Best Things to Do in Kansas City

The bedrock of KC’s BBQ scene, Arthur Bryant’s has been around since 1908 and started the city’s burnt ends craze. Their presidential customer list includes Harry S. Truman, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

They’re a tad more upscale, and they serve a dizzying array of hickory-smoked meats. Their Crown Prime Beef Rib is a must-try.

This place bucks the “low and slow” BBQ cooking tradition, a gamble that pays off in the form of a killer sliced brisket.

A local chain lunch counter that serves up delicious sandwiches and combination plates. 

A retro cocktail lounge that has no-cover performances seven days a week, including some of the city’s pre-eminent jazz bands.

Located inside the American Jazz Museum, Blue Room is another hot spot that hosts some of the best local and national jazz talents alongside weekly jam sessions for anyone who wants to jump in.

Knuckleheads is a popular spot for blues and rock performers. The venue has four stages (both indoor and outdoor) and, like Blue Room, hosts open jams on weekends and a “Gospel Lounge” on Wednesdays. The outdoor stage is right next to active train tracks where bands and concertgoers have come to relish passing train whistles. 

Painters from all over the city (and the world) have contributed to this impressive collection of work. It’s tucked between 17th and 18th Sts., a corridor into Kansas City’s vibrant art community. 

Take a chance on the Hi-Dive Lounge’s mystery beer vending machine. Then hit the Drunken Worm for in-house tequila infusions. Then Gilhouly’s for an Irish pub aesthetic. Then Julep for a whiskey cocktail nightcap. And if you’re still standing, stop by Tiki Taco for street tacos that will be the best thing your drunk friend ever tasted.

They might be one of the largest craft brewers in the Midwest, but they still put plenty of care into their creations. Tip back a pint of their nationally renowned Tank 7 farmhouse ale, or try their latest test beer. And before you’re all hopped out, check out some of the city’s smaller craft brewers, like City Barrel, BKS and Torn Label.

This place is named for Tom Pendergast, a politician and liquor wholesaler who kept the city partying during Prohibition. Tom’s Town makes and serves premium bourbon, gin and vodka within an art deco interior. They keep the top-shelf stuff flowing because, in the words of Mr. Pendergast, “the people are thirsty.”

Here, you can participate in various basketball challenges — hit a buzzer-beater and hear the crowd go wild, jump into a three-point contest or sit down at a news desk for your own play-by-play or color commentary.

Discover a piece of African American history and learn about some of baseball’s most influential players. In the Field of Legends exhibit, you can take the field with life-sized statues of 12 African America baseball icons.

Its lawn is strewn with 18-foot-tall shuttlecocks, a famous four-part installment. And inside, the museum houses ancient and contemporary pieces from every continent, including one of the world’s largest collections of Asian art.

Fans of contemporary art shouldn’t pass up the Kemper Museum either, which includes works by Jackson Pollock, David Hockney and more.

For those who want something a little stranger, this collection contains only pieces made from human hair.

You’re not riding the rails here because Union Station is not a functioning train terminal. It’s a repurposed architectural wonder and a hub for family-friendly activities. Within its walls are a planetarium, theaters, restaurants and an interactive science center called Science City.

Groups looking for something of the thrill-ride variety, go for Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun, which boasts an assortment of roller coasters and water slides.