I'm at work and I casually reference Jesse James to a co-worker and he asks - "Who is Jesse…read moreJames?". I couldn't believe that anyone didn't know about JJ, but growing up in Samoa without a TV left my friend out of the loop. I immediately told him - "Saturday we are educating you on a local legend that became internationally renown". My friend, his wife and I arrived at noon on a Saturday and paid $6 each for the bank museum tour. The guide was very friendly and laid a deep explanation of what Clay County and the James family were experiencing during and right after the Civil War. The weather the day of the robbery, the layout of the Liberty square, the medical and mental state of Jesse, who the bankers were and their reactions and actions all told while you see the clock set to the exact time and date of the event, hear the old wooden floor creak beneath you and are surrounded by artifacts or replica's of the items originally inside the bank; the description makes you feel that you are a witness to America's 1st daylight bank robbery. My friend and his wife are now sold on the legend of The James Family and want to see the house museums in Kearney and St. Joe now. A great inexpensive way to spend an hour or so and relive some of the areas infamous past. They also have a backroom with family and area artifacts. The gift shop is free to enter and shouldn't be missed by anyone traveling thru even if you don't have time for the tour.

The Jesse James Bank Museum is pretty darn cool. It was the site of the first daytime bank…read morerobbery, which was executed by members of the James gang. I had read about this robbery in a book, I believe, and now I was able to stand in the old bank building itself, which was really cool. They have restored it to the way it would have looked back in those days, and it's a great little stop to soak in some history of the area in and around Liberty. The woman who gave the tour was extremely friendly and enthusiastic about answering questions and talking about the history of the place. It made us want to further explore the James sites in the area, in Kearney and around Clay County. Having read about Jesse James and his terrorist gangs and how he came of age participating in the hatred, violence and strife during the Civil War and the period following, it's really interesting to physically be in the area and see some of these landmarks with your own eyes. Jesse James was not a hero, even though he's now somewhat romanticized as such. There is a lot of information in the back room of the museum, which displays some really great photos, documents and trinkets from the era. Up front is a gift shop and then there is the main bank room, with its vault open. You can really get a sense of place when you're here, and it's easy to imagine two bushwackers coming in and threatening the lives of the unarmed bankers. Bank robberies are a dime a dozen in movies, but when you see something like this in person it's very arresting. It's a cool experience. I would recommend the Jesse James Bank Museum to anyone with an interest in Missouri or American history. It's very affordable ($6 for adults, $3.50 for kids) and a pleasant and informative way to spend an hour or two. This location is a nationally registered historic place, so pitch in and help keep it going.

I took the 6:00 PM, two-hour history tour on 20th June this year and had such a fascinating…read moreexperience. I feel lucky to have had Michael Lear as our guide, he was absolutely brilliant and was a stellar storyteller! The prison itself is very interesting, has alot of history behind it and honestly a little chilling. Hearing about its dark history really makes you stop, think about life and human existence. The parts about solitary confinement and how tiny the cells were with several people stuffed in were especially shocking. Michael even took us down to the basement solitary area and turned off the lights for a full minute so we could feel what it was like. That part gave me chills. We also got to see the prison cells from the 1800s all the way up to more recent ones, and even the gas chamber. It was intense but very eye-opening. I highly recommend this tour 1000%! And if you are lucky enough to have Michael as your guide, you're in for something fascinating. He also has a Missouri murder history podcast which is definitely worth checking out and supporting - It is called Show Me Murder. To conclude, thanks MSP for such an unforgettable experience!

The overnight paranormal investigation at the Missouri State Penitentiary was even cooler than it…read moresounds and honestly felt like a once in a lifetime experience. I was lucky enough to do the full eight hour overnight investigation, which means about 40 to 50 people with near free rein over three massive prison buildings in the middle of the night. Most of the time was spent breaking into small groups and exploring the grounds looking for paranormal activity, and for me that meant just me and one friend wandering dark cell blocks and corridors that felt completely abandoned. This is absolutely not for the faint of heart because there are long stretches where you truly feel alone, surrounded by silence, shadows, and your own racing thoughts. There were plenty of spine chills, more than a few moments where I questioned my life choices, and by the end of the night I walked out a full believer. It was intense, unforgettable, and easily one of the most fascinating and highly recommended adventures I have ever done.

Kansas City Fun Tours was great and very informative. Our tour guide, Brandon did a fantastic job!…read more He was friendly and very knowledgeable about the area. We had no idea there was so much significant history in Kansas City. The tour was approximately 90 min and covered so much in a short period. In addition, it was reasonable in price for a family of five. If you're looking for a fun and inexpensive way to explore the city in a comfortable, air-conditioned trolley, give them a try.

Carla did a fantastic job. What a wealth of information. She provided a wonderful view of KC, past…read moreand present. She pointed out key landmarks, provided lots of detail about the various areas we toured. Thanks to her, we had a terrific visit to The Arabia Museum. We found the bullet holes and read the history at Union Station. What a great way to see Kansas City. Thank you Carla!

We had such a great time at Stark Caverns! Brielly was a great tour guide and made the whole…read moreexperience fun and educational. The caves were beautiful and we got some really great pictures. We learned a lot throughout the tour and it was a great experience for the whole family. We especially loved the complete darkness experience and the black light portion of the tour. Those were definitely some of our favorite parts. Overall, it was a really fun tour and we are so glad we went. I would definitely recommend Stark Caverns for families!

