Museums · Kansas City · United States
6 best museums in Kansas City
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: User:Charvex, Public domain
Quick answer
Start with National WWI Museum and Memorial, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 10–14 hours across 4 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 10–14 hours
- Areas
- Crown Center, Country Club Plaza and 18th & Vine Jazz District
Museums in Kansas City
Museum · Crown Center
1.National WWI Museum and Memorial
Designated by Congress as America's official First World War museum, it opens with a glass bridge over a field of 9,000 poppies, each representing 1,000 combatant deaths.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Country Club Plaza
2.Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The neoclassical museum and its glass Bloch Building extension hold an encyclopedic collection, with particular strength in Chinese art, European paintings and photography.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · 18th & Vine Jazz District
3.Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The museum tells the story of the Black professional leagues, from their 1920 founding at a meeting in Kansas City to Jackie Robinson's move to the majors.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · 18th & Vine Jazz District
4.American Jazz Museum and the Blue Room
Kansas City jazz — Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Mary Lou Williams — grew up in the clubs around 18th and Vine in the 1930s.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours, plus a show
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- After dark
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · River Market
5.Arabia Steamboat Museum
The steamboat Arabia sank in the Missouri River in 1856 carrying 200 tons of frontier supplies.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Country Club Plaza
6.Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
A small, free contemporary museum beside the Kansas City Art Institute, with a permanent collection of modern and contemporary art and a steady programme of changing exhibitions.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Free
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Crown Center | National WWI Museum and Memorial | 3–4 hours |
| Country Club Plaza | Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art | 2–3 hours + 1 hour |
| 18th & Vine Jazz District | Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum and the Blue Room | 1.5–2 hours + 1–2 hours, plus a show |
| River Market | Arabia Steamboat Museum | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 2 free, 2 low cost, 2 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is National WWI Museum and Memorial; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Crown Center): National WWI Museum and Memorial, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Country Club Plaza): Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art → Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (18th & Vine Jazz District): Negro Leagues Baseball Museum → American Jazz Museum and the Blue Room, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (River Market): Arabia Steamboat Museum, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 6 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Still cold, with the quietest hotels of the year; indoor sights such as Union Station and the WWI Museum suit the weather.
- January: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 6 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month, with occasional snow and icy winds; good for museums and hotel deals, unless the Chiefs are in the playoffs.
- March: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Temperatures swing widely, from spring warmth to late snow.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Crossroads Arts District — Converted warehouses full of galleries, coffee roasters and restaurants south of downtown
- River Market — Weekend farmers' market, international grocers and lofts by the Missouri River
- Crown Center and Union Station — Hallmark's office-and-shopping complex beside the grand 1914 railway station
- Country Club Plaza — Spanish-style towers, fountains and outdoor shopping streets built in the 1920s
- Westport — Historic outfitting town turned bar district between the Plaza and midtown
More of Kansas City
All things to do in Kansas City · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Kansas City?
National WWI Museum and Memorial. Designated by Congress as America's official First World War museum, it opens with a glass bridge over a field of 9,000 poppies, each representing 1,000 combatant deaths.
+Which of these are free in Kansas City?
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.