part of this landmark. Union Station is also home to many significant civic and economic institutions in the area, as well as world-class traveling exhibitions.
Kaleidoscope is an art museum created by Hallmark for kids to enjoy crafts and activities. This was one of our first attractions in Kansas City to visit when coming into this town, and it was a BLAST! My kids absolutely loved it that we had to come back every day for weeks. Their website even has art projects online for you to follow at home.
Legoland is a 2 story indoor lego playground filled with millions of Lego bricks where you can fly on Merlin’s Apprentice, ride on the Kingdom Quest, see your favorite character in 4D theater and build the ultimate Lego creations.
9. Deanne Rose Children’s Farmstead
Deanne Rose Children’s Farmstead is open seasonally and perfect for families who want to visit more than 250 animals and birds, learn about growing a vegetable garden and flowers, experience a too schoolhouse, Kanza Indian encampment, and take a stroll through Main Street to the fishing pond. Kids can bottle-feed goats, and fish, play on several playgrounds, and meet dairy cows where kids can learn about the farm-to-table process.
Sea Life Kansas City is known for its jaw-dropping adventure of seeing the underwater worlds of the sea. Visit the 180- degree underwater tunnel, come face to face with fins with shared and rescued sea turtles, touch a sticky anemone, and explore over 12 breathtaking exhibits.
The Lakeside Nature Center at Swope Park is one of Missouri’s most extensive wildlife rehabilitation facilities, offering environmental education, recreational activities, a hiking route, a picnic pavilion, and an exhibit of local Missouri wildlife. Two bald eagles, two turkey vultures, three barred owls, three types of hawks, and two Kestrel falcons are among the creatures housed at the institution. The Center even has an 80-year-old box turtle named “Wilma” on the premises.
The River Market is centered on City Market, which dates from 1857 and is home to casual global eateries, gourmet grocery stores, indie boutiques, and weekend farmers’ markets. The Arabia Steamboat Museum, located nearby, houses artifacts recovered from a ship that sank in the Missouri River in the mid-nineteenth century. In Berkley Riverfront Park, broad trails for strolling and riding trace the shoreline.
Great Wolf offers a day pass to their water park. You can enjoy unlimited splashes at their 84-degree indoor water park, access to over 50 activities, and more, all under one roof!
14. Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a museum in Kansas City, Missouri, notable for its enormous collection of Asian art and its comprehensive collection from practically every continent and civilization.
Country Club Plaza is 15 blocks of shopping and dining with over 100 stores, 30 restaurants, a horse-drawn carriage ride, a gondola float on the Brush Creek, over a dozen fountains, holiday Plaza lights, fall events, and so much more!
Kauffman Stadium is home to the Kansas City Royals. They offer games to watch and daily tours for loyal baseball fans, and game-day experiences.
The Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is a billion-dollar adventure! Learn about the U.S. economy by seeing how the Bank handles millions of dollars in money each day, lifting a genuine gold bar, viewing the famous Harry S. Truman coin collection, and enjoying fun, interactive displays.
The goal of the American Jazz Museum is to display a collection of items that tell the story of jazz’s influence in Kansas City, the United States, and worldwide. With lighting stations, interactive touch screens, unique mixing boards, and an extensive gallery of antiquities and other works of art.
19. Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad
Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad is known for being kids’ favorite attraction in Kansas City because they get to ride a train! The Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad operates seasonally from May-September in Frank Vaydik Park for families to ride and enjoy.
StoneLion Puppet Theater is a professional not-for-profit theater group dedicated to broadening the horizons of children and adults through the art of puppetry in an interdisciplinary community of ethnic and cultural variety, with a focus on environmental sustainability. StoneLion Puppet Theater uses a variety of puppetry forms, including marionettes, masks, shadow, mouth, and rod puppets, to bring the magic of world-class puppet shows straight to your doorstep! Shows can be done for groups of 30 or 20,000 people and are fresh, innovative, and informative.
Zip KC is the ultimate zipline adventure in Kansas City. Fly high above the Kansas River bluffs on nine zip lines that span 5,800 feet and reach speeds of up to 50 mph! Join us for a high-flying adventure only 30 minutes from downtown Kansas City.
iFly offers a unique experience as your family gets the sensation of flying in their state-of-the-art vertical wind tunnels. It is one of the most unique attractions in Kansas City for families to enjoy the feeling of sky diving!
Swope Park, the city’s most significant outdoor attraction in Kansas City with soccer fields, golf courses, and a treetop adventure park, has trails winding through woodlands and grassy meadows. The historic Starlight Theater, an outdoor venue for Broadway musicals, pop concerts, and comedy, is also located within the park, as is the Kansas City Zoo, which offers tourists safari-themed attractions, animal encounters, and zookeeper conversations.
There are so many family-friendly things to do in Kansas City.
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