I had been here once when I was in elementary school I believe. There is a parking lot around the…read morecorner but it is very pricey, your best bet is try and find a spot on the street. There is a lot to take in (4 floors worth). There is a large section of fossils that accordingly to the displays were found in KS, which is mind blowing that there were dinosaurs this close near us. I really liked the large collection of taxidermy birds that allows you to see a bunch of the local verity in person. This museum covers everything from fossils, life reptiles, germs and more. It is well worth the suggested $7 donation at the door.

First its not a donation its 7 for adults they demanded it at the door…read more You have to pay! lots and lots of stuffed animals and fossils no minerals gems rocks went through it in 15 - 20 minutes tops enjoyed UMKC better

Everywhere I visit, I love checking out the local museum of history to learn the regional past…read more Watkins did not disappoint, and highlighted well what a visitor with limited time ought to know about the city's history really well. Perhaps a minor suggestion is the addition of signage that indicates where to start if one wants to explore and learn in chronological order, but I did figure it out and had a really nice time.

We spent at least an hour and a half here and I easily could have stayed longer but we had to move…read moreon. The Watkins Museum is housed in the beautifully restored Watkins bank and mortgage building, itself an important part of Lawrence history. They have some wonderful exhibits about the history of the city and I found the one about Quantrill's raid to be particularly interesting. Lots of fun artifacts and some interactive displays to entice children to take an interest in history too. The price is right--it's free but I would encourage visitors to leave a nice donation.

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.

Apart from feminine hygiene products in the Men's room (who are these really for? Imho, if a man is…read morebleeding out of his holes he's got serious medical problems), the museum is a pretty nice place to visit.

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.

The Nelson-Atkins is synonymous with Kansas City and an absolute must-visit for visitors and locals…read morealike. Where to even start? This encyclopedic museum was built in the 1930s in a traditional beaux arts style. The original 1930s building is just as stunning today as it was 90 years ago. The original courtyard has been modified and transformed into a restaurant, but aside from that it remains largely untouched. In the 2000s the museum expanded with the Bloch building - an architectural marvel all it's own. Drive by at night to see each lens lit up. Currently they are working on another expansion, that will bring the museum into the modern era. I've spent so much time here it's ridiculous. From exploring as a child with my grandmother, to my time as a student, to exploring now as an adult there is really something here for just about anyone. Being an encyclopedic museum it features art from across the world and spanning the timeline of humanity. You can use the Nelson as a launching pad for discussing nearly any moment in time through the lens of art, which is really an impressive feat for a midsize city like KC. Some of my favorite pieces include a relic with the "finger bone" of st. John the Baptist (it's likely a chicken bone), "Woman IV" by Willem de Kooning, "Boulevard des Capucines" by Claude Monet, and "Persephone" by Thomas Hart Benton. This is the place I take all of my guests, and the place I come to when I need to reset or recharge myself. It's always beautiful, always therapeutic, and always FREE. I'm not sure folks really understand the incredible gift we have as a community to have access to this incredible place. My top KC treasure, and I hope every person gets a chance to visit someday.

My wife and I were visiting from New York for a conference in Kansas City, and several people told…read moreus that the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was a must-visit. We decided to check it out on a Friday afternoon. We had a wonderful time exploring the various exhibits and galleries. We also stopped at the café for a pastry and coffee, and everyone we interacted with was friendly and welcoming. Because we enjoyed it so much, my wife suggested we return on Saturday to spend more time exploring some of the other exhibitions. While we were there, I was taking a few photos of my wife on the second floor above the café with my iPhone when a staff member approached us in a very rude and abrupt manner. She told us that we were not allowed to take pictures inside the museum--only selfies. She then stood nearby watching us, which made the situation very uncomfortable. Because of this interaction, we decided to leave the museum right away, which was disappointing and left us with an unpleasant feeling about the visit. When we returned to our hotel, I looked up the museum's photography policy online. It states: "The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art allows personal, non-flash photography inside the galleries, but strictly prohibits professional portrait, wedding, or engagement photo shoots inside the building." The photos I was taking were simply personal pictures of my wife and were non-commercial. It seems that this staff member was not properly informed about the museum's photography policy. As a result the low rating of our visit.

Great place to visit I was surprised they didn't have the Indians they use to have Car show was…read moregreat

We went on national museum day, so admission was free. Very cool museum. Surprisingly, it is full…read moreof conservation information. A beautiful mansion. We also went to a fire-dancing performance in the yard there this summer. Love the community events!

Orginally opened in 1984, the museum was Closed for three years to Completely revamp the Entire…read moremuseum with exhibits designed by award winning Dimensional Innovations (The Amelia Earhart Museum and Atlas9 are two of their amazing designs), the Kansas Museum of History reopened in winter 2025 and it is amazing! The Why Kansas Gallery acts as the crossroads of the 5 other galleries(plus a special events space) with themes of What Is/Was Kansas, Bleeding Kansas, Connecting Kansas, Making Kansas and Changing Kansas. Sit in a traditional teepee, play engineer on a 1880 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe train (which now has several cars open to explore, several airplanes, and look down into a log cabin from a new elevated ramp... don't miss this! It is easy to miss! Lots of fascinating information on the fight for statehood and freedom, women's suffrage,, civil rights, industries and SO much more plus interactive exhibits(actually smelling the stockyards was a highlight..LOL). Such a rich history. Lots of imaginative play areas for kids inside and out, plus an authentic one room school house and restored Indian mission visible on the nature trail with a swinging bridge. They gave us a scavenger hunt at the front desk that takes you through the whole museum and if you finish it you earn a fun souvenir button or snall toy :) Even if history isn't your thing this museum is vibrant colorful fun and informative and is a true gem and a worthy day trip for any and all.

