Activities & Theme Parks

Boat Cruises on Brush Creek, Brush Creek at Wyandotte, (816) 756-1331. 30-minute narrated cruise on the canal along the Country Club Plaza. Seasonal.

Kansas City Trolley Tours, regularly scheduled to Kansas City's top attractions. Narrated. (816) 221-3399 or 1-888-471-6050.

Crown Center Ice Terrace, (816) 274-8412, Crown Center complex. 25th and Grand in the heart of Kansas City. The city's only public outdoor ice skating rink is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., November through March.

Ice Sports-Kansas City, (913) 441-3033, 19900 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kan. Public indoor ice rink with set skating times. Hockey, figure skating and group classes.

Worlds of Fun, (816) 454-4545, I-435 and Parvin Road (exit #54) northeast of downtown Kansas City. Over 170 rides, shows and attractions on 175 acres, open from mid-April through October, in an internationally themed park. Includes the Timber Wolf, one of the world's top-ranked wooden roller coasters, and the Mamba, one of the world's tallest and fastest steel coasters. Newest addition in 2001 was Camp Snoopy. Closing times vary. Season passes and single-day passports available

Oceans of Fun, (816) 454-4545. Next to Worlds of Fun, off I-435 and Parvin Road, the Midwest's largest tropically themed water park featuring surf, sun and sand activities on more than 60 acres. Among more than 35 attractions are the million-gallon Surf City wave pool, adults-only pool with swim-up refreshment cabana, children's water playgrounds and seven giant water slides. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day with varying closing times. Season passports and single-day tickets available

Woodlands Race Track, (913) 299-9797. Located off I-435 at the Leavenworth Road exit in Kansas City, Kan. Nation's first dual racetrack for greyhounds and horses; simulcast greyhound and horse races year-round. Enclosed grandstands. Races five days per week, Wednesday through Sunday, and great brunch buffet.

Snow Creek Ski Area, (816) 640-2200, north of Weston, Mo. Snow-skiing facility fully equipped with snow-making capability. Includes nine intermediate and two beginner runs, two triple chair lifts and three rope tows. Average season is 87 days. Rentals available. On the Web and www.skipeaks.com

The Kansas City Zoological Park, (816) 513-5701, in Swope Park, Kansas City, Mo. East entrance off I-435 at Gregory Boulevard; west entrance at Meyer Boulevard and Swope Parkway. Hundreds of animals from around the globe in natural habitats. Open daily year-round except Christmas and New Year's Day. IMAX Theatre, (816) 513-4629.

Powell Gardens, 20 miles east of Lee's Summit on U.S. Highway 50, (816) 697-2600. 915 acres of ever-changing gardens, nature trails, café and gift shop and year-round events and classes.

Ameristar Casino Kansas City, (816) 414-7000, I-435 at E. Highway 210, Kansas City, Mo.

Sports

The Royals, (816) 921-8000. The Kansas City Royals are part of the American League's Western Division and the 1985 World Series Champions. Home games are played at 40,000-seat Kauffman Stadium, one of the most beautiful ballparks in Major League Baseball, Truman Sports Complex off I-70.

The Kansas City Knights, (816) 471-4222, a founding franchise of the ABA basketball major league. Home games in Kemper Arena, from mid-November through mid-April. www.knightsfans.com.

The Chiefs, (816) 920-9300. The Kansas City Chiefs are in the Western Division of the National Football League's American Conference. Home games are played at the 78,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium, Truman Sports Complex off I-70.

The Comets, (816) 474-2255. The Comets compete in the Major Indoor Soccer League October through March at Kemper Arena.

The Wizards, (816) 920-9300. The Wizards compete in Major League Soccer and play home games April through September at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Explorers, (913) 362-9944. The Kansas City Explorers are part of the World Team Tennis League and host home matches July through September at Hale Arena, south of Kemper Arena.

Kansas Speedway, I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City, Kan. (913) 328-7723; tickets, (913) 328-RACE. Greater Kansas City's newest (opened in 2001) sports attraction brings NASCAR racing to town.

