Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Kansas City - 2019
2019 Best Places for Kids in the Kansas City region!
2019's best places to take kids in the Kansas City area, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. But there is LOTS more to do around the area...Get great ideas here at KidsOutAndAbout.com! The terrific organizations listed below are just the starting point: Browse through our site and calendar to find lots more, and be sure to click on Everything That's Free.
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope nourishes the creative spirit. It is a place where children and their families are invited to be creative, have fun, and feel good about their own special ideas.
Union Station
You can still catch the train at Union Station's AMTRAK STOP and head out across the country. You'll also find a permanent rail exhibit called the KC RAIL EXPERIENCE, exhibit spaces for traveling exhibits produced by the Smithsonian, National Geographic and other international organizations, a PLANETARIUM, an interactive science center SCIENCE CITY and a vibrant Theater District featuring GIANT-SCREEN MOVIES, LIVE THEATER, and so much more.
Carolyn's Country Cousins
This agritourism destination is one of the oldest and largest family owned pick-your-own pumpkin patches in the region. It offers entertainment with a live animal barn, trike path, play yard, Colossal Fossil House, Little Bud's Railroad, old fashion tractor wagon rides, famous pumpkin doughnuts, homemade fudge, and more. Weekends feature Uncle Lester's Pig Races, Antique Pedal Tractor Carousel, and Uncle Earl's Mining Camp. The farm includes approximately 60 acres planted in pumpkins, corn, and soybeans, plus another 20 acres set aside for pumpkin entertainment and farm fun. Open from Mid-September through October 31, 7 days / week, rain or shine.
Kansas City Zoo
The Kansas City Zoo is located in historic Swope Park. With more than 1,700 animals and over 200 acres, the Zoo is the most affordable fun in Kansas City! With its world-class exhibits and exceptional programs, the Zoo attracts visitors from around the world and families from close to home.
My Local Library
Of course, the libraries in the Kansas City area are not really ONE place, but MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication. They're proud that locals voted them to the best places to take kids this year!
Worlds of Fun/ Oceans of Fun
Kansas City's amusement park with 235 acres of family rides, thrill rides & waterslides including 7 world-class rollercoasters and Oceans of Fun.
Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm Historic Site
As the only working stagecoach stop left on the Santa Fe Trail, Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm offers unique experiences and opportunities that engage visitors of all ages in discovering 1860s farming, life on the Kansas frontier, and stagecoach travel.
Historic City Market Kansas City
Experience the possibilities. All local. All year. Come explore Kansas City’s original marketplace. City Market connects local businesses and regional growers to the Kansas City community. Shop an eclectic mix of shops and boutiques. Taste flavors from around the world at a wide variety of restaurants and cafés. Gather fresh and imported ingredients, bulk spices and more from specialty grocers and produce stands. Visit the region’s largest Farmers Market for locally grown produce, prepared foods, handcrafted & vintage items. Discover our historic past in the 5th Street Lobby Exhibit and at the Arabia Steamboat Museum. Explore a world of sights, sounds and attractions for the whole family.
Main Event
Every occasion is a celebration when you visit Main Event, your headquarters for family fun and entertainment. You can bowl, play video games, watch sports on giants screen, or even just kick back and relax at our bar. We've got dedicated meeting room space, perfect for team building, mini retreats and planning sessions. And nobody does birthday parties, group events, and company parties like Main Event. Locations in Kansas City North and Olathe.
Legoland Discovery Center
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Kansas City offers a fun, highly interactive and educational 2-3 hour indoor experience, ideal for families with children 3-10 years old. Based on the ever-popular LEGO® brick, LEGOLAND Discovery Centers provide a range of interactive play areas, including 4D cinema; master classes from the LEGO Master Model Builder; exciting LEGO rides, such as an interactive and immersive ride called Kingdom Quest; special party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations; as well as the popular MINILAND exhibit designed to reflect the iconic buildings and skyline of Kansas City.
Breakout KC
Breakout KC is the #1 Escape Game in Kansas City, and one of the highest rated escape games in the world. They are family-friendly and intentional about quality time and shared experiences. Locations in Park Place and River Market.
Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
Designed to depict a family farm, the Farmstead has nearly 200 animals and birds of prey, vegetable and flower gardens, a one-room country schoolhouse, an old-time fishing pond, pony rides and more. Deanna Rose brings the charm of the farm to children living in the city. Children treasure such memories as bottle feeding baby goats, milking a cow and taking a horse drawn wagon ride through the woods. 2015 was the Farmstead's biggest year yet - it hosted more than 477,000 visitors from nearly every U.S. state and 17 countries.
Louisburg Cider Mill
A regional destination that offers customers a unique opportunity not only to taste great apple cider and apple cider donuts, but to see where and how the cider and donuts are made. The Cider Mill continues traditions of hosting the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, the Cider Mill Century Bicycle Tour, Cider Mill Swap Meets, Ciderfest, Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, and many more events and activities that align with the mission of the business.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins is a comprehensive art museum with works of art dating from ancient to contemporary. We welcome and provide free admission to all, and deliver unparalleled opportunities to enjoy, appreciate and understand the finest visual arts and the varied cultures they represent—on our campus, online, and throughout Kansas City.
Wonderscope Children's Museum of Kansas City
Wonderscope is a non-profit children's museum whose mission is to spark a life-long love of learning through play.
Paradise Park
Paradise Park is Kansas City's Premier Family Destination, offering Family Fun & Adventure, unique attractions, educational and discovery play, and professional development opportunities in a wholesome, safe, clean and friendly environment!
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
The 300-acre Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens is an educational, recreational and cultural resource for the Kansas City region. At the Arboretum, visitors may experience and explore: 13 gardens with more than 1,700 species of plants; trails that traverse rocky bluffs and bottomland paths; 180 acres of prairie home to native grasses and wildflowers; fauna, including birds, dragonflies, deer, snakes and other wildlife; formal and informal educational activities. Because the Arboretum is open year-round, visitors may see the beauty of all four seasons.
Kansas City Starlight Theatre
Starlight Theatre Association is dedicated to producing, presenting and promoting excellence in musical theatre and the performing arts for diverse audiences of all ages, with continued programming for families and children.
PowerPlay- North
Our state of the art fun centers have something for everyone. Enjoy the very best attractions at the premier place for family fun, birthday parties and corporate/office events in Kansas City. We have rides and attractions that are geared for every age group.
Urban Air Trampoline Park
If you’re looking for the best year-round indoor amusements in Prairie Village, Leawood, Olathe, and Overland Park areas, Urban Air Adventure Park is the perfect place. With new adventures behind every corner, we are the ultimate indoor playground for your entire family. Take your kids’ birthday party to the next level or spend a day of fun with the family and you’ll see why we’re more than just a trampoline park.
Winners in Special Categories
In the second part of our survey, we asked readers to select their favorites in the categories of arts education and sports/physical education. These were the winners:Favorite Arts Educator
Starlight TheatreThe Starlight STARS and STARS OF TOMORROW programs are structured to develop the skills of middle- and high school performers. Since 2003, this educational program has prepared company members to pursue arts careers, with alumni performing across the country and abroad. Students work with industry professionals and gain experience in a variety of performance styles. The program’s activities take place throughout the summer, with additional fall and winter opportunities.
Favorite Sports/Physical Educator
YMCA of Greater Kansas CityEverything the Y does is in service of making us—as individuals and a community—better. From advocacy to early education, disease prevention to sports, swim lessons to after school programs, everything we do helps strengthen our neighborhoods and the people who live here. When you join the Y, you're committing to more than simply becoming healthier. You're supporting the values and programs that strengthen our community.