Genuinely cool cave. There are algae fossils in there from when Missouri was underwater millions of…read moreyears ago, which is a wild thing to stand next to. Sadly our guide Macy was less "passionate cave enthusiast" and more "reciting a script she's said a thousand times and stopped listening to herself." I still don't know how this part of Missouri used to be an ocean based on the tour. She gave the exact same intro four separate times. Not because groups were bumping into each other, just straight up robot mode, probably from also trying to work in the photo package pitch every single time. Ask a follow up question and you'd get a shrug dressed up as an answer. A kid asked about a mineral and got a confident "nope, not that" immediately followed by "I'm not really a gem expert," which, ma'am, pick one. Nobody could tell us where all the clay that used to be in the cave went (there's a lot of water now after the excavation), how the bootleggers pulled off their operation, or whether the cave's ever taken earthquake damage. Also they sell alcohol at the gift shop right before you head into a dark cave, which feels like a liability seminar waiting to happen. What indigenous tribe did the skeleton remains belong to? How did you know it was an indigenous person(s)? What is the difference between an arrowhead and a spear, and when did those relics be given to be on display? She said the stairs were built by child labor because there are child sized handprints in the concrete, but provided no evidence of truth or why. Was it his 18 kids? No one knows. At least it was cool inside while the weather was hot outside. The cave has a story to tell. Macy just wasn't the one telling it. Would recommend the cave, would not recommend Macy. She already told us she's had a bad Yelp review, and I'm sad to say I understand why.

I brought my 3 yo granddaughter today after spontaneously purchasing a Groupon last night to visit!…read moreThis place has been on my list to bring her for a little while and I'm so glad that we made the 30 minute drive to Spring Hill from Belton. The entire place is set up like a very tiny town and it's absolutely adorable and nostalgic. There are all kinds of things and every piece of prop or toy that one could imagine for all sorts of pretend play. We attended the music class as well this morning, and the teacher was lovely and all the kids really seemed to enjoy it. It was no extra cost to attend it. It did seem to be geared towards a little bit younger children (1-2) but was a fun addition. The staff made the experience incredible from top to bottom. Including the fact that there was an issue with Groupon and there not being a code to reserve a playtime. They worked with me without any stress or hesitation when I called them about it. This is definitely a place that I will bring her again. The entire block is absolutely adorable with the downtown businesses.

From the owner: At Nana's Town Children's Museum, we believe in the power of imagination. Our carefully crafted…read moreplay zones are designed to spark creativity and curiosity in every child who walks through our doors. Whether they're serving ice cream, grocery shopping, working on a car, or a star on stage, your little adventurers will find a boundless array of play opportunities to keep them engaged and entertained.

We had a great time and it was a great way to get out of the heat. We chose this last minute and…read moremade it for the 11am tour on a Friday and the two of us went along with 4 others. The group after us was about 20 people. Colton was our tour guide who told great stories and answered all our questions.

I'm a nerd for caves. Recently, I've been trying to take my kiddos to ones I've visited in the…read morepast. Bridal Caves doesn't disappoint for its size and beauty. Easy guided walk through with plenty to see. Always a welcome cool temperature for those muggy summer days. Stop in the store afterwards to purchase your photo souvenir and receive a bag of fish food to give to the giant carp off the dock below. Fun stop.

I have been to McInteer Villa twice. The house is beautiful and I love all of the original wood…read morework and antique furniture. We had a girls night here to celebrate the beginning of "spooky season" and had a really great time. Stephanie is a wonderful host and has great stories to share. This is a fun spot in Atchison to visit for a tour or overnight.

Booked the house in Februaury for a September trip. Talked to the owner multiple times, each time…read moreverifying the date. Flew all the way out here and made it to the house to be turned away because it was double booked. Owner has nothing together don't waste your time or money. You offered to book a shithole of a place in replace of the villa. That was over an hour away. I did not enter the villa. I was outside talking to the people that were probably your friends and you screwed us over to prioritize them. I booked in February on the old website. I double checked on the new website and we were still on there until magically we weren't. You're fucking disgusting

Uh yes! If you happen to be in Arrow Rock for any amount of time, definitely stop by the…read moreinformation center which is also a pretty incredible little museum of artifacts from the town's rich native american roots and beginnings as a salt manufacturing site. I loved it. We plan on returning to this town for some festivals and in-season tours soon.

This was a Mothers Day Gift from my husband!! We had Randy as a tour guide!! I highly highly…read morerecommend doing this!! Randy was great and the tour was so beautiful! This was on my bucket list and now crossed off!! Thank you KC HT!!! And Thank you Randy!!!

From the owner: Looking to make unforgettable memories in Kansas City? A helicopter tour with AIRO is the perfect…read moredate night, family outing, or birthday gift for anyone! Get a one of a kind view of Kaufman Stadium, downtown, the Speedway, and more! Seasonal flights also available for Christmas.

Unfortunately I did not get to tour the Lodge, since reservations must be made 24 hours in advance…read moreand I didn't do my proper research until the night before driving to Sedalia. The Lodge is quite striking from Highway 65 and the view of central Missouri is beautiful from the patio. I'm pretty sure that the experience would be so much enjoyable if I had been able to enter the mansion instead of just reading about it's interesting history. Even if you don't have a reservation go check out the view and what little you can see; it's only about a 3 minute drive off of US65. A cool and unique addition to the Missouri state parks system.

This is one of the best parks in Missouri! The lodge is interesting but not particularly…read moreoutstanding. But the park itself is very nice with very many trees and really nice places to have picnics. There is also a basic gym area for the children and those who have decided not to grow up completely. We are losing our places to just be out in the trees and fresh air and just relax! This is one of the best places left.