This sucks. 80% poster boards. Very few actual items being displayed. So much better when downtown…read more Moved west and quality declined severely. Completely redone and so much worse once again. Terrible for kids due to limited displays. No kids want's or can read hundreds of poster boards. Takes about 10-15 minutes to see the items being displayed and a week to read all the posters.

WOW! There are not words to describe this facility. I am amazed that a facility like this is so…read moreclose to me. For starters, it is a beautiful building. Visually stunning. The giant flag sails above a lovely reflecting pond T the entrance. The walkway to the entrance is simple but allows for reflection. There are many informative and interesting displays. There are permanent displays and temporary exhibits. The permanent displays revolve around the life of Senator Bob Dole and World War II. The temporary displays usually focus on a contemporary issue of interest to the public. Both types of displays are well done and have tremendous visual appeal. I have enjoyed all the displays I've seen at the Dole Center. One of the things I love the most, though, is the impressive guest speakers they host. There have been world leaders, members of Congress, former presidents, world renowned journalists and the like to speak here. They also regularly have study sessions for the public. The events here are free and they encourage public participation. The Dole Center holds events all the time and they change monthly. They have running series of informational activities and I appreciate the variety. Additionally, they have an extensive archive of research documents for the public to use. One of the mate redials can be checked out and you must use gloves to handle the papers. I appreciate the opportunity to use these documents in research. Just recently they had a guest book for the public to sign for President Bush's funeral. They were forwarding the book to his family and I applaud this offering, I got quite emotional on my visit. Great place to learn more about history, politics, and current events. You will not be disappointed.

Being a political junkie; I love visiting presidential libraries and museums and we are fortunate…read moreto have several in the Midwest. Dole was never president but he certainly made his mark on Kansas and the nation, and this center has done an admirable job displaying his life work. It is beautiful inside and out. The highlights are tons of memorabilia, a beam from the world Trade Center and 2 stained glass pieces. This place should be promoted better to get the politically inclined to pull off of I-70 and visit. I was there for 40 minutes on a Sunday and was the only one there.

Anyone who looks at my reviews know that a 5 is rare! This exceeded any expectation I had and I was…read moresmiling so Much my cheeks hurt. What an Immersive experience! Books were SO much a part of our parenting I was transported to such deep memories. The attention to detail! The places to sit and read incorporated throughout! We went to an Adults only event just to check It out and we have already bought tickets to take our adult kids next month!!!

This museum is exceptional! I felt like a kid again seeing my favorite storybooks come to life!…read moreEvery single nook and cranny of this space was well thought out and artistically crafted. It was nice to have places for the kids to climb and explore. And there were also spaces to rest and be quiet. I like that each book was unique on display so it wasn't the same old thing over and over again. What I really loved was that they have multiple copies of each book represented in said section. So the ones we hadn't read and were interested in, we were able to discover like The Funny Thing and The Fire Cat. And ones we were aware if were fun to read while exploring like Goodnight Moon (my absolute favorite part), Babar, Frog and Toad, and No, David! The bus ride is a must; so creative and heart warming. We didn't purchase tickets for The Three Robbers experience, but peeking inside I wish we had, it looks great. The docents and volunteers were all knowledgeable of the books. And they were very kind when needing to remind kids of the museum rules. If I lived here I would by an annual membership for sure. And would have gladly paid more than the current $16 admission as I think this experience is worth much more.

This is one of KCs gems - and thankfully not so hidden. This museum was founded by 2 women - 1 with…read morea love of toys and 1 with a love of miniatures. I've visited several times and am always amazed at the popular toys from each decade and the incredible to scale miniatures. During this visit we were one of the first to attend the grand opening of the Native American miniatures exhibit. It's so cool. I recommend everyone check it out. This museum is a must visit for all ages.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, despite being one of the bigger museums in KC, is…read morehonestly kind of a hidden gem in town. I never went before they renovated, but once they did I made my way here and immediately wondered what had taken me so long. You might think to yourself that this is for kids or on the flip side you might think that it's just for collectors - both couldn't be more untrue. The first fun thing is just the massive historic building that this place is in - if you like architecture and exploring old buildings you'll enjoy that part of it. The next thing you'll notice is that there is a ton to see here, from the ornate details of dollhouses, to miniatures that will blow your mind, to nostalgic barbies, there really is something for just about anyone. I like how you can come here to be reminded that everyone once was a kid and that toys tell a unique story about humanity in their own way. If you haven't been this is a great thing to do on a rainy day in KC. I would recommend it for older kids - maybe 10+ and for anyone who enjoys history or museums.