Staying around KC this summer?
There’s plenty to do, 100 things actually!
Intro photo by Matt Kocourek
To us, we are Kansas City. Living and breathing it day in and day out. We know everything there is to do, right? Or do we? And how about the out-of-towners who may not have ventured to our fair city?
Local author Traci Angel gives them some reasons to stop by for a visit and gives us locals an outsider’s look-in to see what we might have missed checking out. Residing in Waldo, Traci offers tips, itineraries, and updated suggestions in her second edition of this well-loved guide… 100 Things To Do In Kansas City Before You Die.
Right in the middle of the country and stretched over two states lies a surprising city with hills, fountains, and more to do and experience than anyone might imagine. The secret is out — Kansas City is not only an affordable, friendly place to live and work, it also has a lot to offer when it comes to culture, history, and outdoor adventures.
Did you know that two beloved baseball players are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery? Famed pitcher Satchel Paige and notorious player and manager Buck O’Neil have tombstones that welcome fans to pay homage.
Ever think about walking near the Missouri River? Try the English Landing Park Trail in Parkville or head to the Berkley Riverfront.
In 2021 Kansas City placed in the top 100 on U.S. News and World Report’s list of the “150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2021-2022.” Kansas City was 57 on the list.
The song goes “meet you at “Twelfth Street and Vine,” but today – it’s “18th and Vine” where you will find the American Jazz Museum, Negro Leagues Museum, Mutual Musicians Foundation, Gem Theater and Black Archives for a cultural hub of history and education.
Swope Park is the place for continual exploration. You may know the Zoo and Starlight Theater, but the park also is home to day hikes into the woods, as well as Lakeside Nature Center for exploring all local flora and fauna.
It is cool to be a tourist in your own town any day of the week. Be sure to grab a T-shirt touting local pride at Charlie Hustle or any of the other Kansas City local shops that carry KC-related threads.
Look for ghosts at Belvoir Winery. This wine-processing facility in Liberty is housed on the location of an Old Fellow orphanage back in the day. Today you can sip their wine and check out local artists’ works.
Sports Fans will find a home here – Soccer is where it is with Sporting KC and KC Current, the Chiefs are always a favorite when they play at Arrowhead and don’t forget baseball with our Boys in Blue at Kauffman Stadium and the Monarchs at Legends Field.
We love Murals in Kansas City. Head downtown through the Crossroads Districts over to 18th and Vine and into North Kansas City to Westside KCK (Kansas). Find tributes to native past, immigrant settlers and jazz-music history.
Barbecue is still the culinary treat we are known for (don’t even try it, Memphis, Texas or North Carolina). Check out Arthur Bryant’s original location on Brooklyn Ave. or stumble upon your own family-run one out in the suburbs.
Go to the Top of the City The top of City Hall. Did you know this view is free for anyone who goes within working hours? Take a peek of the surrounding neighborhoods and feel the air up high on one of the area’s tallest buildings.
Check out the book yourself, available on reedypress.com
