2024 Best Sights Around Kansas City Missouri
Kansas City, MO
Intro
If you are anything like me when trying to plan to Kansas City, Kansas, you maybe unfamiliar with the fact that Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri border each other. When I was booking my flights for a work trip to KC, I kept typing in Kansas City, Kansas and the Kansas City, Missouri airport kept coming up. I got frustrated but then finally looked at a map and realized that the Missouri airport was only only 20 minutes from my downtown Kansas City, Kansas hotel I was staying in. Crisis averted. With Kansas City getting world wide attention from the romance between Travis Kelci and Taylor Swift's (along with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs back-to-back Super Bowl wins), I figured it was time for me to share my experience spending a week around the Heart of the America city and toggling between Kansas and Missouri.
Kansas City Chiefs
-
I spent about a week working around the Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri area several years ago. I was fortunate to be sent to so many places domestically with work where I had to do my job but also had a decent amount of time to explore. I went to quite a few different offices around Kansas City and down to Overland Park, Kansas. I was fortunate enough to catch the symphony at the Kauffman Center of the Performing Arts Center. I unfortunately wasn't able to catch a Chiefs or Royals game but I did indulge in quite a diverse variety of cuisine around the city. I love Asian food so I explored several restaurants such as Japanese, Thai, and Chinese, among other cuisines. I'll deep dive some restaurants I stopped at below as well as recommendations around the city.
-
The City of Kansas was established by French fur traders on June 1st, 1850 for ease of access to the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. Kansas City has become the largest city by mass and population in the state of Missouri. The Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) were established in 1960, the Kansas City Royals (MLB) in 1969, and Sporting Kansas City and Kansas City Current (Soccer) in 1996 and 2020 respectively. Kansas City has quite a few sporting and concert venues, including Arrowhead Stadium, Kauffman Center, Kansas City Soccer Dome, T-Mobile Center, and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
-
When I was planning my trip to Kansas City, I was traveling there for work. So while there was a budget I needed to keep within, it was not exactly the same considerations I would be taking for my own person travel. I was also getting my travel assignments within a week or two, so it was understood some travel expenses were inflated a bit due to booking last minute. My advice when traveling, especially on your own dime, time is your friend. Usually the earlier you book, the better for cost friendly tickets. I have noticed sometimes hotels will drop the price slightly when within a few days of arrival in hopes of filling the room but I have not noticed the same as much for flights.
For flying into Kansas City, the Kansas City Airport is your best bet. St. Louis has a slightly bigger airport with a few more flight options and possibly can be more cost effective. With that said, St. Louis is about 3.5 hours from Kansas City, so it's a bit of a drive if not taking a road trip or if you have limited time. If you are driving into Kansas City, i-70 is the major interstate into the city. If you need a rental car, the city has most of the major rental car companies (Hertz, Avis, Enterprise).
I always like to look at websites like Kayak or Trip.com to get a general sense of pricing for hotels, flights, and/or rental cars. I then either go to the most convenient or economical provider for the services I am using or I will go directly to the companies I have accounts with for the points. If you haven't already done so, most companies have loyalty rewards programs so even if you are not a frequent traveler, the points still add up over time and some places points don't expire.
This post will be filled with all tips Kansas City. Whether you are coming for a weekend getaway from St. Louis, live in one of the surrounding small towns and are taking a day trip to the city, or if you want to explore more of the midwest, Kansas City is the perfect place to experience a little bit of everything.
-
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Kansas City Royals
-
-
When you go to Kansas City, it seems like the entire town is filled with amazing food. A neighborhood coffee shop, new restaurants popping up, or a local favorite. The good news is Kansas City has a ton of restaurant options. From hip and trendy American fare to diverse cultural cuisines and even a plethora of Vegan and Gluten Free options. This amazing little city is amazing enough to bring the likes of Anthony Bourdain there multiple times over the course of his career to visit some of the cities great attractions and some of the best spots to grab a meal in the Kansas City metro area.
-
Kansas City
Conclusion
I could keep going on about how much Kansas City has to offer. A lot of times when people think of Missouri, they think of St Louis or central Missouri where the Ozark's are. Hopefully this blog has outlined even a sliver of everything Kansas City has to offer other than Travis Kelci and Taylor Swift sightings. With that said, I am rooting for Kansas City to win 3 straight Super Bowls!
Quote
“Whenever I’m in Kansas City, I think back to all the jazz-blues greats who played the blues here — like Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Jay McShann.” B. B. King
Next Up On The Blog…
Thinking of road-tripping next summer with your furry friends? Checkout my blog on a Road Trip With Pets.
Kansas City