*Missing Review(s)?…read more In my opinion this is one of the best museums in the world. No doubt,pound for pound I would put the Nelson Akins up against any museum anywhere. I love art so, traveling to Kansas City regularly in the early to mid 2000s,I naturally visited the Nelson Adkins. Walking into the building was not particularly interesting as the entrance had been modernized and different from the exterior. However,once you walk into the galleries,you are stunned. The overall building design,galleries and quality of art seems almost out of place in Kansas City. Not that they don't deserve it,every city should be so lucky,it just seems a surprise. One special thing they had, that is just wonderful, is the cafeteria style cafe in a significantly beautiful atrium. I took many pictures and posted them of the entire facility including the marvelous food over several years. I have been trying to come up with a good excuse to go to KC for a Nelson-Adkins fix! Seriously,maybe an UYE! Now for "The"truly significant impact this museum had on my life.On the second floor you could walk out doors, taking you into the large atrium that holds the cafe. Around this walkway were many Rodin sculpture. I must have past these sculpture a dozen times on my walk to the descending stairs in order to eat During one visit as I exited the doors,passed the sculptures,I noticed a large photographic presentation. Stopping to look closer,I learned it was regarding details of Rodin's Hell Gates. If you have the slightest interest in art,look it up, amazing. After lunch,I returned to this exhibit reading all about the Hells Gates. Finding out there are only two bronze cast of this magnificent sculpture,I felt I just had to see one if not both. One is at the Rodin museum in Paris. If I needed a reason to go to Paris( you don't) this was as good as any. I'm proud to report a few months later I was standing in front of the Gates Of Hell at the Rodin museum Paris. All because of a visual display at Nelson Atkins... Go!

My visit to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was extremely disappointing. While the museum itself…read morewas beautiful the behavior of several staff members completely ruined the experience. Throughout our visit we were repeatedly followed and monitored. At one point, as we were leaving through a doorway a staff member who was entering saw us exiting and immediately turned around after looking directly at us. Another staff member approached us in a very confrontational manner under the guise of "guiding" us and even laughed after I responded with "yikes." The micro-aggressions were impossible to ignore. They didn't even seem "micro." The behavior from staff was excessive, unwelcoming, and deeply uncomfortable. It's unfortunate that such a culturally significant and visually appealing place is staffed by people who ruin the experience. I genuinely hope the museum addresses and provides better training on how staff members interact with guests.

Beautiful art gallery - a must-see when you're in St Joe. Their gift shop also is fun - many cool…read moreitems to choose from. Check it out - you'll love it!

I actually had my baby shower here it was beautiful and the food was goodno complaintsread more

Really enjoyed this museum and it's free. Take advantage of a nice experience to see some…read moreinteresting things. The staff is friendly and they validate your parking.

small but mighty. for a small college museum i was very impressed with the collection.read more

We made a trip this past weekend to KC and had a blast. This was our first stop! I had seen clips…read moreon social media and knew my little book worms would love it. We bought our tickets ahead of time, so we could secure our time slot. However, it looked like you can get tickets there the day of. Tickets are fairly priced, $16/person. This place is a lot bigger than I thought. Once you go down the rabbit hole, there are little burrows to crawl through, stop by and check out the rabbits little house before making your way through. It took us about 2 hours to go through, my kids loved all the interactive pieces to it. They could climb in nearly everything, there was a slide, a fire pole, etc. If you aren't familiar with the books, don't worry, they keep them stocked at each section so you can read it! Once we were done, we made our way to the bookstore. They had a wonderful large staircase that people could just relax and read books which I thought was wonderful little touch. They had a great selection of books and had a section of all the books from the displays. They have a coffee shop but unfortunately it was closed when we were there. The staff was wonderful, the volunteers are all scattered throughout to help customers. The volunteers and staff truly love books and children. We will absolutely be back again!

Well put together museum where all the books you grew up comes alive…read more Brought my kids and their cousins here. They loved it. Got to sit on a story time and caught the bus. Make reading great again!

This was really fun! More than I was expecting. Check in was easy, they are doing contact tracing…read morewe had to fill out info. we ordered tickets from Groupon. We avoided touching much, so there were some illusions we didn't do, but were able to do most of them. There are tips and explanations with each illusion. It doesn't take real long to go through maybe 30 minutes or so, but it was fun and enjoyable. Highly recommend for adults or kids!

Over priced and over rated…read more Too small. Things looked old and touched too much. Wack! Don't waste your time or money.

Their 100th review, woohoo, but I thought I'd left one already. Lovely contemporary art collection…read more One of the largest. Not far from the esteemed Nelson-Atkins.

Disappointed some of the exhibits were closed, but you could power through this place in about 20…read moreminutes. Nice a little café with good coffee and snacks. The atrium actually was a piece of art, which is kind of cool.... 15 minute walk to the plaza... parking is a little challenging, but no big deal.

