One day in Kansas City

Day by day

1. Day 1: National WWI Museum and Memorial and Union Station and Science City

   National WWI Museum and Memorial, Union Station and Science City, Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life at Crown Center and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, then Chiefs or Royals game at the Truman Sports Complex in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National WWI Museum and Memorial

      Walk out onto the memorial lawn at the top of the hill at sunset; it is free and gives the city's classic skyline view. Allow 3–4 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Union Station and Science City

      Walking through the Grand Hall is free; pair it with the WWI Museum across Pershing Road. Allow 1 hour; 3 hours with Science City.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Burnt ends

      Long-running barbecue joints across the city; Arthur Bryant's at 18th & Brooklyn and Jack Stack's Freight House are classic stops.

   4. Afternoon

      Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life at Crown Center

      Combination tickets bought online cost less than paying for each at the door. Allow 2–3 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

      Start in the Bloch Building and finish on the south lawn so you see the Shuttlecocks in late-afternoon light. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. Evening

      Chiefs or Royals game at the Truman Sports Complex

      Chiefs tickets are scarce and expensive; a Royals game in summer is the easier, family-friendly way to see a game.

Before you go

• Chiefs or Royals game at the Truman Sports Complex: Chiefs home games usually sell out; buy through the team's official ticketing well ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (18th & Vine Jazz District): Buy the combined ticket with the American Jazz Museum, which shares the same building.
• Swap in American Jazz Museum and the Blue Room (18th & Vine Jazz District): Check the Blue Room's calendar and plan the museum visit for late afternoon so you can stay for an evening set.
• Swap in Arabia Steamboat Museum (River Market): Go on a weekend morning and combine it with the City Market stalls just outside.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–17 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Tram. The KC Streetcar runs along Main Street from the River Market through downtown and the Crossroads to Union Station and beyond towards midtown, and it is fare-free.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Kansas City
• 3 days in Kansas City

Questions travellers ask