Visiting Kansas City with Kids

Kansas City is one of my favorite family trip destinations, and each time we visit, I've been trying to show my kids more of the amazing fun, history, culture, and adventure in KC. My family has lived in the Kansas City area since at least the 1880s and I lived in a KC suburb as a teen, so it's kind of my hometown, but it's also a big city several hours away from where we live now. I feel like this gives us kind of a unique perspective as sort-of-locals, sort-of-visitors to Kansas City. Every time we go, besides enjoying the wonderful company of family and friends, we find something new to enjoy. And I'd love to share more of that with you. So, here's my guide to visiting Kansas City with kids, and I'll keep updating it as I myself discover more of KC myself!

Must-See Fun for Kids in Kansas City

• The National World War I Museum
• the world's largest collection of artifacts from World War I is right in the heart of Kansas City, and it's a must-see if you have kids interested in history.
• Science City in Union Station
•  a spectacular STEM-focused children's museum where kids (and their parents and grandparents) can easily spend all day! My kids spent hours running all over and we still didn't get to every exhibit within Science City before it closed for the day. 
• The Kansas City Zoo
• hundreds of animals, and an especially nice aquarium new in 2023
• The Nelson-Atkins Art Center
• spectacular art museum with works from across the globe, by artists from varying time periods and in many different mediums and styles.
• Worlds of Fun amusement park and Oceans of Fun waterpark
• Rollercoasters, kiddie rides, food, live entertainment, and much more! 

Kid-Favorite Food in Kansas City

Kansas City is a foodie paradise with way too many options to list here. But a few things I especially recommend are:

• KC Barbecue
• There are delicious places to grab KC bbq all over town, including Jack Stack, Gates, Arthur Bryant's, and so many more. You really can't go wrong! And because KC bbq is known for being sweet and mild, it's actually fairly kid-friendly even if your kids don't have the most adventurous palate. 
• Fritz's
• Your burgers are delivered by train in this magical KC eatery with locations in KCK and in Crown Center. This is the most iconic KC restaurant I can think of for kids honestly.
• Betty Rae's
• Betty Rae's is known for the best ice cream in Kansas City, and their great location near the historic KC River Market area!
• Corner Cafe
• Head to the 'burbs and grab breakfast you won't forget. The cinnamon rolls here especially shine--they are enormous and delicious.

Kid-Friendly Souvenir Shopping in Kansas City

KC Souvenirs are available all over town, and besides individual attractions, some of the best places to find them are the Made in KC Stores. Some of the other best shopping areas in KC include:

• The Country Club Plaza
• This beautiful shopping area is one of KC's most upscale, and it's especially beautiful at Christmastime when it's lit. Be sure to stop by Made in KC and Nickel & Suede stores for KC-made gifts!
• Crown Center
• This shopping area has a wide variety of stores plus restaurants like Fritz's, but it perhaps better known as a cultural hub. It's home to Hallmark's corporate visitor center, Legoland KC, SeaLife aquarium, the Coterie Theatre, an ice-skating rink, and much more. 
• Zona Rosa
• Zona Rosa has a great variety of chain stores like Build-A-Bear and Dick's Sporting Goods alongside amazing local stores like the Pink Dinosaur Boutique (a personal fave!) And be sure to watch their social media for upcoming events to decide when you'd like to visit! 
• Legends Outlets
• The best outlet shopping in KC (pictured is some purses I scored for amazing discounts at the Vera Bradley store at Legends!)

Where to Stay in KC

This is a hard and easy question at the same time. On the one hand, there are tons of options including most chain hotels, so you can probably look for your go-tos and find them in KC. On the other hand, it can be hard to narrow it down. If you are not used to big cities, I recommend staying in a suburb for more of a small-town feel, like Liberty, Overland Park, Lee's Summit, or Belton. If you're comfortable with an urban environment and want to be close to all the attractions, look for a hotel on the Plaza or at Crown Center. 

We've stayed in a variety of hotels around the area, usually aiming to stay near family, and my personal favorite so far is the Hampton Inn by the KC Airport. It was super clean, breakfast was great, and it had everything we look for in a hotel room! The one thing that might be a bummer for some trips is that it only had an outdoor pool, so that'd only be a great option in summer. 

One top hotel option that families visiting Kansas City should consider is Great Wolf Lodge KC. I haven't personally been, but I know some families have amazing adventures there. If I get to go sometime, I will be sure to update with more details!

My KC Bucket List

There are some places in KC that I haven't been yet but want to go and think I'll end up recommending them to you once I do. Those include:

• the Rabbit Hole, an interactive, children's-literature themed museum
• Mattel Adventure Park, theme park, with rides and attractions themed like Hot Wheels, Barbie, Thomas the Train, and other popular Mattel franchises. The first Mattel Adventure Park is opening in Glendale, AZ in 2025, and the KCK location is supposed to be the second in the chain, opening tentatively in 2026.
• Truman Presidential Library, the official library commemorating the president from KC. It's been extensively renovated in recent years so I know it's going to be cool, but I don't know enough about it yet to say if it'll be kid-friendly or not. 
• the Belton, Grandview, and Kansas City Railroad, a real train you and your family can ride, usually operating on weekends from June through October. 

For more ideas on kid-friendly fun in Kansas City:

I know, it's impossible to actually cover the family-friendly fun in the KC area in one blog post and I've barely scratched the surface. For lots more ideas, you can check out the KC chapters of my book Surprising I-29: Great Little Places and Local Lore Along One of America's Underappreciated Highways and visit KC area blogs written by moms who live there, like Amy at Everyday Outdoor Family, Karen at Kansas City Karen, and Jana at Adventures in Mom Life.