This is an absolute gem in St. Joseph!!…read more What made our visit even more special was learning just how much Gary Chilcote -- the man who created this incredible collection and continues to invest in it -- cherishes this community and its history. We spent four hours there and still didn't see everything! Did you know Abraham Lincoln came to St. Joseph -- not just once, but twice?! From the fascinating interviews with famous figures like Walter Cronkite, to the incredible collections, to an entire floor preserved to showcase the original hotel rooms in all their historic glory, there is truly something here for everyone. And what struck me most was realizing how much of this incredible museum represents the love and generosity of generations of St. Joseph families who understood the importance of preserving their community's history. Everywhere you turn, there is another story, another treasure, another piece of history that draws you in and makes you stop and wonder. Halfway through our visit, I found myself wondering about Gary and what he was doing today. So, naturally, I Googled him -- and was amazed to discover just how much this museum truly is a family affair... really, a family love affair. As someone who has always loved history, I have an enormous appreciation for the commitment Gary and his family have made -- and continue to make -- to preserving this remarkable piece of St. Joseph. And then came the most unexpected and wonderful moment of our entire visit. We literally closed the place down and still hadn't seen everything! As we were leaving, we commented to the woman at the front desk about how magnificent the collection was. As we turned to walk out, there was a gentleman sitting near the door who smiled at me. I smiled back, walked outside... and then suddenly realized: OMG -- THAT WAS GARY CHILCOTE!! I immediately turned around, walked back inside and approached him. "Are you Gary?" He responded with the kindest smile and a nod. I asked if I could shake his hand, and in that moment I was honestly overcome with chills, pride and admiration. I could hardly find the words to tell him how much I appreciated and admired the work and dedication that he and his family have poured -- and continue to pour -- into this extraordinary place. As we talked, I asked him questions about some of the history we had seen and learned, and he graciously shared even more stories with us. WOW. Just WOW. Mr. Chilcote, the honor was truly ours to meet you. Your willingness to share your knowledge, your passion for history, and your love for St. Joseph made this visit so much more than an awesome day. It was magical. Thank you for preserving these stories, these treasures and this history for generations to come. Keep up the incredible work!! And thank you for reminding us why preserving our history matters so much.

First - the employee DID ask if we wanted to ride. we said "yes". instead of walking behind the…read morecounter at the carousel, he followed us a short while, then left. IF I volunteered, there still wouldn't be anyone because we ALL GO TO LUNCH AT 1030! As far as the length of our visit, it doesn't take that long to recognize your terrible attitude!

We had the incredible opportunity to experience the Glore Psychiatric Museum in two completely…read moredifferent ways! First, we came at night for a paranormal investigation. Our museum host was absolutely wonderful--super nice and helpful. They gave our team a great introductory tour of the key areas and then handed over the reins, giving us the freedom to investigate independently for the rest of the night. The very next morning, we returned with a larger group for a regular daytime visit. The museum is fascinating! The exhibits are deeply interesting and do an excellent job covering the extensive history of the asylum and the evolution of mental health care. There is an entire second building that houses other great collections, including The Black Archives, which is easily accessible via a walkway on the 2nd floor. Highly recommend a visit whether you're a history buff or a paranormal investigator!

The Glore Psychiatric Museum is located 51miles NW of Kansas City in St. Joseph Missouri. It has…read morebeen called one of the fifty most unusual museums in the United States. The museum illustrates how the treatment of mental illness has progressed through time which was first located in a ward of the original "State Lunatic Asylum No. 2" Besides the artifacts of the instruments used for lobotomies, hydrotherapy and Bath of Surprise floors two and three have art work of the patients. Besides this museum St Jo was established in 1821 and became a principal channel of distribution for the building of the west also the Pony Express started here in 1860; visit Pony Express Museum which is a must see. The massive mansions reflect the prosperity of the 1880s. It's a fun day trip.

This small art museum on the campus of Washburn University is a bit dynamic and a bit challenging…read more It's interesting art that is a bit more contemporary and yet they have a few classic 16th century pieces too. When I visited, the exhibitions were Novel Art - Narrative Paintings by Michael Young and Ian Young, 100 minus 5: Variations in the art of Printmaking and Unpacking Chinese Apartment Art. I particularly enjoyed the "Geometric Abstration - 1960s and 70s" exhibit. Not a very large collection but definitely worth an hour of your time. [Review 11422 overall, 1199 of 2019.]

I visited during a student exhibit and on the final day of an exhibit by Montana artist Theodore…read moreWaddell - "Hallowed Absurdities". he uses dead animal carcasses, and creates weapon type instruments or transforms weapons with other medium; odd and unsettling and sometimes ironic, so I guess he did his job, but not my most memorable exhibit. The rest of the collection was not that impressive or vast, but a small museum is better that no museum. I would definitely return on future visits to Topeka for rotating exhibits. Loved the Art-o-mat vending machine!

This is a fantastic place to bring the whole family--fun for all ages! For just $9 per person (kids…read moreand adults), you get access to a huge indoor play space filled with themed areas like a veterinary clinic, grocery store, mechanic garage, painting station, dinosaur zone, and more. There are also sensory stations that encourage imagination and creative exploration. A brand-new indoor water area is set to open on June 10th, which will be an exciting addition. The outdoor space is just as impressive, featuring nature trails, a sandbox, water play area, treehouse, bikes, and more. We especially appreciated the separate toddler-only zones that keep the littlest ones safe while they play. With so much to do, we easily spent around 3 hours exploring. You're welcome to pack a lunch and enjoy it at one of the indoor picnic tables or outside in the peaceful pollinator garden. Highly recommend for a fun, interactive, and affordable family outing!

We had the greatest time here with our Grandson. He is 17 months old and played for 2 1/2 hours…read moreand could have played longer but we needed to go eat lunch. There are many activities that entertain kids and I would say up to ten maybe. Some of the areas included were painting, grocery store, a car repair shop, restaurant, water feature, air flow type activities, small area for toddlers, outdoor activities, blocks, plus many more things. I like that adults have to be with children in order to enter. We decided to go ahead and get a year long membership. With the membership I could put my grandchildren on it and they can even go with their parents if we are not with them at no charge. There are also workers spread throughout the area who are so very kind and do a great job at keeping the place picked up and organized.