Golf in Kansas City

Since the first course was carved out of a cow pasture at 36th Street and Gillham Road in 1894, Kansas City's golf tradition hasn't stopped growing. Today, the more than 60 public and private courses spread over the hills and valleys of Greater Kansas City account for more than 1 million golf rounds every year. From the early 1900s through the early 2000s, this area has fostered some of the Midwest's premier golf courses designed by some of the game's premier architects.

From the two Paradise Pointe public courses along Smithville Lake up north to The National Golf Club of Kansas City, a private course designed by Kansas City's own Tom Watson in Parkville; from the new Sycamore Ridge public course at the southwest edge of the metro area in Spring Hill, Kan., to the 100+-year-old tradition of the exclusive Kansas City Country Club in Mission Hills - this is a town that cherishes its links.

The Senior PGA Tour makes a stop each summer in Kansas City, and regular PGA Tour players (and other celebrities) participate each year in Tom Watson's Children's Mercy Golf Classic, which has raised millions for Kansas City's Children's Mercy Hospital.

Every year of the last decade has seen the completion of either (or both) new upscale public courses or private courses - and more are in the works. For information on golf in Greater Kansas City, contact the Kansas Golf Association at www.kansasgolf.org or (913) 842-4833; the Missouri Golf Association at www.mogolf.org. or (314) 636-8994; or the Kansas City Golf Association, (913) 649-5242.

Kansas City Area Parks

Johnson County, KS
Johnson County Parks Recreation District:
JCPRD Office: (913) 831-3355 or online at www.jcprd.com.

Kansas Wildlife & Parks, KC District Office: 14639 W. 95th St., (913) 894-9113.

Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam, (913) 831-3355; 44 acres with two fishing lakes, arboretum and rose garden, Old Dodge Town wheelchair-accessible playground, shelters, picnic areas and restrooms, tennis and basketball courts.

Ernie Miller Park, 909 N. 7 Highway, Olathe, (913) 764-7759; 114 acres of bottomland forest, meadows and tallgrass prairie, outdoor amphitheater, Ernie Miller Nature Center and wheelchair-accessible nature trails. Online www.erniemiller.com

Heritage Park, 159th and Pflumm Road, Olathe (913) 831-3355; 1,160 acres with 45-acre lake, marina for paddleboat and sailboard rentals (913-764-4037), walking and hiking trails, shelters, playgrounds, softball, soccer and football fields, golf course and driving range.

Kill Creek Park under development, 127th Street and Homestead Road, south of K-10 near DeSoto; 870 acres to include boating, fishing, marina, trails, picnic areas, shelters, camping, refreshments and restrooms.

Mid-America Sports Complex, 20000 Johnson Drive, Shawnee (913) 441-2244; 70 acres with lighted softball and baseball fields, batting cage, play areas, concessions, pro shop and clubhouse.

Mill Creek Streamway, paved 14-mile trail link between Nelson Island on the Kansas River on the north, through Shawnee Mission Park to Olathe; for walking, biking, strolling or skateboarding. (Other paved trails line creeks in Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and Leawood; call the cities for information.)

Overland Park Community Park, 138th and Switzer Road, Overland Park (913) 895-6000; 129 acres including Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead (913-897-2360), ball diamonds, tennis courts, football and soccer fields for league play, ecological preserve, three picnic shelters, shelter house and restrooms.

Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, 8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park (913) 685-3604; 300 acres including wood-chip trails, themed gardens such as the Erickson Water Garden, forest, prairie, limestone bluffs and visitors' center. Online at Overland Park Arboretum.

Prairie Center, 26325 W. 135th St., Olathe (913) 856-7669; 300 acres of native tallgrass prairie and woodlands, trails, lake and picnic areas; Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Roe Park, 104th and Roe Avenue, Overland Park (913) 895-6300; 43 acres including swimming pool and concession stand, soccer and softball fields for league play, tennis courts, bicycle trail, wheelchair-accessible nature trail, picnicking and shelter house.

Shawnee Mission Park, 79th Street and Renner Road, Lenexa (913) 888-4713; 1,250 acres including 150-acre lake with public beach and marina, concessions and boating, horseback trails, organized camping, outdoor theater, nature trails, tennis courts, softball diamonds, archery range, wheelchair-accessible fishing pier and trail, observation tower, model airplane field, picnic shelters and restrooms.

Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park, 12500 W. 119th St., Overland Park (913) 831-3355; 80 acres with small fishing lake, soccer and softball fields, playground and jogging trail.

Sunflower Nature Park, 103rd and Edgerton Road near DeSoto (913) 831-3355; 60 acres of naturalized park with wheelchair-accessible nature trails, picnic shelter, fishing pond and game fields.

Tomahawk Recreation Complex, 17501 Midland Drive, Shawnee (913) 631-7050; golf course and driving range with pro shop and snack bar, swimming pool and meeting rooms. Tomahawk Dome is used for year-round athletic activities.

18th & Vine District

Kansas City is proud of its 18th & Vine District. Known throughout the world as trademarks of Kansas City, Negro Leagues Baseball and jazz music have been rekindled into brilliant reality with a massive revitalization of Kansas City's historic 18th & Vine district. Federal, state and local grants and loans have helped the revitalization of this area become a reality.

The Jazz Museum is one of the first museums in the country devoted exclusively to this art form. Kansas City's jazz legacy was nurtured in the 1920s and 1930s in the area around 18th & Vine. The Jazz Museum showcases Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Billie Holiday, George Lee Orchestra accompanied by his sister Julia Lee, Count Basie, Bennie Moten, and the incomparable Charlie "Yardbird" Parker. In the evenings, visitors can stop by the Blue Room, an actual jazz club which will feature contemporary Kansas City jazz artists.

Also included are The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and a Visitors Center, with an indoor theater that puts visitors on the corner of 18th & Vine in the 1930s. The exhibit covers the entire history of the Negro Leagues from their beginning after the Civil War through their end in the 1960s. It looks at the contributions the leagues made to the history of athletics, as well as their contributions to the Civil Rights movement.

The Gem Theater, with its wonderful neon marquee, was constructed in 1912 as a movie house for the exclusive use of African-Americans and is now a 500-seat cultural and performing arts center for musical performances, theater productions, dance theaters and multimedia events. The Black Archives of Mid-America, located five minutes from Crown Center and downtown KC, has one of the Midwest's largest displays of African-American photographs, sculptures and paintings. Rounding out the District are soul-food restaurants, African-American art galleries, gift shops and the 18th & Vine Authority. In the 1990s, parts of the film Kansas City were filmed there.

Comedy Shops

Comedy City, 300 Charlotte, (816) 842-2744. Home of great Kansas City comedy, including "Comedy Sportz."

Stanford's Comedy House, 504 Westport Road, (816) 753-5653. The original Kansas City comedy club encourages local comedians and brings professional headliners here. Shows are Monday-Thursday and Sunday at 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 and 10:30 p.m.

Museums and Sites

1859 Jail and Museum, 217 N. Main, Independence, Mo., (816) 252-1892. William Quantrill and John Younger were prisoners here, and Frank James awaited trial when the site was a jail, 1859-1933. Now a museum with changing exhibits and a replica of a one-room school.

Agricultural Hall of Fame, 630 Hall of Fame Drive, Bonner Springs, Kan., (913) 721-1075. Experience the real rural world by strolling through a complete farm town, outlining the development of local farming techniques. Enjoy the Museum of Farming, Hall of Fame, National Farmers' Memorial, one-mile nature trail and more than 30,000 artifacts. Admittance free.

Alexander Majors Farm, 8201 State Line Road, (816) 333-5556. Restored 1856 home of the owner of the largest freighting company on the western trails and the founder of the Pony Express. Barn and blacksmith shop on grounds offer rustic displays.

Arabia Steamboat Museum, 400 Grand in the City Market, (816) 471-4030. A time capsule of remarkably preserved 1856 frontier supplies, explained by members of the rescue crew who excavated the Great White Arabia, the mighty steamboat that sank on Sept. 5, 1856. The Arabia was carrying a mystery cargo that captivated treasure hunters for more than a century.

Ben Ferrel Platte County Museum, Platte City, Mo., (816) 431-5121. A mini-mansion replica of the governor's mansion in Jefferson City. This 1882 furnished home museum uses the Platte County Historical Society collection of historical accounts to tell the story of Platte County in the Archives Room. Christmas tours in December.

