Kansas City Museums

(Kansas City, Missouri - MO, USA)

Of all Kansas City's attractions, its museums are arguably the most fascinating, paying homage to the region's rich historical legacy and cultural heritage. The 18th and Vine district in Kansas City is a historian's gold mine, with four first-class museums relating to aspects of African-American culture featured in just one small area.

Equally noteworthy is the acclaimed Arabia Steamboat Museum, which is located in the city's historical River Market district and has a few interesting tales to share. Families in Kansas City should consider spending some time at the Toy and Miniature Museum, where you will likely leave having enjoyed a particularly fun and lighthearted experience.

American Jazz Museum

Address: 1616 East 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri MO, USA
Tel: +1 816 474 8463
During the 1920s and '30s, the area around 18th and Vine was a hot pot of jazz and jive, with over 60 jazz clubs and regular performances by musical legends such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and more. Today, Kansas City's American Jazz Museum commemorates this golden era in its comprehensive exhibits detailing the lives of jazz greats, musical tributes and collection of memorabilia. Affiliated to this attraction are the adjacent Blue Room, a functioning jazz club where visitors can take in nightly live performances, and the nearby Gem Theater, a center for performing arts.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children and seniors, children five years old and under are free

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Address: 400 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri MO, USA
Tel: +1 816 471 4030
Located in the potently atmospheric River Market area of Kansas City, the Arabia Steamboat Museum is devoted to the Arabia, a steamboat which sank in the Missouri River in 1856 while delivering 220 tons of supplies for western settlers. It was recovered over a century later, revealing a fascinating collection of 19th-century artifacts and utilities.
Open hours: January to March, Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 16:30, Sunday - 12:00 to 16:30; April to December, Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:30, Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for seniors and children

Black Archives of Mid-America

Address: 2033 Vine, Kansas City, Missouri MO, USA
Tel: +1 816 483 1300
Another cultural highlight located in the heart of the historical 18th and Vine district is the Black Archives of Mid-America, a non-profit establishment that is holistically representative of African-American culture, covering a diverse range of topics including art, history, theater, religion, sports, medicine and more. Like the American Jazz Museum, the Gem Theater and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Black Archives of Mid-America was the brainchild of Horace Peterson, an African-American whose dream of celebrating the heritage of black culture in the United States became a reality with the development of the 18th and Vine district and the establishment of these four centers.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 16:30, Saturday - by appointment only
Admission: charge

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

Address: 1616 East 18th Street, Kansas City, Missouri MO, USA
Tel: +1 816 221 1920
Devoted to the origins and history of segregated baseball, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum takes an in-depth look at the sporting contributions made by African-American teams since the inception of the Negro Leagues just after the Civil War, and explores the significant role they played in the civil rights movement. This important sporting attraction is located under the same roof as the American Jazz Museum in the 18th and Vine district.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children and seniors, children under five years old are free

Toy and Miniature Museum

Address: 5235 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri MO, USA
Tel: +1 816 235 8000
As entertaining for adults as it is for children in Kansas City, the Toy and Miniature Museum houses a unique collection of toys, antique dolls and dollhouses displayed along with engaging interactive exhibits. This toy extravaganza will also appeal to fans of historical architecture, since the various collections are housed within a magnificent early 20th-century mansion.
Open hours: Wednesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 16:00, Sunday - 13:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children, students and seniors, children five years old and under are free