|
1859 Jail, Marshal’s Home & Museum. 217 N. Main, Independence, Mo.; 816/252-1892. This two-story 1859 Jackson County Jail, with its barred windows, double iron doors and leg chains, once housed Frank James, Jesse James’ notorious brother. Four feet away is the back wall of the federalist- style marshal’s house, which was home for county marshals until the early 1930s. www.jchs.org/jail/museum.html
Agricultural Hall of Fame. 630 N. 126th St., Bonner Springs, Kan.; 913/721-1075. A collection of thousands of historical relics and works of art in the form of antique implements, gadgets and contraptions from the fields and farmhouses of the past. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m., Sunday. www.aghalloffame.com
Airline History Museum. Hanger 9, 201 NW Lou Holland Dr., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/421-3401. A look at the propeller-driven era through a collection of photographs, artifacts, printed material and audio/visual displays. The museum’s Lockheed Constellation was used in the motion picture “The Aviator” about the life of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday; noon-4 p.m., Sunday. Admission: $7, adults; $6, seniors; $3 children (6-13). www.airlinehistorymuseum.com
Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum. 223 N. Terrace St., Atchison, Kan.; 913/367-4217. Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was born in this home, built by her grandfather, Judge Alfred G. Otis, in the early 1860s. It is owned and operated as a museum by the Ninety-Nines, Inc., an international organization of women pilots. Open daily. www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org
American Jazz Museum. 1616 E. 18th St., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/474-8463. The essence and living spirit of jazz legends fill the atmosphere, as the story of jazz and its greatest performers is told through the sights and sounds of one of the most interactive museums in the country. www.americanjazzmuseum.com
American Royal Museum & Visitors Center. 1701 American Royal Ct., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/221-9800. Visitors can observe horse, rodeo and livestock show clothing, saddles and memorabilia. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; call for Saturday times. Admission: $3, adults; $2.50, seniors; $2, children. www.americanroyal.com
Arabia Steamboat Museum. 400 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/471-4030. From beaver-skin hats to pistols to medicines, the museum claims the world’s largest collection of frontier supplies and is one of Kansas City’s premier tourist attractions. Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission: $12.50, adults; $11.50, seniors; $4.75, children (4-12). www.1856.com
Thomas Hart Benton Historic Home. 3616 Belleview, Kansas City, Mo.; 816/931-5722. Benton resided in this two-and-a-half story, Victorian-style house built of native, quarried limestone, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission charge. www.mostateparks.com/benton.htm
Kansas City Museum & Planetarium. 3218 Gladstone Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/483-8300. The Museum features displays of regional history, natural history dioramas and a 50-seat planetarium. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; noon-4:30 p.m., Sunday. Admission charge. www.kcmuseum.com
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. 4420 Warwick Ave., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/561-3737. A permanent collection of modern and contemporary art by national and emerging artists; 10-12 special exhibitions each year. www.kemperart.org
Liberty Memorial Museum. 100 W. 26th St., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/221-1918. The Liberty Memorial Museum is acknowledged as the only public museum in the United States dedicated solely to the history of WWI, housing one of the most comprehensive collections of WWI artifacts, relics and archival materials. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. Admission to museum: $4, adults; $3 seniors and youth. Admission to tower elevator: $2, adults; $1, seniors and youth. www.libertymemorialmuseum.org
National Frontier Trails Museum. 318 W. Pacific St., Independence, Mo.; 816/235-7575. Trail diaries, authentic covered wagons and period artifacts are on display at the only museum in the United States exclusively devoted to the history of the Overland Trails. www.frontiertrailscenter.com
Natural History Museum. 1345 Jayhawk Blvd., The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.; 785/864-4450. Exhibits at the KU Natural History Museum include fossils; naturalistic dioramas; live bees (in a working hive), snakes and fishes; the Panorama, depicting animals, plants and natural environments from the Arctic Circle to the tropics. http://nhm.ku.edu
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. 1616 E. 18th St., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/221-1920. A multi-media exhibit includes film and video exhibits and 15 computer interactive stations. Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m., Sunday. Admission: $6, adults; $2.50, children under 12. www.nlbm.com
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. 4525 Oak, Kansas City, Mo.; 816/751-1278. One of the country’s premier art institutions, the Nelson-Atkins showcases masterpieces from every culture and period of the world, from ancient times to the present day. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; and noon-5 p.m., Sunday. www.nelson-atkins.org
Patee House Museum. 12th & Penn Streets, St. Joseph, Mo.; 816/232-8206. The museum, formerly headquarters for the Pony Express, contains the remnants of a pre-FedEx era. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday; 1-5 p.m., Sunday, November, January-March; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m., Sunday, April-October. Admission: $3, adults; $2.50, seniors; $1.50, children.
Pony Express Museum. 914 Penn St., St. Joseph, Mo.; 816/279-5059. Restored as a museum, the historic stable where the famous Pony Express service began its operations in 1860 illustrates the creation, operation and termination of the legendary mail service. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission: $4, adults; $3, seniors; $2, students. www.ponyexpress.org
Shawnee Indian Mission Museum. 53rd & Mission, Fairway, Kan.; 913/262-0867. Shawnee, Delaware and other Indian nations attended the manual training school from 1839-1862. The 13-acre National Historic Landmark includes three historic buildings, period rooms and exhibits, special events, workshops and guided tours. www.kshs.org/places/shawnee
Shoal Creek Living History Museum. 7000 NE Barry Rd, Kansas City, Mo.; 816/792-2655. A village of more than 20 authentic 19th century buildings dating from 1807-1885. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday-Friday.
Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City. 5235 Oak, Kansas City, Mo.; 816/333-2055. The 33-room museum contains antique dolls, dolls’ houses, a marble collection, trains and scale miniatures. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday; 1-4 p.m., Sunday; closed major holidays, and the two weeks following Labor Day. Admission: $6, adults; $5, seniors and students; $4, children (5-12). www.umkc.edu/tmm
Truman Presidential Museum & Library. US-24 & Delaware, Independence, Mo.; 816/268-8200. Collections, exhibitions, special events and educational programs about Truman and his presidency. Also nearby: Truman Home, Truman Office & Courtroom. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; until 9 p.m., Thursday (May-September); noon-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission: $7, adults; $5, seniors; $3, children (6-18). www.trumanlibrary.org
Wonderscope Children’s Museum. 5705 Flint St., Shawnee, Kan.; 913/268-8130. Children will experience the wonder of learning through a hands-on, interactive environment. The museum hosts exhibits, special events and traveling exhibits. www.wonderscope.org
John Wornall House Museum. 6115 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, Mo.; 816/444-1858. Accurately restored to the period, the interior spaces and authentic furnishings inside this 1858 Greek Revival home demonstrate why the house was called “the most pretentious house in the section.” Once at the center of a 500-acre farm on the Missouri frontier, it is now encircled by Kansas City’s Brookside neighborhood. Take a guided tour through the house to experience the daily life of a prosperous, pre-Civil War family and wander through the Museum’s historically accurate herb and perennial gardens. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; 1-4 p.m., Sunday; February-December. Admission charge. www.wornallhouse.org
|