Bingham-Waggoner Estate, 313 W. Pacific, Independence, Mo. (816) 461-3491. Built by saddle-maker John Lewis in 1855, owned by American painter George Caleb Bingham and remodeled by Peter and William Waggoner, Pennsylvania millers. Gift shop in carriage house. Available for private party rental. Admittance fee.

Cave Spring Interpretive Center, 8701 E. Gregory, (816) 358-CAVE. Nature center with changing exhibits, wood chip hiking trails, one wheelchair-accessible trail, wildlife pond habitat and butterfly garden. Donations accepted.

Frontier Army Museum, corner of Reynolds and Gibbon on post at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., (913) 684-3767. Numerous exhibits, including wheeled military vehicles. Airplane buffs will want to see the Jenny JN4 used in General Pershing's 1916 punitive expedition. Free.

Grinter Place Museum, 1420 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kan., (913) 299-0373. Considered the oldest house remaining in Wyandotte County, the Southern colonial home overlooks the Kansas River near the ferry crossing for the Frontier Military Road between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Scott. Free.

Hallmark Visitors Center, Crown Center, Hallmark Square, (816) 274-5672. A 10,000-square-foot facility including 14 major exhibits that tell the Hallmark story.

Harris-Kearney Home, 4000 Baltimore, (816) 561-1821. A restored 1855 home in the historic Westport district. Available for groups. Admittance fee.

Johnson County Museum of History, 6305 Lackman Road, Shawnee, (913) 631-6709. A huge collection of Kansas memorabilia. County history exhibits are featured, examining changes from the 1820s to today. Includes restored 1950s suburban dream home.

Kansas City Museum, Corinthian Hall, 3218 Gladstone Blvd. (Benton & Gladstone boulevards), (816) 483-8300. Offers rotating science and technology exhibits, a planetarium, natural history hall and old-fashioned drug store. Admittance fee..

Legler Barn Museum, 14907 W. 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, (913) 492-0038. Reconstructed 1860s barn displaying pioneer artifacts. Special exhibits and quilting group. Donations accepted.

Liberty Memorial, 100 W. 26th in Penn Valley Park, (816) 221-1918. World War I memorial and museum complex.

Mahaffie Farmstead and Stagecoach Stop, 1100 Kansas City Road, Olathe, (913) 782-6972. The last remaining structure used as a stagecoach stop along the Santa Fe Trail. The 1865 stone house, stone ice house and wood peg barn are highlights. Special events include annual Bullwhacker Days. Admittance fee.

Missouri Town 1855, (east side of Fleming Park/Lake Jacomo), Blue Springs, Mo., (816) 795-8200. This living history museum composed of over 35 buildings depicts the lifestyles of the mid-19th century. Interpreters are dressed in period costumes. Admittance fee.

Mormon Visitors' Center, 937 W. Walnut, Independence, (816) 836-3466. Mormon history and beliefs shown through photographs, statues and original paintings. Guided tours. Free.

Old Shawnee Town, 57th & Cody, Shawnee (913) 248-2360. An actual frontier town includes a log cabin, sod house, blacksmith shop, barbershop, undertaker shop and the first jail in Kansas (1843). Free.

Price-Loyles Home, Weston, Mo., (816) 640-2383. 1857 family heritage home of Daniel Boone's great-granddaughter, Rusella Warner Price, and her husband Col. James Price. Original family furnishings and documents from the early 1800s. Changing exhibits highlight Civil War and area history. Children's playroom and attic depict 19th and early 20th centuries.

Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site, 3403 W. 53rd St., Fairway, Kan., (913) 262-0867. Founded in 1839 by Methodist minister the Rev. Thomas Johnson, for whom the county is named, the mission school taught manual skills and academics to American Indian children on site of the original Shawnee reservation. Free.

Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio, 3616 Belleview, Kansas City, Mo., (816) 931-5722. Famous Missouri artist and his wife lived here for 36 years. Original furnishings in the home; studio in the carriage house. Admittance fee.

Toy and Miniature Museum, 5235 Oak, (816) 333-2055. Largest museum of its kind in the Midwest features exact scale replicas of old-fashioned furnishings in doll houses. Antique toys and dolls, plus contemporary miniatures. Admittance fee

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